US Jews feel threatened by religious right

Reuters ^ | 12/15/05 | Michael Conlon

[freedom44]

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. Jewish leaders say they are increasingly worried that Christian conservatives want to turn America politically and culturally into a country that tolerates only their brand of Christianity.

"There is a feeling on all sides that something is changing," said Abraham Foxman, director of the New York-based Anti-Defamation League.

"The polls indicate a very serious thing -- that over 60 percent of the American people feel that religion and Christianity are under attack," he said on Thursday in an interview.

"Some are saying we are attacking (Christianity). This whole movement is not anti-Semitic or motivated by anti-Semitism. But sometimes unintended consequences are much more serious than intended" he added.

Foxman recently arranged a meeting in New York involving six Jewish organizations to discuss the problem. He said that while participants did not agree on the exact level of the problem, they felt a strategy was needed.

"It's not a war room strategy," he added. "It's to understand what's out there."

He said Jews are a people of faith but are opposed to anyone who would say only they know the truth and want to impose it on everyone else.

While every December brings disputes over what to call the "holiday season" and its trappings, the level of lobbying by those who fear Christmas is becoming something generic has been particularly high this year.

But the issues raised by Foxman and others goes much deeper into American society, ranging from challenges to teaching evolution to bans on abortion and same-sex marriage or deciding

what kind of people who should serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

"Every room (from bedroom to classroom) in the American mansion is under assault to impose either de facto or de jure a Christian theocracy -- I call them Christocrats," said Rabbi James Rudin, former head of interreligious activities for the American Jewish Committee.

"They are people who believe there should be a legally mandated Christian nation, where the concept of separation of church and state is weakened or abandoned," he added.

Rudin said he has met pastors "who say that Jesus Christ is the ultimate leader of America and that God's law trumps the Constitution ... I'm very concerned."

While far from all evangelical Christians hold those views, he said, the influence of those who do is strong.

Rudin, whose book "The Baptizing of America: The Religious Right's Plans for the Rest of Us" will be published in January by Avalon, said those with a theocratic agenda are not anti-Semites, and in fact some of them are among the strongest supporters of the state of Israel.

But he said they are Christians who see secular humanists and globalists as their enemies and who feel they are being attacked.

Mathew (cq) Staver, general counsel of the Florida-based Liberty Counsel, a group which backs conservative Christian causes in court and which has been particularly active in Christmas-related issues, says "there is absolutely no effort that I'm aware of to theocratize America or put down other faiths to expand Christianity."

He credits the increased activity surrounding Christmas issues this year to three years of building an organization over the matter.

"People have said enough is enough," he said, citing such incidents as naming Boston's Christmas tree a "holiday tree" and the publication of a sales catalog by a major retailer which featured Kwanza and Hanukkah gifts but made no mention of Christmas.

President George W. Bush, who describes himself as a born-again Christian, also faced criticism recently for sending out cards wishing people a happy "holiday" season.

"This clearly demonstrates that the Bush administration has suffered a loss of will and that they have capitulated to the worst elements in our culture," William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights told the Washington Post.

[ArmyTeach]

It seems to my pea-brained mind that while we have never had and never will have a 'state church,' observant Jews and observant Christians ought to be on the same page regarding much social policy. Yeh, I know ...

[TChad]

Second, most of them are conservative and happy enough with truly morally conservative Christians.

I'm not sure what type of conservatism you are refering to, but American Jews sure aren't politically conservative. Kerry 75% - Bush 24% in 2004 according to exit polls.

[familyop]

"I'm not sure what type of conservatism you are refering to, but American Jews sure aren't politically conservative. Kerry 75% - Bush 24% in 2004 according to exit polls."

...repeat for you of my correction on that:

I'll rephrase that to "most who are Orthodox..." Most Catholics in decades past voted Democrat, but about half of them are voting Republican more recently. Hopefully and likely, with the trend as it's going, the same will occur within Orthodox Judaism.

And BTW, more Jews voted for President Bush than did neo-Nazis. [g]

[longtermmemmory]

Translation left wing democrat party jewish people feel threatened and are thus playing the "persecution" card.

[jonrick46]

The religious right are allies with the Jews, not a threat. That evangelical Christians may seem as if they want to impose their values on others is a mistaken perception. There is nothing wrong with people having such an enthusiasm for their beliefs that they want to share it with others. There is no imposition of belief happening. To say that there is an imposition of belief is to create a tension between the two groups for political knavery.

[Edit35]

Yeah, go ask Dennis Prager or Michael Medved how threatened they feel by the Religious Right.

Unfortunately, Medved and Prager are anomolies in Jewish politics.

I, like most Christians who admire and love the Jewish people, have a hard time figuring out why.

[Bellflower]

Thank you!

[Rocky]

But sometimes unintended consequences are much more serious than intended

File this whole article under "Huh?"

[unionblue83]

The same folks who appointed Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to be leaders of the black community.

[Convert from ECUSA]

" We're in cahoots!"

I like it, I like it!

[muawiyah]

No doubt the headline writer at AP really did mean that Foxman and an otherwise obscure Reform Rabbi are the "only" Jewish leaders!

Last thing anything anyone in that pit of antisemitism is going to do is allow the idea to get loose that there are non-Reform Jewish leaders.

[Convert from ECUSA]

Dear Mike,

God bless you real good, my friend!

[Paul C. Jesup]

US liberals, who are born to Jewish families, feel threatened by religious right

There that fixes the title.

[kindred]

The leftist ADL is a group of far left quacks who,like most far left quacks, don't have their facts straight.
Right wing bible believing Christians know that Jesus Christ will return to the earth to rule and reign from Zion and are pro Israel. The anti Israel crowd are the left wing people of Christdendom who do not believe the bible is true, that the church has replaced Israel, and largly side with the liberal democrats against Israel.
Foxman is a fool or just one more decived Jew. Hitler used men like Foxman in his rise to power and then destroyed them first. Foxman better get his facts straight.

[Little Ray]

The only thing the "Religious Right" will try to do to Jews in this country is evangelize 'em. The "Religious Right" is one of Israel's biggest supporters.
This should probably read "Ethnically Jewish Atheists feel threatened by Religious Right."

[mewzilla]

From 2004: Jews For Christmas

[katana]

Besides the fact that American Evangelicals are steeped in respect for the Torah and the Chosen People of G*d, the only thing that the "Religious Right" wants is recognition of their G*d given constitutional right to freely exercise their religious expression. The same right applies to Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Animists, Atheists, and even (barring human sacrifice) Satanists.

The National and the International Socialists of the ACLU should feel threatened but only by the whirlwind they themselves have sown the seeds for and will reap from their perversion of what should be a plain and simple reading of our founding documents. You can only beat a dog so long before he jumps up and bites you.

[Convert from ECUSA]

Aw jeeze, Foxman and his clones are flapping their gums.....again! Sheesh, just like Teddy, Hillary, Willie, Heinz-Kerry, every time they flap their bazoos the air quality decreases and the hole in the ozone layer increases!

Meanwhile, may real Jews and Christians stand together against the various pickle-headed nincompoops who are about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.

[kindred]

[...religious Jews and Christians need to form an alliance to completely defame and ostracize these Communists posing as Jews once and for all.]
They are an ally of the arabs and anti semite left wing demorats.

[kittymyrib]

Yes, we know these Jewish leaders are opposed to anyone thinking they know the truth. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6) They hated Him then, and they still do...along with those who follow His teachings. Jesus tells us to expect that while we live in this sinful world, so this comes as no surprise to those who love Him.