March 29, 2024, 03:07:34 am
Welcome,
Guest
. Please
login
or
register
.
1 Hour
1 Day
Forever
Login with username, password and session length
News
: Secrets of ocean birth laid bare
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5191384.stm#graphic
Home
Help
Arcade
Gallery
Links
Staff List
Calendar
Login
Register
Religion-Politics Mix Gives Rise to Fear
Atlantis Online
>
Forum
>
Politics
>
Politics & News
>
Religion-Politics Mix Gives Rise to Fear
Pages: [
1
]
Go Down
« previous
next »
Print
Author
Topic: Religion-Politics Mix Gives Rise to Fear (Read 29 times)
0 Members and 12 Guests are viewing this topic.
Bianca
Superhero Member
Posts: 41646
Religion-Politics Mix Gives Rise to Fear
«
on:
January 12, 2008, 06:17:42 pm »
Religion-Politics Mix Gives Rise to Fear
By Naomi Schalit
11/01/08 "Kennebec Journal" -- - - I grew up in a household where among our many guests were older people with tattooed numbers on their arms. They spoke with accents — Polish, German, French.
These were friends of my parents who had survived Nazi concentration camps — the Holocaust — and lived to tell their stories. And what they spoke of, over and over again, was the danger that comes when government dictates which religion is good and which religion is not (and thus which religion’s adherents are good or bad).
They had lived in countries where the very fact that you were a Jew meant you couldn’t hold certain jobs, live in certain areas, attend certain schools — where, ultimately, in its most horrific manifestation, being a Jew meant you were targeted for death.
I lived in a household where the memory and evidence of that Holocaust was directly and powerfully linked to the belief that America was a safe place because this country clearly separated religion and the state.
But these days, I see that changing.
I’m a Jew and I’m scared.
It’s not just that Mike Huckabee, an Evangelical and self-described “Christian Leader,” won the GOP Iowa presidential caucus last week.
It’s the photos of his supporters praying and holding American flags.
Jews don’t feel good or safe when flags and religion get all mixed up. Put government and the Church or the Koran or Bible together, and Jews usually lose. (You’ll probably say the state of Israel — whose flag bears the Jewish Star of David — puts the lie to that theory, but I’d disagree. The very theocratic nature of the state of Israel has led to the current profound threats to its legitimacy, both as a nation and a democracy. I know, I’m half Israeli, daughter of two families that fought for Israel’s establishment.).
But back to Huckabee.
My fear didn’t really start with him, but it’s flowered in the last few days of a presidential campaign that’s been marked by candidates shamelessly pandering to the Christian electorate, falling all over themselves in the God stakes to demonstrate who’s a better Christian.
It’s been growing, though, over the last decade, when the principles that had kept me feeling safe and secure as a Jew in America have been under attack.
In elementary school, I remember how awful it felt to sing carols in our annual Christmas assembly — because singing the words in praise of Jesus felt like I was doing something terrible, for which I would be punished.
And how much of an outsider I felt when Christmas trees went up in all our classrooms. And how really bad it felt when some boys locked my brother in a classroom and forced him to push a penny around on the floor with his “Jewish nose.” Or when I got such anti-Semitic hate notes in my bookbag that I finally left the school I’d been in for only five months.
But in the years since I was a child, through court battles and the evolution of our consciousness as a democratic and pluralistic society, our country seemed to be well on the way to carrying out the promise of our founding fathers and the First Amendment, that America would be a society where no religion would be favored by government:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Christmas trees and churches in front of city halls were banned, Hanukkah and other religious minorities’ holidays found their way into holiday celebrations at school, a Jew was selected to run for vice president.
Yet along with this evolution came counter-revolution.
Just as societies being forcefully modernized in Africa, Asia and the Mideast developed their own homegrown extremists, along came America’s versions: the Moral Majority, the more violent fighters of the abortion battles, the growing electoral power of the Christian right, without whom, it seemed, Republicans felt they could not win the White House.
And then came the presidential primary race of 2007.
