Segacs's World I Know

Posts Tagged ‘christianity’

But according to a new poll, one in five Americans think that he is:

Americans increasingly are convinced — incorrectly — that President Barack Obama is a Muslim, and a growing number are thoroughly confused about his religion. Nearly one in five people, or 18 per cent, said they think Obama is Muslim, up from the 11 per cent who said so in March 2009, according to a poll released Thursday. The proportion who correctly say he is a Christian is down to just 34 per cent.

Some of this could be considered backlash for Obama’s apparent cardinal sin in promoting the principle of freedom of religion with respect to the plans to build a mosque in downtown NYC, near the World Trade Center site. Because everyone knows that the US is a Christian theocracy, and the Constitution be damned. And of course, freedom of religion simply means freedom to practice the “right” religion.

But between the conspiracy theorists who don’t believe Obama is American, the racists who question whether he’s black, white or purple, and now the growing segment of Americans who want to make an issue of his religion, you have to wonder where the percentage of Americans are who would honestly say that they do not care.

Why should Americans be so afraid of electing a non-Christian anyway?

It’s an obvious fallout of a culture that emphasizes that the personal is political, and that not only tolerates but expects its leaders to put personal religious conviction ahead of public interest when making decisions. The arguments haven’t changed much since Kennedy – a Catholic (gasp!) was elected in 1960. Separation of Church and State? Hogwash. They want a leader who is seen going to church and quoting the bible in speeches. Which is why any hint, suggestion or misconception about Obama is such a big story.

Us Canadians, in contrast, have a stronger tradition of making the distinction between the personal and the political. Jean Chrétien was a Catholic prime minister who refused to bow to religious pressure when passing legislation for same-sex marriage, for example. We expect our politicians to have personal lives that are just that – personal.

Barack Obama is Christian, not Muslim. But it would be nice to think that maybe one day, Americans would be happy to elect a Muslim president. Or a Jewish one. Or a Buddhist one. Or – imagine – an atheist one. Oh, the horror!

No disrespect intended here, but isn’t idol worship prohibited by Christianity?

A Ten Commandments monument at the center of a bitter dispute over the constitutional separation of church and state was removed from public view on Wednesday in Alabama’s state judicial building.

[ . . . ]

Some protesters were distraught over the removal of the monument. One protester screamed “Put it back, put it back” as others in front of the judicial building tried to calm him down.

I mean, it’s a monument. It’s a piece of granite. And while I believe that separation of church and state means that it has no place in a judicial building, normally I can see the other side of the argument too. But in this case, it’s people worshipping a big rock. That’s their right, of course, but I was under the (perhaps mistaken) impression that it went against their religion too.

Isi Lieber, the senior Vice-President of the WJC, writes a glowing editorial singing the praises of Israel’s new friends, Evangelical Christians:

Now it has suddenly dawned on us that there are probably 60 million Evangelical Christians in the United States and that they represent our staunchest supporters and friends. In fact, in recent years concern and devotion for Israel have become one of their highest priorities.

While I realize the sensitivity of looking a gift horse in the mouth, let me be candid about how uncomfortable – and that’s putting it mildly – the whole thing makes me.

Here is a story that is hardly new and that has been developing for a while. Some people, like Lieber, are from the “who cares about their motives, they’re helping us, and we sure could use all the friends we can get” school of thought. I see where they’re coming from. But that doesn’t mean I have to agree, or to like it.

Evangelical Christians are, of course, as free to practice their brand(s) of religion as anyone else. That doesn’t mean I have to like it when they start preaching to me about being “saved”. Nor do I have to overlook the fact that most of these millions of supporters of Israel are only doing so because they believe that the second coming of the Messiah will result in the conversion of all of us Jews to Christianity.

Frankly, the kowtowing and compromising of the principles of Israel – and indeed of Judaism – to these so-called “new friends” reminds me of the kid in the schoolyard who’s so lonely that he’ll attach himself to anyone willing to show the least bit of attention, even if he’s the laughingstock of the group.

The pragmatic approach would say that Israel can’t afford to dismiss the friendship of perhaps the most powerful lobby group that can influence the American government to see things in a favourable light. However, conscience would dictate that Israel can’t afford to overlook other things. The power of the religious right in the US means that other items on the Evangelicals’ agendas, aside from support of Israel, include encouragement of school prayer (Christian of course), denying homosexual rights, and trying to change the law to outlaw abortion, to name a few. And I can’t help but wonder if, sooner or later, Israeli lobbyists will realize that when you sell your soul to the devil, so to speak, it comes at a very steep price.

The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs has published a report by David Raab about the systematic discrimination against Christians in Palestinian-controlled areas.

However, the reality of Christianity under Islam has often been difficult. “Over the centuries, political Islam has not been too kind to the native Christian communities living under its rule. Anecdotes of tolerance aside, the systematic treatment of Christians…is abusive and discriminatory by any standard….Under Islam, the targeted dhimmi community and each individual in it are made to live in a state of perpetual humiliation in the eyes of the ruling community.” As described by a Christian Lebanese president, Bashir Gemayil: “a Christian…is not a full citizen and cannot exercise political rights in any of the countries which were once conquered by Islam.”

[ . . . ]

Islam is the official religion of the Palestinian Authority. In addition, fundamentalist Hamas and Islamic Jihad have promoted Islamic influence on Palestinian society.

[ . . . ]

In addition, no PA law protects religious freedom. While asserting that all Palestinians’ “liberty and freedom to worship and to practice their religious beliefs are protected,” a PA Information Ministry statement also stresses that: “The Palestinian people are also governed by [Islamic] Shari’a law…with regard to issues pertaining to religious matters. According to Shari’a Law, applicable throughout the Muslim world, any Muslim who [converts] or declares becoming an unbeliever is committing a major sin punishable by capital punishment…the [Palestinian Authority] cannot take a different position on this matter.”

For all the people who complain about Israel’s Jewish character, this report should be an eye-opener.