Thursday, April 22, 2010

This Jew Says 'Sorry Sarah, America is Not a "Christian" Nation'


Sarah Palin apparently hasn't heard of Separation of Church and State. Here's what she said at a Women of Joy conference in Kentucky last week, attended by 16,000:

"God truly has shed his grace on thee -- on this country. He's blessed us, and we better not blow it. And that's why I talk about politics. Lest anyone try to convince you that God should be separated from the state, our founding fathers, they were believers. Hearing any leader declare that America isn't a Christian nation . . ."

In her usual obnoxious, snarky, grating manner, Palin's "any leader" reference was clearly directed at President Obama, who in a 2006 speech said, "Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation--at least not just--we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of non-believers."

Well, I happen to be one of those Jews Obama was referring to. And until The Wasilla Wonder regrettably slithered onto the national political scene I, like many people, had this crazy notion that America is the great Melting Pot. Not a Christian nation, but a secular one with a majority of citizens who just happen to practice Christianity. Big difference. The truth is, the number of people calling themselves Christians has declined 10% over the last 15 years. And maybe this decline can be attributed to the polarizing rhetoric of good Christian folk like Palin and others before her who've served to turn many off to religion. Which may explain why the fastest growing group in America are the non-believers. Sarah Palin: Poster Girl for Atheism.

Right wing radio blowhard John Gibson on Wednesday vehemently supported Palin's exclusionary statements on the premise that a majority of Americans call themselves Christians, therefore America's a Christian nation. Gibson is certainly not alone in this belief. I wonder, since there's a Democratic president and a majority of Democrats in both houses of Congress, if Palin, Gibson & Company would agree that we're a Democrat nation? To the contrary, these propagandists believe, as Sean Hannity claimed Wednesday for the umpteenth time, that America is a "center-right nation." Apparently, these hate-mongers' definition of "majority" is rather convoluted.

Someone needs to give Palin a history lesson (along with all the other lessons she needs for the myriad areas for which she is woefully ignorant) focusing on the doctrine of Separation of Church and State, which the Founding Fathers very intentionally created to keep government out of religion, and vice versa. Specifically addressed in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, government is prohibited from establishing a national religion and giving preference to one religion over another. "Our Constitution established a secular government and has no mention of Jesus, Christianity, or a god of any kind, despite the false message spread by figures such as Sarah Palin who claim that America was founded as a Christian nation," reminds Paul Fidalgo of the Secular Coalition for America.

How ironic that the very same leaders who incite so much Tea Party passion about "small government" and "freedom" are the very same people who (a) want government to make decisions about religion and (b) want minorities to feel as if they're less American than those nation-owning Christians. But Palin, like Hannity, Gibson, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Bachmann, Newt Gingrich and all the other conservative and Tea Party instigators, is dangerously pouring gasoline onto her base's guns/God/gays flames in a shameless campaign to divide the nation and demonize all those who disagree with her gangster government-in-exile. Now that she's done her Arctic best to turn whites against blacks, she's desperately trying to rile up Christians and turn them against Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and Atheists to name a few. Her religious and racial rabble rousing--and that of her cohorts--is despicable. Get ready gays, you're the next stop on the Palin & Co. hate train.

I'm sorry Sarah, but this is my America too, dammit. I want people like you to stop telling the rest of us what America represents and to whom. I want you and your myopic, small-minded thought-bandits to stay out of my body, my bedroom and my religiosity or lack thereof. I want you to stop claiming "we need to take America back." Back from what...blacks, Jews, atheists, gays? You want America back? How about putting together a serious platform of ideas and candidates and get elected, just like Obama and the Democrats who control both houses of Congress. Palin obviously needs to be reminded that in the last election, voters overwhelmingly rejected her brand of "history" and vision for the future.

On a side note, to further illustrate the utter ignorance emanating from the right lately, consider what Gibson had to say Wednesday on whether America is a racist country: "We know that it isn't. It's just down to a couple of Klansmen....There essentially is no racism left in America...and Democrats need to keep racism alive to hold onto the black vote. They know that black people love to hear that racism is running amok." Sorry Gibson, you narrow-minded racist nitwit, black people don't need to "hear" about racism from arrogant white fools like you...they live it. Thanks for showing us firsthand just how alive it really is. You should be ashamed of yourself. In fact, I'm embarrassed for you.


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11 comments:

teknikAL said...

