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Jewish Leader Blasts 'Religious Right'
AP ^ | Nov. 19, 2005 | Kristen Hays

Posted on 11/19/2005 3:40:09 PM PST by Alouette

HOUSTON - The leader of the largest branch of American Judaism blasted conservative religious activists in a speech Saturday, calling them "zealots" who claim a "monopoly on God" while promoting anti-gay policies akin to Adolf Hitler's.

Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the liberal Union for Reform Judaism, said "religious right" leaders believe "unless you attend my church, accept my God and study my sacred text you cannot be a moral person."

"What could be more bigoted than to claim that you have a monopoly on God?" he said during the movement's national assembly in Houston, which runs through Sunday.

The audience of 5,000 responded to the speech with enthusiastic applause.

Yoffie did not mention evangelical Christians directly, using the term "religious right" instead. In a separate interview, he said the phrase encompassed conservative activists of all faiths, including within the Jewish community.

He used particularly strong language to condemn conservative attitudes toward homosexuals. He said he understood that traditionalists have concluded gay marriage violates Scripture, but he said that did not justify denying legal protections to same-sex partners and their children.

"We cannot forget that when Hitler came to power in 1933, one of the first things that he did was ban gay organizations," Yoffie said. "Yes, we can disagree about gay marriage. But there is no excuse for hateful rhetoric that fuels the hellfires of anti-gay bigotry."

The Union for Reform Judaism represents about 900 synagogues in North America with an estimated membership of 1.5 million people. Of the three major streams of U.S. Judaism — Orthodox and Conservative are the others — it is the only one that sanctions gay ordination and supports civil marriage for same-gender couples.

Yoffie said liberals and conservatives share some concerns, such as the potential damage to children from violent or highly sexual TV shows and other popular media. But he said, overall, conservatives too narrowly define family values, making a "frozen embryo in a fertility clinic" more important than a child, and ignoring poverty and other social ills.

One attendee, Judy Weinman of Troy, N.Y., said she thought Yoffie was "right on target."

"He reminded us of where we have things in common and where we're different," she said.

Yoffie also urged lawmakers to model themselves on presidential candidate John F. Kennedy, who famously told a Houston clergy group in 1960 that a president should not make policy based on his religion.

On other topics, Yoffie asked Reform synagogues to do more to hold onto members, who often leave after their children go to college. He also said the Reform movement, which is among the most accepting of non-Jewish spouses, should make a greater effort to invite spouses to convert.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: asa; baptist; capo; gay; homosexualagenda; jino; reform; religiousleft; religiousright; suicide
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To: Zionist Conspirator
ve you ever noticed that the "official branches of Judaism" consist only of Orthodoxy and liberal heresies, with no room for more "conservative" heresies like "messianics," Qara'im, or others (and there are a few conservative heretics of various stripes around)? The liberals are trying to monopolize the name of Judaism for themselves, which is why they restrict the "branches" to the Orthodox (real Judaism) and themselves. I don't know why the Orthodox continue to put up with the "branch" bushwah; it has become so transparent.

Actually, there are Qara'im or Karaites in America. I know of two congregations. I just wish that there were one in New York.
Among Rabbinic Jews there is more diversity that Orthodox and Liberal. The Liberal groups include Conservative/Masort, Reform, and Reconstructionist (Deconstructionist is more like it). Among the Orthodox there are Modern Orthodox, Ultra-Orthodox Traditionalists, and quite a few Hasidic movements. Finally, Askenazi, Sephardic, Persian, and Near Eastern Jews have different liturgies even among Rabbinic Orthodox.

I am not sure what you mean by Messianic. Waiting for the Messiah is one the 13 articles of Faith set for by Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (Rambam,Maimonedes) in the 13th century. All Orthodox Rabbinic Jews and most others longingly look for the Messiah.
However, I suspect that you mean Judaized Christians or gateway groups to Christianity.
I don't mean to be rude, but if you believe that Jesus was the Messiah and/or the son of God, you are a Christian, not a Jew.
You wouldn't accept a group like "Christians for Mohammed", which see Mohammed as the last Prophet, as Christian.
201 posted on 11/19/2005 11:19:37 PM PST by rmlew (Sedition and Treason are both crimes, not free speech.)
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To: Alouette
#1. Reform so called Judaism gets its membership stats from the survey question "what branch of Judaism do you belong to?" which causes most respondents to conclude that if they aren't observant, they must be Reform.

