Reform Jewish Leader Blasts Relgious Right's "Monopoly On God"

[JABBS]

The leader of the largest branch of American Judaism blasted conservative religious activists in a speech Saturday, calling them "zealots" who claim a "monopoly on God" while promoting anti-gay policies akin to Adolf Hitler's.

Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the liberal Union for Reform Judaism, took his place alongside other "religious left" leaders, saying that "religious right" leaders preach that "unless you attend my church, accept my God and study my sacred text you cannot be a moral person."

"What could be more bigoted than to claim that you have a monopoly on God?" he said to a receptive audience during the movement's national assembly in Houston, which runs through today.

He used particularly strong language to condemn conservative attitudes toward homosexuals. He said he understood that traditionalists have concluded gay marriage violates Scripture, but he said that did not justify denying legal protections to same-sex partners and their children. Of the three major streams of U.S. Judaism -- Orthodox and Conservative are the others -- the Reform movement is the only one that supports civil marriage for same-gender couples.

"We cannot forget that when Hitler came to power in 1933, one of the first things that he did was ban gay organizations," Yoffie said. "Yes, we can disagree about gay marriage. But there is no excuse for hateful rhetoric that fuels the hellfires of anti-gay bigotry."

***

Yoffie also urged lawmakers to model themselves on presidential candidate John F. Kennedy, who famously told a Houston clergy group in 1960 that a president should not make policy based on his religion.

Contrast Yoffie's words about Kennedy with President Bush, who recently tried to win support for Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers on her evangelical Christian background.

***

This item first appeared at Journalists Against Bush's B.S.

[jody]

1. Are there some Jewish religious groups that claim a "monopoly on God"?

[madeline_con]

2. Don't most religious groups make that claim? n/t

[JABBS]

3. are you defending the "religious right"?

I don't remember any rabbis suggesting that Orlando should be wiped out by hurricane because Disney provides insurance benefits for gay couples.

[Andromeda]

4. I don't think they get it, JABBS.

:spank:

[madeline_con]

7. What's to "get"?

They all claim a monopoly.

[madeline_con]

6. Maybe not, but don't Rabbis suggest that being Jewish ....

is the way to be? Just like everyone else, they all claim to know the way to "the kingdom".


You might have missed my point.

[Jai4WKC08]

8. Nope, not Reform Judaism

Not Conservative or Reconstructionist Jews either. Or even most Orthodox. Only a very small handful of extreme orthodox.

Judaism doesn't put much emphasis on an afterlife at all. That's a Christian concept.

And the Talmud specifically says, "The righteous of all nations will have their place in whatever world is to come."

We do not proselytize because it is not necessary.

[JABBS]

9. following that

That's why it's so hard to convert to Judaism. Jews don't look to convert the world to their belief system. Rabbis actually have to turn potential converts away a couple of times, so that the potential convert proves that they truly want to convert.

[jody]

5. Don't know about "most" but I do know "many" that do in the U.S. n/t