Posted on 10/12/2007 3:26:26 PM PDT by ChicagoHebrew
I've seen a significant amount of support on this board for Ann Coulter's recent comments on CNBC. Let me explain why that support is misplaced:
First, as an initial matter, I don't think Coulter's comments about Jews needing to be "perfected" are offensive at all. As an observant Jew, I obviously don't agree with Coulter. But Coulter's remarks here clearly represent standard Christian belief, and it's wrong and intolerant to condemn someone for her basic religious beliefs (provided, of course, that those beliefs don't cause one to do things like blow up Israeli school children or crash airplanes into buildings).
That being said, Coulter said more than standard Christian dogma. In explaining why the 2004 GOP convention was "like heaven," Coulter said "People were happy. They're Christian. They're tolerant. They defend America." That's flatly wrong and blatantly offensive -- attendees at the GOP convention included Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists, agnostics and adherents of several other faiths. In defining the Republican Convention (and, tacitly) the Republican Party as Christian-only, Coulter has done a tremendous disservice to Republicans and conservatives in general. The fact of the matter is that you don't have to be Christian to believe in things like small government, strong national security, legal fidelity to the constitution, and basic moral values. No one here should defend attempts to define conservatism or the Republican Party as limited to believing Christians. . .
As an aside, please don't let this thread be dominated with replies trying to "convince" me that Christianity is right. Suffice it to say that I have heard and rejected every single one of those arguments. But, as is the nature of being a 1% minority, I -- like most Jews -- get missionized quite frequently, which we find very irritating. Kind of like door-to-door salesmen who keep showing up a few times a week and don't always take a polite "no" for an answer.
Did you actually see the interview?
People are too easily offended these days, Deutsch was BAITING her to say something ridiculous so she did, SARCASM!!!
Ann Rox!
So how come you put up a vanity then run away ?
Are you another liberal looking for grist for the Media Matters mill ? Hoping someone here posts something outrageous so Media Matters can get their lapdog Dingy Harry to denounce FR in the Senate and try to shut us down ?
And answer the question another poster posed - Why do Jewish people vote for liberals who hate and undermine Israel ?
What is YOUR view, pray tell?
I've heard her being extreme, but in this case, she wasn't - she was trying to respond honestly to questions being fired at her.
The host was playing gotcha - he grabbed a clumsy statement she made and ran with it, even as she tried to explain herself. Christians and IMO, the impartial, understand exactly what she was trying to communicate.
Good point, RD.
They are going to continue to try to manipulate the discussion all the way through this election and beyond.
A big part of it will be how we should hate each other.
[snip]
As an aside, please don’t let this thread be dominated with replies trying to “convince” me that Christianity is right. Suffice it to say that I have heard and rejected every single one of those arguments. But, as is the nature of being a 1% minority, I — like most Jews — get missionized quite frequently, which we find very irritating. Kind of like door-to-door salesmen who keep showing up a few times a week and don’t always take a polite “no” for an answer.
[snip]
You know what...you’re assumption that anyone is going to waste their time trying to “convice” you of anything religious is pretty offensive in itself. A lot more offensive that anything Ann had to say.
I’m not sure where you live, but I don’t buy your claim that “like most Jews” people are trying to convert you day in and day out. Bunk. So, just calm down, and try and smile a bit more.
Good grief.
... she hurts the cause of Republicans and conservatism with her outrageous statements.
That is your opinion, to which you are entitled, and which I hope you can defened, telling us exactly with whom is she hurting the Republican cause and conservatism? How many votes has she cost the party and the cause? How much money has she cost them?
And, while we're at it, what is this Republican cause that she is so greatly mangling. And how about giving us some specific examples of the harm she has brought thereto?
I'm sure there were a few Jews, a muslim or two, and a whole bunch of atheists or agnostics.
But for whatever reason, or lack thereof, Jews are about as closely aligned with the Dimocrat Party as are blacks.
The next muslim I see at a GOP event will be the first one - and that's just fine with me.
self pinger
You’re misrepresenting what she said. Transcript here:
http://perezhilton.com/?p=7012#more-7012
You can’t seriously believe she wasn’t just joking, when she said Heaven is going to look like the GOP convention. She’s a Christian and that’s obviously silly.
Also, to say that in her dreams, all of America would resembled NYC during the convention, is obviously humor. You can’t take that literally, surely.
But the question was, in her dreams, ideally, how does (should) America appear? A Christian dreams that everyone is a Christian. She believes in the revealed truth of her religion and wishes the entire world to receive it. How can that offend anyone?
Do you wish to exclude anyone from YOUR religion and its message from God to mankind? If so, whom do you wish to exclude and why?
>>> I — like most Jews — get missionized quite
>>> frequently, which we find very irritating.
>>> Is it OK if we pray for you, our beloved elder
>>> brethren?
No...please don’t do that.
He might go back to the Democrat Party.
:-)
Though she is primarily an entertainer, she has some other uses (among them the genuinely political), and certain people take pride in the admittedly simple task of conflating Coulter’s bizarre moments with conservatism writ large. Sometimes it works for the movement, sometimes against it.
Conservatives should not feel obliged to defend her when she wanders from sanity-land, nor should there be resistance to rebukes of the form in the OP, when appropriate. Same goes for every other pundit, personality, and so on.
Personally, aside from enjoying Ann’s ability to aggravate modern liberals, I’m not partial to her - she is the enemy of my enemy.
One long-observed (accepted) definition of a Jew is “one who has a Jewist mother,” which says nothing at all about whether said person is “observant” of Jewish religious rituals and traditions.
Now she’s getting more and more irrelevant, in my opinion.
Then why don't you spend your valuable time with something or someone more relevant to you?
Yeah, it’s vanity, all right. Nothing like seeing some so-called conservatives attack another conservative’s freedom of speech.
No, you're not. ;)
I did not read this thread as the headlines tells me its cry baby time.
The only statement he did have a problem with was Ann characterizing the GOP convention as “Christian”. Although I think his anger over that statement is a little over the top (it was probably 95% Christian so for someone to characterize it that way may be understandable) I think anyone who is a non-Christian could be a little put off by it because it looks like they are invisible or that they and their own efforts don’t matter.
People who come from demographic groups that are overwhelmingly liberal or democrat (Jews, Blacks, University students, etc.) put up with a lot of crap from “their own” or from those in their environments for being conservative. Some have to hide it. The least we can do is try to remember they are part of our group and throw them a bone once in a while.
I don’t agree that Ann should be condemned for this but a gentle reminder that the GOP, though primarily Christian, is not entirely Christian and acknowledging so in public could go a long way in helping our esprit d'corps.
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