#2. At least half those who belong to Reform congregations are not actually Jewish.

202 posted on 11/19/2005 11:48:41 PM PST by Cinnamon Girl (OMGIIHIHOIIC ping list)
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past
How popular is Kabbalah among Jews?

'Kabbalah' means 'that which is received'. Specifically, it usually refers to the collected teachings of Isaac Luria. Hassidism (Chabad/Lubavitch is the most well known branch of Hassidism) is practical applied kabbalah.

It is difficult to find traditional Jewish literature that does not make reference to kabbalistic concepts.

Kabbalah as an inseparable part of Judaism is not the same as the Hollywood mysticism which uses the same name.

203 posted on 11/20/2005 5:40:00 AM PST by hlmencken3 (Originalist on the the 'general welfare' clause? No? NOT an originalist!)
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To: Cicero
I just did a Google search for that phrase and turned up a couple of good articles and books on the subject by writers I know, particularly J. Budzewzski and Phillip Johnson

Nice post.

Budziszewski and Johnson, both very good choices. I'd also toss in Charles Rice's book 50 Questions on the Natural Law: What It Is and Why We Need It along with pretty much everything on this fellow's Amazon list on the Moral Law .

204 posted on 11/20/2005 6:22:14 AM PST by AHerald ("Truth is not determined by a majority vote" - Cardinal Ratzinger)
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

Kabbalah is Jewish mysticism. Technically, though, because of the potential for spiritual corruption, you are not supposed to study it unless you are a 40 year old + religious male. It contains truths that are dangerous is improperly understood, or abused. It is an important part of Judaism, but not for the idly curious. At least in theory. Names of angels, or the nature of physical manifestations of evil are not appropriate for everyone to study.

If you want an example of the harm it can do in the wrong hands, just look at many occultist and New Age practices of sorcery. Many beliefs and practices stem from improper use and abuse of Kabbalah.

In the right hands, it's a very helpful, perhaps even critical, tool for a deep understanding of Judeo-Christian beliefs. So much so that the Catholic Church and many faithful Christians take a look at it to get a better grip on their own faith.


205 posted on 11/20/2005 6:32:48 AM PST by Alexander Rubin (Octavius - You make my heart glad building thus, as if Rome is to be eternal.)
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To: GladesGuru

My favourite food. ;) BBQ beef ribs, Lexington style.


206 posted on 11/20/2005 6:33:30 AM PST by Alexander Rubin (Octavius - You make my heart glad building thus, as if Rome is to be eternal.)
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To: rmlew; Zionist Conspirator

Well put. Karaites are rare. There's probably only about 50, 000 worldwide, if that. They are generally accepted as Jews, although outsiders may not see them as Jews (Nazis didn't, interestingly enough). There are a couple out there.

Another interesting example is that the Greek Jews use the Jerusalem Talmud, as opposed to the Babylonian Talmud.

But as rmlew said, if you believe Jesus was the son of G-d, or the Messiah, you are a Christian. Which is fine and good, but it's not the same as being a Jew.

Judaism's beliefs are very clearly laid out, and given there aren't that many of us anyways, and it's pretty flexible in terms of orthodoxy, the official branches just basically are classified by degree of orthodoxy.


207 posted on 11/20/2005 6:37:55 AM PST by Alexander Rubin (Octavius - You make my heart glad building thus, as if Rome is to be eternal.)
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To: Alouette; yarddog; digger48
"What could be more bigoted than to claim that you have a monopoly on God?" he said during the movement's national assembly in Houston, which runs through Sunday.

This man is a liar. I don't know of any religous leader who has claimed to have a monopoly on God. He needs to be challenged and made to name names. Then, the fireworks would get interesting.

The audience of 5,000 responded to the speech with enthusiastic applause.

Numbskulls who have to be told what to think are always enthusiastic about being told what to think.

208 posted on 11/20/2005 6:40:18 AM PST by demkicker
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To: Alouette
no excuse for hateful rhetoric...

Most of the "hateful rhetoric" I've heard the last few years has been from the leftwing thugs and footsoldiers, including "liberal theologians."

209 posted on 11/20/2005 6:41:06 AM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: Alouette
On other topics, Yoffie asked Reform synagogues to do more to hold onto members, who often leave after their children go to college.

