It's true that Sabbath observing Joe Lieberman was the Democratic candidate for Vice President, but the chance of a Jew being nominated for the United States Presidency is rather weak. And just because someone is Jewish, doesn't mean that he'd be "good for Israel."
One of the reasons I had no problem accepting the concept of Zionism meaning that Jews should live in the Land of Israel, is because I recognized that the United States is a Christian country. Official holidays and school vacations have always followed Christian holidays, Xmas and Easter. Until very recent decades, no matter where you'd be in America, even a neighborhood that had less than 30% Christians, streets and schools would be decorated with religiously based Xmas decorations. I went to public schools which were mostly Jewish and we had to fight for the right to show a menorah or dreidel next to the Xmas scene.
Unlike the post-World War Two America and the hippie sixties when following religion lost favor, nowadays finding G-d has "left the closet." Presidential candidates don't hide their religiosity; it's not private.
Obama found himself between a rock and a hard place in terms of religion. For some of his childhood at least he was Muslim, and he seems very comfortable with Muslims. So to show that he isn't one, he and his wife stressed their close ties to a church, and that church ended up with a very controversial anti-Jewish preacher. But, American Jews have a weakness when it comes to Blacks and they still support him financially.
It's still not 100% certain who will be running against Obama. It just seems like whoever it is will be deeply religious. Rick Santorum is considered the Jesus candidate. And Mitt Romney is a Mormon. I see that as very 21st Century America. And I live in Israel and don't really care, because a candidate's private religion is his/her concern.
The United States is a country in financial difficulties. It's no longer the world power it once was. It does not use its potential for world peace. It just wants to be ... Canada with warmer weather.
Americans should vote for the candidate who will make America better and keep the world safer. That would be good for Israel, too. Supporting the Arabs who practice terrorism and want to destroy Israel is bad for America and it's bad for the world.
3 comments:
As Americans, we are not forced to vote based on religion, and, I like to believe, most of us do not.
In the Presidential election, we are not voting for Jesus, or Islam (none of the major candidates are Muslim, anyway), or Mormonism.
We are voting about the economy and the best was to help it continue to improve. We are voting about social issues like the availability of health care. We are voting about environmental issues like our dependence on oil and how to end that dependence without further harming the environment.
For the most part, even though the candidates all profess a belief in God and their religion of choice, religion in itself has will have little to do with who wins.
Shalom!
Susan, when more than one candidate, and possibly only one, is "deeply religious", religion matters. Religious beliefs affect decisions on everything that you mentioned - health care: abortion rights, the recent insurance/birth control issue; social issues/economy: gay rights, womens' rights etc., who deserves welfare, and how much. Religion also affects military decisions: when to go to war, against whom to wage war. what other countries to aid in times of trouble.
Obama is a major candidate, he is Muslim and that does matter, and not just concerning Israel. Santorum's religiosity is splashed all over the news. Romney's Mormon beliefs certainly affect the sort of politician he is.
Religion may have little affect on who wins, but if so, are voters being honest with themselves? Will religion not matter if the choice is between a Muslim and a Mormon?
Susan, Hadassa, I'm showing my age here, because until JFK got the nomination, candidates were expected to be WASP and WASP only. He was the first non-WASP to win. That's why I find it all so interesting.
Post a Comment