Posted on 10/15/2007 9:12:48 PM PDT by goldstategop
Those who label Ann Coulter an anti-Semite do damage to the battle against anti-Semitism.
I say this as a committed Jew, a religious Jew, a Jewish writer and lecturer, a past college instructor in Jewish history, co-author of a widely read book on anti-Semitism, recipient of the American Jewish Press Association's Prize for Excellence in Jewish Commentary, instructor in Torah at the American Jewish University, and a man who has fought anti-Semitism all his life.
There is nothing in what Ann Coulter said to a Jewish interviewer on CNBC that indicates she hates Jews or wishes them ill, or does damage to the Jewish people or the Jewish state. And if none of those criteria is present, how can someone be labeled anti-Semitic?
What damage has she ever done to Jews? What is wrong with a person believing that it would be better if another person adopted their faith? Is there one liberal who doesn't believe that a conservative would be better -- "perfected," if you will -- by embracing liberal beliefs and values? Why is it laudable for a liberal to hope that conservatives convert to liberalism, but dangerous and hate-filled when a Christian hopes that Jews or anyone else will go to heaven (that is, after all, Ann Coulter's and most other Christians' primary concern) by believing in Jesus?
I have read Jewish and non-Jewish writers who argue that Ann Coulter's words will lead to another Auschwitz. How does one respond to irrationality? How does one respond to hysteria?
There is also a move to boycott Ann Coulter, so dangerous are her words. Of course, there is no such Jewish or liberal boycott of former President Jimmy Carter, who has done real damage to the Jewish people by describing Israel as an "apartheid" state in the very title of his anti-Israel book. In fact, Carter was invited to speak on his loathsome book at Brandeis University, an ostensibly Jewish university. But for many Jews and liberals, real hatred, real damage to Jewish security can only come from the right, especially from Christians on the right. So Ann Coulter, who has done nothing in her life to compromise Jewish welfare, is to be boycotted, but Jimmy Carter is worthy of invitations to speak. Jewish groups even invite John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt, the authors of "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy," which is essentially a tempered modern-day version of "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion." But Ann Coulter is beyond the pale. And she said nothing to harm Jews.
She said she believes that Jews who accept Jesus as their savior are "perfected." I fail to see why this is some form of hate-speech, let alone the basis of anti-Semitism, as stated by Abe Foxman, director of the Anti-Defamation League, which often defames conservative Christians, whom he and his organization hold to be the greatest domestic threats to America.
As a practicing Jew, I do not agree with Ann Coulter's theology any more than those attacking her do. But I am neither offended by her nor frightened by her or her beliefs. She believes that Christianity is better than Judaism. So what? Why is that in any way different from liberals thinking that liberalism is truer and morally superior to conservatism? Or conservatives thinking that their values are superior to liberal values?
Liberals not only believe that conservatives are philosophically imperfect, but they often believe that conservatives are bad human beings (something in no way implied by Coulter about Jews). Howard Dean has said that conservatives don't care about children who go to bed hungry. Liberals yearn for a world without conservatives at least as much as most believing Christians want a world without non-Christians. The difference is many liberals are immeasurably more likely to impose their views on others than Christian Americans are. Liberal judges impose their views -- e.g., on same-sex marriage -- on society. And liberal educators force young students to watch Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," the former vice president's hysterical beliefs about impending doom -- and offer no countering viewpoint.
As fate and irony would have it, this past Sunday night I was the keynote speaker at the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. Since 1981, the church, led by Pastor John Hagee, has had an annual "Night to Honor Israel." Five thousand Christians came to this year's event, where they heard and sang Hebrew songs and watched their pastor give $8 million to various Israeli and Jewish charities.
Those are Ann Coulter's people, and they are, by and large, the best friends the Jewish people have today. And since Judaism teaches that we judge others by their behavior, not their beliefs, this Jew thanks them. And fears those who fear them. One day, God forbid, should there be real anti-Semitism in America, these hysterics will have cried wolf so many times that no one will listen.
Morally superior? When did killing your unborn children become morally superior?
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right. liberals don’t claim to be morally superior. they claim morals don’t even matter
We live in a world where men still do not love their fellow men as they should love themselves and from it, evil and bloodshed flows. Those who do not act righteously with their fellow men and plot murder and iniquity against them have turned their face against God and cast Him out from their presence. There can be no true love of God unless we live in ethical concord with those whom we share the earth.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I would expect that any Jew who got to know me would like to see me abandon my misguided belief in a Trinity and my misguided, idolatrous worship of Jesus Christ. It is logically necessary that any Jew would believe I am mistaken about these matters, and it doesn’t offend me in the least.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
There’s Ben Stein, too!
Ann Coulter’s view that Jews are “imperfect” Christians is harmful to the Jewish-Christian dialogue in America. It is well established that Christians seek to convert others to Christianity, that is standard practice. However, many Popes and church organizations have removed Ann Coulter-like remarks about Jews from their sermons and teachings, in order to improve relations and combat antisemitism.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian-Jewish_reconciliation
Morally superior? When did killing your unborn children become morally superior? Prager is just plain stupid!
Oh, please! Prager's not saying that liberalism is morally superior. He's saying that liberals 'think' that it is.
Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Read Chapter 3 of Galatians for details. You can call yourself anything you want, but you cannot receive the eternal promises of God unless you acknowledge that Jesus died for your sins on the cross. That includes people who follow Judaism.
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not according to judaism
I don’t understand any of the points you made. Oh well.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Is the Pope Catholic? Yes.
Is An Coulter Catholic? No.
QED!!
According to Prager he's very, very, very Jewish. But so is the ADL. But the ADL has just hit Prager's argument (and Ann Coulter) on the head. Back to square one in the Jews vs Christians contest for salvation.
All's well, Coulter will sell more books because of this, and that's what's this is all about.
“Judaism is concerned with people’s behavior, not their beliefs.”
Quite right... Christianity and Islam are the religiions more concerned with one’s beliefs. And with historical track records of doing what is necessary to enforce it.
That’s the worry expressed by those that condemned Coulter.
What’s next, a religious litmus test? Some here would find that a peachy-keen idea.
But that’s according to a text of a false religion. Why would you consider that as a source of anything other than fiction?
Look at this!
Here we are, all a buncha Jews, Christians, Atheists, and Agnostics, Others, None-of-the-Aboves, and there’s even talk about why one way or another is more right than the other ways. And not one lawsuit yet :0)
Judaism is concerned with people’s behavior, not their beliefs.
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that’s not exactly true... an easy example Gen 20:10-11
and Avimelech said to Avraham “what did you see that you did such a thing?”
and Avraham said, Because I said, ‘There is but no fear of G-d in this place and they will slay me because of my wife.”
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now that is funny. but I’d have to think about it for another hour to figure out why.
The link I provided in my first post goes to a page with statements from the following organizations:
Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Lutheran World Federation
Alliance of Baptists
United Church of Canada
Christian Scholars Group
Second Vatican Council
International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee
Many of these are not catholic. I also said “popes and church organizations”, i wasn’t referring to just catholics.
It's hysterical to compare Coulter's caring about peoples souls through their own spiritual awareness of being, with what happened at Auschwitz.
It degrades and cheapens the atrocity of Auschwitz, making it a red button that can hastily be pressed on anyone for just about any reason.
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