Being raised a Roman Catholic, currently practicing liberation theology, I am just as appalled by these charlitans. Make no mistake, the Christianity they practice does not include Catholicism of any form either.
Many of the traditional Catholics have been bamboozaled by their "choose life" talk. It is just a political trick to gain power by their voting block. If they could only realize that they are on that list just past the gay people.

Anonymous said...

TeknikAL reminded me of my Christian dominionist step-mother's nephew and his family, who are missionaries in Australia, trying to convert the Catholics to Christianity(!)

Gandhi said: I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.

kjgp25171 said...

This has never been a religious nation. Nations do not have religion-people do. This is a nation with religious and non-religious people.

Reg said...

Good for you, Andy. I wish you were able to say this to Sarah's face. Her ignorance of the intent of the Founding Fathers is second only to her insulated and isolated view of the nation and the world. The Founding Fathers ran from Church domination - and were declared Deists who rejected organized religion of any sort. They specifically left out any reference to God in the Constitution in order to establish that separation if church and state that made America so unique. Thanks, Andy. Well done.

Anonymous said...

The settlers came here not to be free of and egcape relition but to practice Christianity in the way they chose. This country's foundation was based on Christian precepts since thr settlers were deeply religious and traveled over an ocean and settled ina wilderness to worship. They also wanted all to have the freedom to worship as they chose which of course became part ot out laws. However, this country was more successful as a melting pot, that's the key word a melting pot -- that it is as a mosaic. Those who worship differently have to live within the boundares of the precepts of this country and the majorty of people who live here. There can be no human sacrifice for example, or even animal sacrifices. People cannot kill people of another religion bedause they think they are infidels. One can only have one spouse, not a harem. and on and on and on. Our laws are primarily Judeo-Christian and those who pracitce a religion with rites and rules that break our laws or interfere with the well being of the majority cannot do so. THe minority cannot dictate or interfere with welfare of the majority. It's againg meling into the whole. Most people come here because they love America and want to be Americans.

Realist said...

"We are a nation that happens to have a majority of citizens who are Christian." Sorry, anonymous @9:44am. You are glaringly incorrect.

The United States is a nation that happens to have a majority of citizens who CLAIM to be Christians, while their actions shout loudly about what hypocrites they are. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." -- Mat 7:22-23

I am not Jewish, nor to I profess to be Christian. I happen to believe that there is more agreement among the religions of the world than there is disagreement. I also happen to agree with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who once said that "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." Sarah Palin would clearly be only one of a multitude of Americans that would fit Gandhi's description.

Jesus would have approved of a non-violent liberation theology, which I also support. It is telling that the Roman hierarchy strove mightily to stifle it while exerting almost no effort to stem the vile activities their pedophiles. Their own foul needs are much more important than improving the lives of the flock they claim to tend.

Take these examples, add to them the glut of examples of religious hypocrisy, and the proof becomes self-evident that religion truly is the last refuge of scoundrels. I will not allow my nation be become a haven for such idiocy.

Unknown said...

I agree BUT... what about Israel? It claims itself to be a "Jewish State" while millions of its inhabitants are refugee-camp dwelling non-Jews. What's your take on that as a Jew?

Anonymous said...

Our nation is truly doomed. How can anyone take this imbecile sarah palin serious about anything.
She is nothing more then a circus act yet there is talk of her running for president,have we all gone mad?

nichie786 said...

sinclair lewis was born in 1885..so i think the quote was in 1935 NOT 1835...wonderful picture

Anonymous said...

The Realist misses the point, yet he/she makes it obliquely:


I will not allow my nation be become a haven for such idocy."

Yes, he will. We all will. This IS A HAVEN for all religions, whether the Realist or anybody else approves. And, as an aside I wonder what he has in mind to stop that idiocy.

There is religious freedom here for idiots or not; there is freedom of speech to criticize another's religion.

And there are laws that prevent the minority from taking away or diminishing the religious practices of another religion unless those practices are against the law. i.e, the majority in the country who are Christians.

Again, just mind your own business, leave everybody who is not breaking our laws alone and stop preventing the pracitce of any rite of practice of religion as long as it's lega.

We are a melting pot. Thank (if
you'll pardon the expression) GOD>

Anonymous said...

I only hope that there is more people like you , Andy. Good article and ... thank you. We dont have to be "Religiouse Nation" in order to believe in God. By the way this is very personal experience of eny one of us.
Thank You Andy one more time.
Sincerely ; Andrew Cz.