And Orthodox Jews have some of the highest retention rates, and the congregations are actually growing. There's a simple reason for this... In my experience, nearly every reform Jew I know only participates because it's what their family's always done. I once asked my late uncle why he bothers to go to synagogue at all, since in his words, "religion is nothing but bulls**t!" He said that he went in honor of his mother and father, who were religious. My Aunt continues to go, but she seems to treat services as a social event, chatting with everyone around her. From some younger families, I would get an answer of "we go for our children, so they get a religious education." And once the children are grown, they often stop going (as mentioned in the article). Quite often, those children really aren't observant at all.

I guess my observations have shown me that in many cases, Reform Jews do not observe their religion for G-d, or for themselves, but for other people. I realize that this sweeping statement is NOT the case for all Reform Jews, but for many that I've known over the years. And they're the one's that this article seems to be mentioning in regards to losing interest in Judaism.

It's no wonder, since from this perspective that Judaism holds no interest for themselves, only for others.

Mark

210 posted on 11/20/2005 6:53:58 AM PST by MarkL (I didn't get to where I am today by worrying about what I'd feel like tomorrow!)
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To: SauronOfMordor
Many Reform Jews believe the same, only their sacred texts lean more toward the works of Karl Marx. To them, you cannot oppose socialism and be a moral person.

They have abandoned Torah, although they might give occasional lip service

Rabbi Daniel Lapin had the best explanation for this that I've ever read, and it was posted in a thread here...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1519058/posts

Mark

211 posted on 11/20/2005 7:00:35 AM PST by MarkL (I didn't get to where I am today by worrying about what I'd feel like tomorrow!)
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To: goldstategop
Reform Judaism is a joke. It is so liberal that its safe to say its beliefs are secular liberalism with some Yiddishkeit flavor thrown in. I can't think of anything that makes it authentically Jewish.

My Grandfather, who was Orthodox, had nothing but contempt for Reform Jews. When asked why he didn't like them, he would simply answer, "why can't they just be honest Christians?"

Mark

212 posted on 11/20/2005 7:03:14 AM PST by MarkL (I didn't get to where I am today by worrying about what I'd feel like tomorrow!)
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To: Alexander Rubin
So much so that the Catholic Church and many faithful Christians take a look at it to get a better grip on their own faith.

From where did you get this notion that the Catholic Church has taken a look at Kabbalah in order to get a better grip Her faith?

213 posted on 11/20/2005 7:18:11 AM PST by AHerald ("Truth is not determined by a majority vote" - Cardinal Ratzinger)
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To: BnBlFlag
Are you suggesting that Jewish religious organizations be given soveriegn rights in the U.S. and that Rabbi's be given authority to sentence people to death? How about Southern Baptists be allowed to take over everything in Dixie? Lutherans in the upper midwest? Are you out of your mind?

I am sorry you found my words so offensive. I expected a lot of outcry from non-Orthodox Jews, but not from a Confederate.

It is a simple fact that the Jews are a nation in exile, not a "religious denomination." If you will read your Bible (the front of it at any rate) you will see that G-d established a covenant with the Nation of Israel based on the Torah, and you will see that the Torah establishes a Theocratic government and mandates the death penalty for a wide number of offenses (even though the criteria for carrying it out are very stringent).

Up until the modern "enlightenment" nonsense of the past three hundred years the Jews were recognized as as sovereign nation in exile rather than just another "religious denomination" in a multireligious secular state (the multireligious secular state is a recent institution). During the Middle Ages the sovereignty of the Jewish community under its legitimate rulers was recognized, and with the permission of the host nation, those authorities still had the authority to execute the death penalty under certain conditions.

You are angry with me for being sick and tired of @$$holes like Yoffie and Foxman speaking as "rabbis" and "Jewish leaders" and wanting them subject to legitimate Jewish authority? What are you, some sort of Jacobin?

As to Baptists and Lutherans having such authority, I begin to suspect that you know very little about religion. The religion of Baptists and Lutherans, unlike that of Jews, is purely salvational with no legal element whatsoever. In fact, since the days of Martin Luther Protestants have been absolutely dependent on the secular authorities to execute G-d's laws in the state (and those laws have absolutely no bearing on salvation whatsoever according to Protestant theology), while the churches are devoted only to the salvation of the soul. This is one reason Protestants are so devastated by leftist governments--they have no mediating legal/communal structure to stand between them and the secualr state.

214 posted on 11/20/2005 7:31:30 AM PST by Zionist Conspirator (Vehe'emin BeHaShem, vayachsheveha lo tzedaqah.)
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To: rmlew
I don't mean to be rude, but if you believe that Jesus was the Messiah and/or the son of God, you are a Christian, not a Jew.