My jaw dropped when Mitt Romney said that “freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom.” No, freedom doesn’t require religion, Mr. Romney, and whoever has been giving you history lessons needs to re-read the Constitution and the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.
What is it about “no” (as in “no law respecting an establishment of religion”) that you don’t understand?
The otherwise rational and well-informed John McCain said he thought the Constitution established a “Christian nation.”
Where does that leave folks like me and my children?
Hillary Clinton has a “Faith, Family and Values” team on her campaign staff.
Can we please stop hiding behind euphemisms and call “faith” what it really is: “religion”?
Democratic primary candidate Bill Richardson told a crowd of Iowa voters that their state needed to maintain its first-in-the-nation status “for constitutional reasons, for reasons related to the Lord.” Oh, please. And the Lord wants New Hampshire to vote second, right?
And while Americans rail against the Taliban’s atavistic treatment of women, Republican caucus voters in Iowa just chose a man, Huckabee, who has said that he agrees with the statement that “a wife is to submit graciously to the servant leadership of her husband.”
America is not on its way to forming concentration camps.
An African-American has just been chosen as winner of the Iowa Democratic caucuses.
My children, both Jews, can largely join any club they want, go to any school they like, choose any profession to which they’re suited.
This is not pre-Nazi Germany.
But we are on a dangerous path — one that is fundamentally anti-democratic and un-American.
The growing population of Bible-thumpers on the campaign trail has distinct roots in American history, to be sure, but they are not proud roots.
They are the roots of prejudice and discrimination, of exclusivity and narrow-mindedness.
I have great respect for all this country’s religions — so much so that I chose to study religion in college and raised a child who has a master’s degree in divinity. Religion is is a deep and profound part of our political culture in America and I have no argument with that fact.
Yet it is the emphasis on one, favored form of religion, one kind of belief that is so frightening to me.
Hand in hand with the growing public acceptance of professions of Christian faith on the campaign trail is the implicit idea that this is the one faith that is true and correct, and which qualifies its holder for the presidency.
Like me, I do not think that the majority of Americans believe this to be so.
Naomi Schalit is editor for the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel.
Copyright © 2008, Blethen Maine Newspapers, Inc.
«
Last Edit: January 12, 2008, 06:20:42 pm by Bianca
»
Report Spam
Logged
Your mind understands what you have been taught; your heart what is true.
Pages: [
1
]
Go Up
Print
« previous
next »
Jump to:
Please select a destination:
-----------------------------
Atlantis Online - Messages
-----------------------------
=> Messages
=> Administrative Messages
=> Commemorating Dates in History
=> Alerts & Warnings
=> Upcoming Events, Releases & Ads
=> Television: Shows & Events
-----------------------------
the Coffee Shop
-----------------------------
=> the Coffee Shop
=> Atlantis: Polls & News
=> Poltical Alerts
=> Causes & Activism
-----------------------------
Videos, Documentaries & Online Movies
-----------------------------
=> Ancient History & Lost Civilizations
=> Ghosts, UFOs & the Esoteric
=> Music, Entertainment & the Arts
=> Conspiracies & Suppressed Knowledge
=> Documentary & Videos
-----------------------------
Ages of the Earth
-----------------------------
=> The Early Earth, Geology & Fossils
=> Dinosaurs
=> Catastrophes & Mass Extinctions
=> Ice Age
=> Humanity's Origins & Civilization's First Steps
-----------------------------
Mythology & Heroic Sagas of Culture & Myth
-----------------------------
=> Mythology
=> Greek Mythology
=> Arthurian Myth
=> Quest for King Arthur
-----------------------------
Atlantis
-----------------------------
