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Judaism is both an ethnicity and a religion. You can be Jewish ethnically (see: cultural Jews) but not follow the Jewish faith. I consider myself a Jewish agnostic, but still go to synagogue, participate in the ritual, and plan on raising my children in a synagogue. Judaism is passed down through the mother so even if you never practice, if your mother is Jewish then you are Jewish.
Trump should be speaking out since the wave of antisemitism currently rising in the US is led by his supporters. Instead, at a press conference, he doubled down on a Jewish reporter by not addressing his question and instead insisting that he's not an antisemite. To the Jews of the country, that showed just how much he's toeing the antisemitism line.
Talk is cheap. Obama spoke out against racism, by far he did more harm in that regard than he helped. A small segment of the populace is bigoted against jewish people. Too often government involvement only fans the flames. I think this nation has bigger fish to fry. Like tackling our debt. Ending our involvement in every brush fire that pops up around the world. Like an illegal immigration problem. Like our homeless problem. Like our broken VA system. Like our failing infrastructure. Our failing public education system. The list goes on and on and they are all bigger problems than anti-semitism in this country.
Are these people Trump supporters? http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/...student-groups
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
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Originally Posted by southward bound
Yes indeed. Mea culpa. -- I think of them as one people, all deserving justice, consideration, benefits, aid, right to life and peace and prosperity -- and support US support to that end.
I believe the same for Americans and in some areas like healthcare we fall short of Israel and as an American I'd like to see that addressed. From what I've read there are many areas in the ME where Jews/Arabs work and live side by side in peace. It seems too many in groups like Hamas and the PLO have made very comfortable livings to want to allow that to happen on a larger scale. The question is how to change that and at what cost?
If so, and I don't believe it is, it's a comfortable corner of believing the POTUS owes allegiance to the interests of the US first and foremost.
You still haven't answered the question of HOW siding with anti-Semitic countries at the UN and promoting anti-Semitism in the US "is in the best interests of the US."
I believe the same for Americans and in some areas like healthcare we fall short of Israel and as an American I'd like to see that addressed. From what I've read there are many areas in the ME where Jews/Arabs work and live side by side in peace. It seems too many in groups like Hamas and the PLO have made very comfortable livings to want to allow that to happen on a larger scale. The question is how to change that and at what cost?
Amazing -- we have found common ground! I do believe we deserve some kind of prize for it.
Nice to know we could hope to live in peace side by side.
I support both Israel and Palestine, but I don't believe Netanyahu has done anything wrong. Historically speaking, Jews were simply different from the majority of people and they had no country on their own. It was therefore easy to accuse them of treachery, disloyalty and blaming them for everything.
I do want to point out something important about Jews, and Muslims, as compared to Christians.
In Judaism, there is a clear "them" and "us". And the rules which regulate Jewish behavior, only apply to other "members of the faith".
Thus, prohibitions on things like usury, only apply to other Jews. To lie and cheat a fellow Jew, is an offense against god. But to lie and cheat anyone else, can often be considered a virtue(it if benefits the tribe of Israel).
This same idea applies to Muslims as well. It identifies the "Kuffar", and in the name of Islam, you can deceive, and cheat, and treat-unfairly the Kuffar. In many cases, you can enslave him, or force him to pay extra taxes. You can treat "the other", almost without mercy or respect, and god sanctions it(though Islam does outlaw Usury).
Christians, at least in theory, are supposed to treat everyone equally. To lie is to lie, regardless of who you are lying to. To cheat is to cheat, regardless of who you are cheating. To rob is to rob, regardless of who you are robbing.
Thus, prohibitions on things like usury, only apply to other Jews. To lie and cheat a fellow Jew, is an offense against god. But to lie and cheat anyone else, can often be considered a virtue(it if benefits the tribe of Israel).
This same idea applies to Muslims as well. It identifies the "Kuffar", and in the name of Islam, you can deceive, and cheat, and treat-unfairly the Kuffar. In many cases, you can enslave him, or force him to pay extra taxes. You can treat "the other", almost without mercy or respect, and god sanctions it(though Islam does outlaw Usury).
Christians, at least in theory, are supposed to treat everyone equally. To lie is to lie, regardless of who you are lying to. To cheat is to cheat, regardless of who you are cheating. To rob is to rob, regardless of who you are robbing.
The only exception, is that in order to justify slavery, many Christians did attempt to assert that Africans were "Canaanites"(which is an Old Testament group, relating back to Noah and his Ark). But the vast-majority of Christians rejected this theory.
Enjoyed your informative post. Thanks. [as an aside, Dawkins enjoys no credibility with me]
You are correct that Christians aren't supposed to differentiate. Sin is sin. Wrong is wrong. Regardless with whom one is dealing.
Though slavery wasn't invented by Christians, many justified it as human beings typically try to justify what they don't see as wrong. Slavery was a carry-over culturally as an accepted practice in many societies.
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-- I think of them as one people, all deserving justice, consideration, benefits, aid, right to life and peace and prosperity -- and support US support to that end. 
