On Coulter, Christians, And Jews

American Thinker ^ | October 13, 2007 | Steven M. Warshawsky

[neverdem]

On Donny Deutch's television talk show earlier this week, Ann Coulter honestly answered "yes" when asked by Deutch if she believes that this country "would be better if we were all Christian."  She further stated that Christians "just want Jews to be perfected," i.e., to accept Jesus Christ as their lord and savior.  (The full transcript is here .)

Let the outrage begin!

Deutch, a liberal Jew, accused Coulter of making "hateful" and "anti-Semitic" remarks.

Michael Savage, host of one of the most popular conservative talk radio shows, and also a Jew, likewise accused Coulter of anti-Semitism, and called her a "deranged hag" for good measure.

I must say that Savage's comments surprised me, because he has been one of the strongest voices in recent years against the cult of "political correctness."  And what is Coulter's crime in this case?  Not that she is an anti-Semite.  This is absurd.  I seriously doubt that either Savage or Deutch truly believes that Coulter "hates" Jews.  Rather, Coulter's crime is that she violated one of PC's most sacred taboos:  Expressing belief in the correctness of one's religion.  The only thing worse than this in PC land is asserting the superiority of one's race. 

Well, at least when it comes to white Christians.  For the rules of PC do not apply equally to all.  They do not apply to Jews or blacks or women (except to the extent these groups express "conservative" points of view).  The strictures and penalties of PC only apply to the majority of the American people, as well as to the Founding Fathers who established this great country, and to the many generations of overwhelmingly white Christian Americans who built this nation into the freest, richest, and most powerful country on earth, and defended our country through several bloody wars against its enemies, foreign and domestic. 

The ideology of PC is anti-American to its core.  Its fundamental purpose is not to ensure that "minority" Americans share more fully in the American Dream.  Its goal is to tear apart this nation -- its people, its culture, its history -- root and branch, and replace it with a miasma of atheism, socialism, and multiculturalism.  To see Michael Savage acting the part of PC police is stunning.     

Moreover, for Jews of any political persuasion to take offense at Coulter's comments strikes me as deeply ignorant and immature.  Do Jews truly expect Christians to pretend that they do not believe in the teachings of their religion?  Why?  Because so many Jews have discarded the teachings of their own religion?  (I myself am a secular Jew.)  The "logic" at work here seems to be that, because so many Jews can imagine, along with John Lennon, a world in which "there's no heaven" and "no religion too," it is offensive and outrageous for other folks to disagree with this sanitized vision of the future.  Many Christians, however, still believe in their religion, still believe it is the path to eternal salvation, and fail to appreciate what is so wonderful about the fairy tale world invoked in Lennon's song.  From a PC perspective, this makes them "insensitive" and "bigoted" and "hateful."

I say, thank god that so many Christians in this country still believe in their religion!  That is the only thing that will prevent the violent and tyrannical expansion of the Muslim world.  And that is the only thing that will preserve the existence of the Jewish people.

As a Jew, I recognize, with painful humility, that the existence of my person, my people, lies at the mercy of the larger, stronger peoples in whose midst we live.  To deny this fact is to deny reality.  Not too long ago, the people of Nazi Germany, along with their allies and collaborators, attempted to eradicate the Jewish people once and for all.  The Final Solution they called it.  They nearly succeeded.  But while the Germans and Poles and Dutch and French and the many others who participated in this obscene massacre were Christians, it was not their Christianity that impelled them to these acts.  It was the vicious political ideology of the Nazis.  This is what triggered the Holocaust.

The truth is that the Jews of Europe could not have saved themselves from Hitler's rampage.  Practically every Jew alive today owes his or her existence to the fact that Hitler was defeated by the brave and virtuous troops of the Anglo-American alliance, practically all of whom were Christians too.  Could FDR and Churchill and the rest of the western leaders have done more to help the Jews, both before and during the war?  Perhaps.  (Forget what the Soviets could have done; their moral corruption ran almost as deep as the Nazis'.)  But I refuse to play that despicable blame game.  I simply am grateful for the good people of this country, who made for my grandparents and parents, and now for me, the best home on earth that Jews have ever enjoyed.      

Today, the leaders of Iran -- the most powerful Islamic nation, with aspirations of regional, indeed world, domination -- speak openly of eliminating the state of Israel, i.e., the largest concentration of Jews outside of the United States.  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has vowed repeatedly to "wipe Israel off the map."  Just this week, the former president of Iran, Hashemi Rafsanjani (often referred to as a "moderate"), commented during a sermon (yes, during a religious service)  that the Nazis "saved" Europe from the evils of Zionism.  In other words, the Nazis did Europe a favor by murdering six million Jews.  Where was the outrage from western leftists?  Where were the screams of protest from liberal Jews?  What will these idiots say when the nuclear bombs start falling on Israel?  Probably that Israel caused it, or could have prevented it, or even deserved it.  The mere existence of the Jewish state will be deemed sufficient justification for its total destruction.  My stomach is sick with the thought of how easily Muslim genocide of Jews will be excused, even by Jews themselves.