=> Atlantis & the Atlantic Ocean
=> Atlantis: Theories & Speculation
=> Plato's Atlantis
=> the Scientific Atlantis
=> Geology & Atlantis
=> Atlantis & the New Age
=> Atlantis in the Media
-----------------------------
Satellite Discoveries & Alternate Archaeology
-----------------------------
=> Alternate Archaeology
=> Satellite Discoveries & Aerial Archaeology
=> the Bock Saga
-----------------------------
Maps, Explorers & Adventurers
-----------------------------
=> the Oceans
=> Islands
=> the Bahamas, Bermuda, Cuba & the West Indies
=> Explorers & Adventurers
=> Maps, Cartographers & Cartography
-----------------------------
Egypt & the Pyramids
-----------------------------
=> Gods of Egypt
=> Egypt & the Pyramids
=> the Giza Complex
=> the Dynasties of Egypt
=> Egypt: Latest Discoveries
-----------------------------
the Guanches, Basques, Berbers & Sea People
-----------------------------
=> Guanches, Basques & Berbers
=> Pirates, Phantom Islands & Stories of the Sea
=> the Sea People
-----------------------------
the Ancient World
-----------------------------
=> Neolithic Europe
=> Stonehenge & the Druids
=> the Library of Alexandria, Ancient Historians & Philosophers
=> Ancient Warfare
=> the Spartans
-----------------------------
the Dawn of Civilization
-----------------------------
=> Africa, the Cradle of Life
=> China & the Asian Empires
=> Eastern Mysticism, India, & the Ancient Far East
=> Zoroastrianism, Arabia & the Near East
=> the Sumerians
=> Ancient Asia Minor
=> Hawaii, Australia, Alaska & the Pacific Rim
-----------------------------
Ancient Mediterranean Cultures
-----------------------------
=> Minoan Crete
=> Phoenicians & Carthage
=> Mediterranean Islands
=> Israelities & the Kabbalah
=> Etruscans
=> Ancient Greece
=> Rome: Empire & Republic
-----------------------------
Ancient European Cultures
-----------------------------
=> The Picts & Celts
=> Ireland: History & Myths
=> Balkan History
=> Italy & Magna Graecia
=> the Vikings & Scandinavia
=> Germanic History
-----------------------------
Timelines of Ancient Europe
-----------------------------
=> History of Britain
=> Scotland: in History & Lore
=> Continental Europe: Past & Present
=> the Dark Ages
=> the Medieval World
=> The Renaissance
-----------------------------
the Ancient Americas
-----------------------------
=> the Ancient Americas
=> Peru: Mysteries & Prehistory
=> Mesoamerican & South American Cultures
===> Aztec
===> Incan
===> Olmec
===> Toltec & Teotihuacan
=> Mayan
=> Native American
=> Canada: Past & Present
-----------------------------
The Crusades, Templars & the Holy Grail
-----------------------------
=> the Crusades
=> the Knights Templar
=> The Holy Grail & Christian artifacts
=> The Sacred Feminine, the Cathars & Gnosticism
=> the Da Vinci Code
-----------------------------
Ancient Mysteries
-----------------------------
=> Philosophy
=> Ancient Mysteries
=> Lemuria, Mu & other sunken civilizations
=> Easter Island
=> Oak Island
-----------------------------
Archaeology & Anthropology
-----------------------------
=> Museums & Universities
=> Archaeology
=> Ancient Languages
=> Archaeological News
=> Underwater Archaeology
-----------------------------
Ancient Knowledge, Mysticism & Sacred Beliefs
-----------------------------
=> Ley Lines, Ancient Astronomy & Archeoastronomy
=> Prophecy, 2012, End Times & the End of the World
=> Sacred Symbols
=> The Ancient Arts: Astrology, Alchemy, the Tarot, Arcane Recondite Practices & the I Ching
-----------------------------
Search for the Sacred
-----------------------------
=> Angels & Angelology
=> Goddess Worship
=> Search for the Sacred
=> World Religions
=> the Urantia Book
=> Wicca, Witchcraft, Paganism & Ritual Magic
-----------------------------
Health & Healing
-----------------------------
=> Health, Healing & Medical News
=> Human Biology
=> Love & Relationships
=> Women's Studies
-----------------------------
Science & Technology
-----------------------------
=> Science, Physics & Technology
=> History of Science
=> Evolution vs. Intelligent Design
=> Human Genetics
-----------------------------