A Jew is anyone born of a Jewish mother or Halakhically converted to Judaism, regardless of belief or lack of it. If atheists, b*ddhists, and pagans can be Halakhically Jewish I see no reason why that adjective should be denied to "Hebrew chr*stians."

I am aware of all the other things you said. However, my point was that Qara'im and other small-o "orthodox" heresies are never included in the "branches of Judaism," which always consist of Orthodoxy smothered by liberals.

I once met a young man who believed the Written Torah was from Heaven but who rejected the rest of the Bible (as well as the Oral Torah) and even rejected the doctrine of an afterlife. While he certainly was not an Orthodox Jew, I fail to see why his belief system failed to qualify as a "branch of Judaism" just as much as "reform," "reconstructionism," and "secular humanistic Judaism."

215 posted on 11/20/2005 7:39:53 AM PST by Zionist Conspirator (Vehe'emin BeHaShem, vayachsheveha lo tzedaqah.)
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To: rmlew
You wouldn't accept a group like "Christians for Mohammed", which see Mohammed as the last Prophet, as Christian.

I am not a chr*stian and I do not accept "Jews for J*sus" as orthodox Jews. I merely point out that being born of a Jewish mother makes one a Jew according to Halakhah, and to make apostasy to chr*stianity the one and only occasion when a Jew is "declassified" is not only hypocritical but feeds anti-Semitic stereotypes about "Jews not caring what you believe so long as you are not a chr*stian."

I am afraid that Jews will never understand why Fundamentalist chr*stians cannot see the parallel between Jews for J*sus and chr*stians for Mohammed. The Fundamentalist Protestant notion of Judaism and chr*stianity being in fact a single religion (with chr*stians as "completed Jews," G-d forbid) stems from the Protestant Bible. Because the only thing that separates the TaNa"KH from the "new testament" is the turn of a few pages, because the Bible has no commentary printed with it to explain anything, because this is the only bible the Fundamentalist Protestant has ever known, he simply cannot fathom the idea that the "new testament" doesn't really belong. He deals with the contradictions between "the two testaments" with the same attitude that devout Jews have with regard to "contradictions" between the Sages: 'Ellue va'ellu divrei-'Eloqim Chayyim. Chr*stians are "completed Jews" because they have the "completed Bible." "Why did you people tear the "new testament" out, anyway?" [/sarcasm]

Fundamentalist Protestants do not understand the comparsion with moslems being "completed chr*stians" because Mohammed didn't tack the koran onto the chr*stian bible to "complete it." If he had, all these "Bible-believing chr*stians" might be "bible-believing moslems" today.

216 posted on 11/20/2005 7:48:51 AM PST by Zionist Conspirator (Vehe'emin BeHaShem, vayachsheveha lo tzedaqah.)
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To: Alexander Rubin
But as rmlew said, if you believe Jesus was the son of G-d, or the Messiah, you are a Christian. Which is fine and good, but it's not the same as being a Jew.

Please see my responses to rmlew on the same issue.

If I were a chr*stian I'd be very, very confused to learn that being a chr*stian is "fine and good" but that no Jew must ever be one.

Why not just come out and say that Jews are supposed to be Jews and non-Jews are supposed to be Noachides and that chr*stianity and other religions invented by men aren't really that "fine and good" after all?

217 posted on 11/20/2005 7:52:50 AM PST by Zionist Conspirator (Vehe'emin BeHaShem, vayachsheveha lo tzedaqah.)
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To: Alexander Rubin; hlmencken3

Interesting. Thanks.


218 posted on 11/20/2005 8:15:00 AM PST by The Ghost of FReepers Past ("The President and I cannot prevent certain politicians from losing their memory, or their backbone)
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To: AmishDude; Rider on the Rain
"I believe that Islam, for instance, has no independent morality. Giving to charity, being nice to people, not killing them, well that's fine on its own, but if it's not in the name of Islam, it's really not moral. The Judeo-Christian view separates morality from religious identity…"

Interesting, I’ve never studied Islam. Although ideological and religious differences form varying moral codes, Objectivists judge individuals by their actions rather than their thoughts.

219 posted on 11/20/2005 10:42:38 AM PST by elfman2
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To: Young Scholar
Why should he care, if his means of reaching God is no better than anyone else's?

Right on!

220 posted on 11/20/2005 12:45:50 PM PST by tuesday afternoon
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