Rabbi David Saperstein condemns Frist’s telecast in exactly the right terms – as an attack on religious freedom.
The telecast is scheduled to take place on the second night of the Passover holiday, when Jews around the world gather together to celebrate our religious freedom. It was in part for exactly such freedom that we fled Egypt. It was in part for exactly such freedom that so many of us came to this great land. And it is in very large part because of exactly such freedom that we and our neighbors here have built a nation uniquely welcoming to people of faith – of all faiths. We believe Senator Frist knows these things as well. His association with the scheduled telecast is, in a word, shameful.
I can only applaud. Via Atrios
{ 7 comments }
PMH 04.16.05 at 11:47 am
Shameful is exactly the right word.
Jesus gave his followers one very simple set of instructions, that any band of idiots should be able to follow–>go throughout the world and find students who will live by these rules: 1.) Love God, 2.) Love your neighbor as yourself.
What part of loving God or neighbor is the Good Doctor’s Karnival of Fear? These Christo-fascists must be stopped.
RSL 04.16.05 at 5:07 pm
Seems to me the Republicans are starting to go off the deep end. Once a party of common sense and fiscal responsibility, they’re starting to become truly bizarre. About 20% of the population may long for a fundamentalist Christian theocracy (a Christian version of Iran, maybe?), but the remaining 80% are starting to get alarmed. If the Republicans keep moving in this direction, they are going to undermine the stunning political success they achieved by focusing on fiscal issues and clean government.
ken 04.16.05 at 6:41 pm
Frit in particular is starting to look like he’ll do anything at all to curry favor with the right. But one does wonder if the Republicans have lost their commitment to secular liberal democracy entirely. It sure seems that way sometimes lately.
mason 04.17.05 at 11:36 am
posted originally at state imposed religion I
Fristianism is the new paradigm. State’s rights has been exhausted…for now or at least pending the success/failure of the Fristian strategy. Freedom of Religion and separation from State is the best counter strategy.
On the other hand, the left is actually kind of ambivalent about the religion and values thing, so talking religious freedom just won’t play with many.
Separation of Religion/Values and State is yet another problem for similar reasons. How is it that Fundies and the other odd forces that would go Fristian would argue for or even desire that the empire go Christian? This is the end of that long “family values†train building since Reagan.
And there is a paradox. They want the state to intervene. This is how secular fascists like limbaugh manage to stay viable talking about the “blow-job†leftivism still lurking in our culture. It is not that any would be Frisian wants the State to save them and their loved one’s from oral sex. Probably far from it. They want to silence and shame further an already silenced left.
It is not about oral, but aural sex. It is not even about sex or values. It is actually beyond the pale as politics. This is not a lively rivalry of brothers, but to the death.
Evey G-d fearing and G-d loving bone in my body says they want the return of The most hideous Father. Perhaps we should just sit back a bit and let them build it. All the while warning and educating the fearful Fundi and Fristian masses as to what is really happening.
If and when the time must come, perhaps we can get rid of this most hideous Father they seek to return upon civilisation. I do say civilisation lightly, ‘casus we have never really managed to put the bastard in his place. Always making concessions, trying to be reasonable, etc.
Love the name of the Blog!
– mason
C.J.Colucci 04.17.05 at 12:30 pm
All very well done, but, really, shouldn’t someone identifiable as a Christian, preferably Protestant, be out front on this?
John Lederer 04.17.05 at 5:44 pm
let me see if I understand this.
1.Schumer et al. announce that they will block any appellate judicial nominee who follows the tenets of the Catholic church and several other religions about abortion.
2. Frist el al attack this as an attack on religous beliefs.
3. Frist et al are attacked for denying religious freedom.
Twisty. Very twisty.
lee scoresby 04.17.05 at 7:56 pm
If this is Schumer’s position, then why have they approved a ton of judges who do most likely *do* oppose abortion rights?
Besides, not twisty at all: one side wants to prevent the state from enforcing religious doctrines, the other side believes that the state *not* enforcing religious doctrines is tantamount to destroying Christianity.
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