Make no mistake, New York City -- i.e., "Jew York City" -- will be next.  Destroy Israel and New York City, and most of the world's remaining Jews will be dead.  When this day comes, a substantial part of the Muslim world will be cheering, just as they cheered the destruction of the World Trade Towers on 9/11.

But measured by the amount of heat and vitriol her comments generated, the real enemy apparently is Ann Coulter.  How dare she assert the truth of her religion?  True or not, I know that Christianity is far preferable to Islam.  Would Donny Deutch and Michael Savage and all of the other critics who are blasting Coulter rather live in a Muslim country?  One does not have to be a scholar of the world's religions (and I am not) to know the answer to that question. 

This is the real choice facing Jews in this country, and even in Israel.  John Lennon's fantasy of universal peace and love and brotherhood does not exist, and never will exist.  The fate of the world's Jews, and Christians for that matter, ultimately depends on the ability and willingness of the Christian West, especially the United States, to prevail in the steadily intensifying struggle we are witnessing across the globe between Islam and Christianity. 

What Deutch and Savage and the other critics fail to understand is that only a Christian people who truly believes in the correctness, indeed superiority, of their religion will be able to win this fight.  A secularized people who believes in nothing but watery principles of tolerance and democracy inevitably will succumb to the combination of violent Islamic intimidation and the "nondiscriminatory" imperatives of their own multicultural worldview.  If sharia ever does come to the United States, I am quite certain that its handmaidens will be atheists and liberals, not believing Christians.

As a Jew living in this great country, I have no doubt who my enemies are, and who are my allies.  And I know to which group Ann Coulter belongs.

Steven M. Warshawsky      

[familyop]

Marx's parents made him a Christian--not me. And his rejection of "absolute truth" is common among most in most sects, churches that are headed toward trying to destroy Israel again. Here are only a very few.

U.S. Presbyterians target five firms with Israel links
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1458765/posts

The Church Stares Into the Abyss (The dhimmitude of the Church of England)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1435084/posts

(Anti-Semitic) Anglican group urges Israel sanctions
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1430566/posts

Anglicans Call for Sanction on Investment in Israel to Uphold Justice
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1430772/posts

THE VATICAN AND THE STANDOFF AT THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY
http://www.jcpa.org/jl/vp515.htm

Two United Methodist gatherings urge selective divestment from Israel (official anti-Israel United Methodist Website)
http://www.umc.org/site/c.gjJTJbMUIuE/b.886089/k.A105/Two_United_Methodist_gatherings_urge_selective_divestment_from_Israel.htm

world council of churches (WCC)
church & ecumenical relations
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/ecumenical/index-e.html
"Among those churches which are not members of the WCC, the most notable is the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Since 1965 a Joint Working Group (JWG), co-sponsored by the WCC and the RCC, has met regularly to discuss issues of common interest and promote cooperation. The group meets annually. One of the church and ecumenical relations staff members serves as co-secretary for the JWG and helps to coordinate contact between the Council and the dicasteries of the Vatican through the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. [And] . . . Though the Roman Catholic Church is not a member of the WCC, it is a full member of the Faith & Order Commission. The RCC also serves the team on Mission & Evangelism in a consultative capacity."

Disciples of Christ to Israel: Drop dead
http://209.157.64.201/focus/f-religion/1458942/posts

And Coulter has been giving speeches at mega-churches, BTW (see interview transcript)--another thing that drove me to study the early history of the religion.

[AndyTheBear]

no, we’d rather live in an American country...one that just leaves Jews and members of all peaceful faiths alone without trying to insinuate that one faith is ‘perfect’ and the other is ‘imperfect.’

It was Deutsch who was pushing Coulter for something to be offended about. Read the whole transcript. He kept pumping her for what her "ideal" picture of America would be. I'm really sick of the apparent presumption that she just decided to mouth off and push her religion. Rather she was being interrogated about it. If Deutsch didn't want to hear about Jesus, he has only himself to blame. Moreover if you did not want to hear about it, then blame Deutsch for pushing the issue and blame yourself for investing yourself into it.

Now assuming you have some passing interest in relevant facts in your self appointed role of judge of other people's religious views, I can help you straighten a misconception you seem to have (alternatively if you have no interest in understanding what she meant because it involved Christian beliefs, then you remain ill suited to pass such judgments).

Consider what she meant by "perfect". It did not mean she thought that she and others Christians are perfect, nor that Christians had perfect faith. What she did mean was that it is God's business to make people perfect (not fully accomplished while in this life) and accepting the gift of salvation through Jesus is the only way to get there. It is acknowledged that one does not need Jesus if one is already perfect, but it is thought that no-one, Christian or otherwise ever was, excepting Jesus Himself.

Now how do I know what she meant? Because I understand her religion. If you do not choose to understand it, then FINE. But don't you dare go around telling Christians what we ought to believe! And don't you dare go around accusing a Christian of pushing their religion for trying to explain it to someone who is demanding answers about it on one hand and then being determined to both misunderstand and be offended by it on the other!

[AndyTheBear]

If you are arguing that Christianity seeks to oppose Israel, then please show evidence from the Christian Bible.

