Rev. Jerry Falwell is often the left’s poster boy for the religious right. Sometimes he makes some statements that place him on the fringe of the Evangelical movement. Sometimes he does some stupid things, but the Anti-Defamation League needs to focus on something a little more concrete and actually antisemetic than Falwell sending out a sticker that read “I Vote Christian.”
My question for the ADL is who should a Christian vote for, if not someone that shares their values? Is it anti-Christian or anti-Muslim for a Jewish organization to send out a fund raising letter that contains the phrase “Vote Jewish in 2008?”
This is one of my problems with the ADL, often they are on the forefront of calling attention to actual cases of antisemetism. But just as often they are out crying wolf over extremely innocent things.
I am not Jewish, so I cannot say what is truly offensive to them. But I can say for myself that I, as a Christian, would not be offended or even think twice about the ADL sending out a “vote Jewish” sticker.
They lose credibility during actual cases of discrimination against Jews when they call attention to silly things like this or when they claim that The Passion is going to spark violence against Jews across America and it doesn’t materialize.
The ADL should ask Falwell – once you lose credibility and respectability it is hard to get them back.
Aaron,
Sigh. Americans shouldn't vote based on religion. They should vote based on issues, particularly when it comes to the avoidance of a theocracy. After all, if all Christians "Vote Christian" then we end up with a government devoid of anybody else. And for those of us who aren't Christian, we'd rather not have that sort of government (although the Lord knows were close enough as it is).
Furthermore, are you sure you wouldn't be pissed if the ADL passed out literature that said Vote Anti-Christian in 2008? Of course you'd be pissed, just as the ADL is for Falwell's statement that is, although framed positively, still an instruction to vote against nonChristians.
Finally, enough of the notion that Christians are the only ones who "share values." I love family just as much as you do, and sick and tired of being told that because I don't go to church, I'm somehow lacking in family values. God.
Sam
Sam, that is a totaly misunderstanding of the term "Vote Christian" at least in my useage of it here.
I would rather vote for someone who supported the issues that I support than someone who happened to be of the same faith as me. Two of my least favorite people (Bill Clinton and Brittney Spears) happen to belong to the same denomination as me, that doesn't mean I support everything they do.
I do think Christians have anytime of corner on the market of "values," everyone has values. Sometimes Christians and non-Christians have similar values, sometimes they don't.
No one, least of all me, is arguing that you don't love family in general or your family specifically.
I agree with all of you (no, I'm not becoming a Unitarian ;). The problem here is that "vote Christian" is ambigous enough to mean different things to different people.
Secularists hear "vote religion." Non-christians hear "vote against other religions." Christians hear "vote for Christian values, not just for Republicans." And when Jerry Falwell says it, I am not surprised that non-christians are alarmed.
But I'm sure that if the ADL did their homework, they'd find that Jerry is probably pro-Israel, and not anti-Jewish in the least. The problem with the ADL (like the NAACP) is that they are often more aligned with liberal politics than with the ethnic communities they purport to represent. Sheesh.
New Seeker,
Where's old Seeker? That's probably the greatest thing you've ever written, and I'm not being sarcastic. I'm dead serious.
How can you be so enthusiastic, Sam? I mean, I slammed the NAACP! And I missed my chance to say something bad about Jerry Falwell! And I'm not even against the vote Christian stickers – I just said I understand why people freak.
Glad you liked it. I'm the same seeker – you see, this post wasn't about abortion, homosexuality, evolution, or legislation of morality. Those things we disagree on ;).