Rabbi is booed pleading for tolerance at Falwell's Cult Training Center

[Ian David]

Rabbi Enters Falwell's Bastion And Issues Plea for Tolerance
By JENNIFER SIEGEL
April 28, 2006

LYNCHBURG, Va. — Addressing one of the country's most influential Christian fundamentalist colleges this week, the leader of America's largest synagogue movement highlighted areas of common concern while calling for mutual respect and toleration of diversity.

I can "believe what I believe without calling you a homophobic bigot, and you can do the same without calling me an uncaring baby-killer," said Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, in a convocation address Wednesday to about 9,000 students at Liberty University. The Rev. Jerry Falwell, one of the country's most influential and controversial evangelical leaders, founded the school, located in this city, more than three decades ago.

Yoffie, who received a warm introduction from Falwell, was politely received when he cited several areas of common ground between religious liberals and conservatives. However, scattered hisses and boos reportedly could be heard when he defended gay rights. Falwell, who later told the crowd that "nobody ever booed me in a synagogue when I said things opposite to what they believed," drew the day's loudest applause when he mentioned his own 48th wedding anniversary.

<snip>

In his remarks, which were made as part of a Wednesday morning prayer service that is mandatory for students and faculty, Yoffie outlined several areas of agreement between evangelicals and Jews, including support for Israel, a commitment to democratic principles, and concern over the perceived sexual licentiousness and materialism of American culture. He proposed that Christians and Jews work together to help push for a uniform rating system for television and to fight poverty at home and abroad.

<snip>

"We hear calls, sometimes from evangelicals and sometimes from others, for prayer in the schools and lowering the wall of church-state separation," Yoffie said. "But let us beware of simple answers. As a Jew, I don't like it when other Jews find an antisemite under every bed; I don't believe that Judaism is seriously imperiled, and I don't think that Christianity is under siege, either."

More:
http://www.forward.com/articles/7711

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Falwell has taught his minions too well...

to the point that they embarass him.

Fascinating.

[NNN0LHI]

2. When he mentioned fighting poverty it was all over for the poor Rabbi

Now if he would have mentioned killing ragheads he would have received a hearty applause from this group of goons.

Don

[Canuckistanian]

3. I hope the Rabbi knows the plans for the Rapture

Convert to Christianity or die.

[enigma000]

7. Islam = religion of peace

Convert to Islam or die.

(just keeping DU in balance)

[truth2power]

8. Really??

"Convert to Islam or die." Where does it say that? Just asking..

Edit> for clarity.

[enigma000]

9. Iraqi cleric wants gays killed in "most severe way"

Forbidden in Arabic, the fatwa comes from a press conference with the powerful religious cleric, where he was asked about the judgment on sodomy and lesbianism. “Forbidden,” Sistani answered, according to OutRage, “Punished, in fact, killed. The people involved should be killed in the worst, most severe way of killing.”

http://www.logoonline.com/news/story.jhtml?id=1526230&disableFeatureRedirect=true&contentTypeID=1087

Any condemnation of Islam?

[cali]

10. I don't know why you feel the need to

bring Islam into this, but yes, I've seen plenty of condemnation on DU about Sistani''s statement about killing gays. I have no hesitation in adding my voice to such condembation.

[truth2power]

12. You're talking about two separate things, Enigma...

That some Muslims say hateful and bigoted things goes without saying. Just as some *ahem* Christians preach hate and intolerance. Just look at Jerry Falwell.

I was specifically addressing the issue that the Fundies are sucking up to Israel, but they don't publicize the fact that when Jeezus returns it's gonna be curtains for the Jews unless they accept Christ as their savior. I find this to be totally reprehensible.

On the other hand, I don't see Muslims going door to door haranguing people about how they're going to hell if they don't convert to Islam.

[Ian David]

14. Actually, it's convert to islam or die... or pay a special infidel tax

It wasn't until after WWII that Islam became bloody and genocidal toward the other "People of The Book."

Islam used to allow Christians and Jews were to maintain their faith in exchange for paying a special tax.

It was that Jesuit Christian named Hitler that radicalized some Muslim countries even further.

[kestrel91316]

15. Yeah. Pay no mind to those Christians. We all know they're forgiven

and perfect anyway. Look over there at those nasty "MOOSLIMS"!!!

[knitter4democracy]

4. Weird. We were never like that in chapel.

Well, we did get upset with the pastor who told us that a vote for Clinton was a vote for a murderer the day before the election in 1992--people walked out, started talking loudly in the back (it can be heard up on the dais very well, and the students know that), and started openly reading newspapers and doing homework.

Oh, and then there was the time that a group let loose the balsa planes and parachute toys out of the ceiling vents when our chaplain was doing his last sermon of the year . . . he was still mad about the crickets and mice the two years before and had said he'd leave if anyone did anything in chapel like that again . . .

Oh, well, and there was that one time I was booed when I said that our votes shouldn't be based on one issue and that Dole was pro-choice according to his voting record in a chapel symposium (I was the token liberal on the panel). I forgot about that . . .

[Ian David]

5. We once had an anti-abortion speaker...

and someone threw a wire coathanger on the stage.

Other than that, there was no intentional rudeness, ever.

[Obamarama]

6. Such fine Jay-sus believin' young men and women....

Fuck them and their little minds.

[leesa]

11. Wouldn't it be fun if Falwell were one of the joyriders in Cunningham's

pleasuremobile's? I'll bet he's had dozens of affairs.

[kevinbgoode]

13. I see that manners aren't taught as a "christian" virtue

but then this is about political power, not service to God. We should stop calling them conservative "christians" and admit that they are, indeed, America's Taliban.