On the other hand if your only "evidence" is the opinions of some set of folks who claim to be Christians, I could easily construct a similarly ridiculous case that Judaism opposed Israel. Are there not many who claim to be Jews and yet express hostility toward the state of Israel?

Both arguments would be equally fallacious. Neither Christianity nor Judaism opposes Israel, period, end of story.

[familyop]

"Are you calling the Gospel accounts 'forgeries?'"

Those are often delivered to Christians along with libels from the Acts of Pilate, Emmerich's imaginings, and the like.

Caiaphas was appointed by the Romans and dismissed along with Pilate (his buddy) about ten years later. That, and what it means, is not so hard to understand, unless one is blinded by metaphors and allegories (so-called "spiritual" language).

The same tactic of using puppets is implemented by Rome today, as we see from the article above this thread.

[WFTR]

On these points, we’ll simply have to disagree.

[familyop]

"If you are arguing that Christianity seeks to oppose Israel, then please show evidence from the Christian Bible."

That's a fallacy. You obviously know what's going on. And you want me to criticize your "bible" in this thread? What happened to proper manners in our society? Look at words attributed to Hellenist Paul for yourself.

"On the other hand if your only "evidence" is the opinions of some set of folks who claim to be Christians,..."

Look at where our culture came from and where it is going.

"I could easily construct a similarly ridiculous case that Judaism opposed Israel. Are there not many who claim to be Jews and yet express hostility toward the state of Israel?"

Yes, the ancient Romans assimilated and recruited them, too. They are assimilated into another religion and misused as false examples. Reform was founded for assimilation into a Christian culture. Have you studied the history of Reform and so-called "Conservative?" What do you know about Judaism: only what the Romans said?

[neverdem]

Thanks for the link.

[familyop]

"On these points, we’ll simply have to disagree."

...agreed. By "Rome," BTW, I was referring to our USA, Europe, and the like. It appears that during recent years, new affinities for religious philosophy of ancient Rome and Greece are on the rise. And our Government has recently been working against Israel for Lebanon, Hamas and others.

[dougd]

Doug, I heard it myself. She said Jews needed to be perfected

I suggest you listen to it again (see post #124 for link). I just did and the transcript is accurate. Deutch said it - misquoting Ann; Ann did not.

Since you believe you "heard it myself", after listening again, you might discover that you were susceptible to a counterfactual suggestion and manipulated to "remember hearing" something that never occured. Actually, most people are amazingly susceptible to such psychological tricks and that is the danger we face in this struggle.

I think if you listen to it again, Ann was quite clear that both Jews and Christians had their own routes to salvation. Her "want" merely expressed that she believes Christianity is the easier/faster path. She repeatedly referred to the path to "obey" (the law of the Old Testament) in accordance with Judaism without denegration, pointing out it was another path to salvation, equally valid but just a more difficult one. There is nothing wrong with wanting one's friends to "walk across the bridge with you instead of climbing the banks of a chasm" to reach the same destination.

[Edit35]

Ann Coulter proved she can use bigoted rhetoric. Nuff said.

As with beauty, 'bigot' is in the eyes of the beholder.

Jessie Jackson and the looney left considers anyone they don't understand to be bigots.

'nuff said.

[Reagan Man]

You have warped values.

As a conservative, its my opinion no one gets a pass for bigotry, left or right, Coulter or Jackson.

[Def Conservative]

So I guess we should ban evangelical Christians...since that’s what they believe the Bible instructs them to do.

Was the fact that Christians believe the New Testament to be correct an elephant in the room? Did you think it was a joke when you heard Christians talk about the need to believe in the words set out in the 2nd testament?

What Coulter said was standard doctrine.

[tabsternager]

These are the words of Christ Himself:

Luke 11:47: Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them.

That one verse alone, though there are many more, pretty much ends your argument.

[tabsternager]

Did Christ give a pass to the Pharisees or any other Jews who rejected Him?

No, He didn’t. The Bible is clear: Salvation comes only by faith in Christ, not by keeping the law and not by the blood in our veins.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks neverdem.

Of course, there’s no similar media outrage when someone claims the world would be better off with no Christianity and no Judaism.

[LtKerst]

I was a Christian, until the latest passion play was disseminated in 2004, and am knowledgeable of what they say between themselves.

If you left Christianity because of what someone said or did...you never were a Christian. You judged Christ for what Man does??

[LtKerst]

The Roman Ruler Pilate said Who shall I set free?

the Jews said “Give us Barabbas!”

what shall I do with Jesus?.....”Crucify Him!”

The Media said ‘Who shall I side with?” “Donny Deutch”
the Secular Jews cried!
and “what shall I do with the Woman Coulter?”............

“Crucify Her!”....”Crucify Her!”........

[familyop]

But the “Pharisees” didn’t kill any prophets.

[Frwy]

Who said anything about God giving the Jews a pass.

[familyop]

"“Crucify Her!”....”Crucify Her!”........"

That's another reason I left Christianity: too many depictions in the culture of women hanging on crosses. ...reminds me of Oprah and university feminists.