From: "wayne mcguire" <wayne.mcguire@channel1.com>
Newsgroups: talk.politics.mideast
Subject: theocratic states
Date: 13 Dec 92 08:25:52 EST
Reply-To: "wayne mcguire" <wayne.mcguire@channel1.com>
Distribution: talk
Organization: Channel 1 Communications

To: Goof

  > 1. When did Israel object to the US becoming a Christian
  > theocratic state?

The organized American Jewish community is the most vociferous
critic of any hint that the U.S. might be or become or ever was a
Christian state, politically or culturally. When a U.S. governor
(Fordice of Mississippi?) recent remarked, with simple accuracy,
that the U.S. was predominantly a Christian nation culturally and
historically, the loudest howls of outrage came from Jewish
rabbis (according to The New York Times).

At the same time the organized American Jewish community expects
the American taxpayer to contribute royally to the upkeep of
Israel, supposedly in large part on the rationale that Israel
shares America's democratic values. But Israel at the
governmental level is permeated with Orthodox Jewish theocratic
influence. Clearly Israel does not share American democratic
values when it comes to the separation of church and state.

This is an example of the moral and conceptual schizophrenia of
so many Jews who are passionate about promoting policies in the
diaspora which are not at all honored in Israel. I.F. Stone read
these folks well.

Approximately 2 to 3% of Israel's population is Christian, which
is equivalent to the Jewish population in the U.S. Imagine if
they began protesting with vigor, and on fundamental democratic
grounds, any offenses to their religious sensibilities by the
Israeli government.

If the Christian majority in the U.S. did decide to change the
rules, and institute a Christian state religion and issue special
identity cards to Jews, they could point to the example of
Israel--"the light unto the nations"--for a model of a righteous
way to run a society. American Jews who enthusiastically support
Israel could hardly object on conceptual or moral grounds. No
doubt the Christian "rabbis" in the new state would offer Jews
who did object the option of moving to Israel, where, according
to Zionist and Orthodox Jewish doctrine, they belong anyway.

If you have any doubts, I strongly support the separation of
church and state. With each passing year my awe increases for the
authors of the U.S. Constitution and Federalist Papers, and the
Anglo-Saxon libertarian genius which they expressed. They came up
with a blueprint for a liveable society for the future. Israel's
cultural style, on the other hand, in nearly every respect looks
like a recipe for a massive self-destruct. I really wonder how
many Jews truly believe in Israel any more, despite the lip
service. If voting with their feet is the best indicator, and I
think it is, I'd say the appeal is running quite thin these days.
Diaspora Zionists talk a good game, but they are unwilling to put
their bodies where their mouths are.

Can there be a more ridiculous figure in the world than a
militant nationalist of any stripe who spends his or her time
ranting at citizens in a nation other than the one which is the
obsessive object? If one's nationalist passions are running high,
the sensible thing to do is to take up residence on the hallowed
turf.
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