Earth Changes
-----------------------------
=> Earth Changes
=> Global Warming
=> Botany & Plant Life
===> Plants of the Americas that Changed the World
=> Antarctica & the Arctic
-----------------------------
Space
-----------------------------
=> NASA
=> Mars, the Red Planet
=> Life on Other Worlds
=> the Universe
=> Images from Space
-----------------------------
UFOs, Aliens & Future Science
-----------------------------
=> UFO's
=> Aliens & Alien Abduction
=> UFO Evidence & in the Media
=> Alternate History & Multiverses
=> Future Science
=> Time Travel
-----------------------------
the Occult
-----------------------------
=> Ghosts & Apparitions
=> Communicating with the Dead
=> Paranormal Events, Reincarnation & Near Death Experiences
=> the Enchanted World
=> the Supernatural
=> the Occult
-----------------------------
the Unexplained
-----------------------------
=> Cryptozoology
=> Bigfoot Sightings
=> the Unexplained
=> the Hollow Earth, Crop Circles, Strange Structures & Devices
=> Vanishings & Unsolved Murders
-----------------------------
Science Fiction & Fantasy
-----------------------------
=> Lord of the Rings
=> Science Fiction
=> King Kong, Gigantopithecus & the Mountain Gorilla
=> Godzilla, King of Monsters
=> Comic Books
===> Comic Book Creators
===> Videogames & Toys
-----------------------------
Halloween & Seasonal
-----------------------------
=> Halloween
=> Seasonal
=> Monsters of Myth, Movies & Folklore
=> Ghost Stories
=> the Zombie Apocalypse
-----------------------------
Genres of Film & Literature
-----------------------------
=> Universal Horror
=> H. P. Lovecraft
=> Horror
=> Dark Shadows
=> Twin Peaks
=> Online Horror Movies Sci-Fi & TV Series
-----------------------------
Arts & Literature
-----------------------------
=> Online Books & Research Papers
=> Classical Literature & Book Reviews
=> Art History
=> Architecture
=> Sculpture & Statuary
=> the Great Masters
=> Music
-----------------------------
Media & Film
-----------------------------
=> Cinema
=> the History of Film
=> Marilyn Monroe
=> Actresses & Models
=> Entertainment News
-----------------------------
Modern Historical Mysteries
-----------------------------
=> American History
===> Presidents of the United States
=> the World Wars
===> the Great Depression
=> the Holocaust
=> the Middle East: Past & Present
=> Modern History
===> the Industrial Age
===> Civil Rights
=> Great Cities of the World
=> the Kennedys: Their History & Assasinations
=> New York City: Then & Now
-----------------------------
September 11th, 2001
-----------------------------
=> September 11th: Conspiracies, Cover-ups & Remembrance
=> The World Trade Center Remembered
===> Life of the Twin Towers
=> Modern Warfare
=> Environmental Disasters & Mass Tragedies
-----------------------------
Suppressed Knowledge
-----------------------------
=> New World Order
=> Conspiracies
=> Suppressed Knowledge
=> Media Matters
-----------------------------
Politics
-----------------------------
=> the Barack Obama Administration
=> Conservatives, Trump, & Republican Politics
=> Joe Biden, Democratic Politics & News
=> Tea Party, Constitution, Libertarian Parties & Ron Paul
=> Politics & News
-----------------------------
Current Events
-----------------------------
=> Current Events & Odd Stories
=> The World Today
=> Financial News & the Economy
===> The History of Labor
=> Breaking News
-----------------------------
General Category
-----------------------------
=> Opinions & Editorials
=> Cartoons, Humor & Comic Strips
=> Ecology, Pets & the Animal Kingdom
=> General & Miscellaneous
=> Sports
=> Computers & the Internet
-----------------------------
Art, Graphics & Creative Writing
-----------------------------
=> Fantasy Art & Graphics
=> Creative Writing
===> Horror Fiction
=> Poetry
=> Photography & Models
=> Earth Images
-----------------------------
Past Events
-----------------------------
=> Case for Bush Impeachment/War Crimes
===> Bush Administration Torture Scandal
=> Campaign 2008
=> Atlantis Online - Memorial & Biography
===> Atlantis Online - Old Posts
Powered by
EzPortal
Loading...