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1994 Rudy: "I will work as hard to protect.. right to believe in God ..or not to believe in God."
The Brody File ^ | April 12, 2007 | David Brody thebrodyfile@gmail.com

Posted on 04/12/2007 8:22:49 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

1994 Rudy: "I will work as hard to protect someone's right to believe in God as he or she sees fit -- or not to believe in God."

The Brody File has dug up a Rudy quote from the past that makes for an interesting discussion. In a 1994 New York Times article, Rudy said this:

"As the Mayor of New York City, I will work as hard to protect someone's right to believe in God as he or she sees fit -- or not to believe in God -- because I realize that my right to practice my religion depends completely on my commitment to defend someone else's right to practice theirs, or to practice no religion at all."

The article goes on to mention his views on Catholicism.

"Mr. Giuliani, who as a young man once considered joining the priesthood, noted that many Catholics today "feel that in some intellectual or quasi-intellectual circles, they are demeaned." He said he had also heard Catholics say that "Catholic-bashing has become part of the dogma of what they regard as the politically correct." And he said: "Indeed, I do detect among some who accept the most recent intellectual fads a disdain for those who share in the more orthodox faiths, whether Christian or Jewish or Muslim. In my humble opinion -- and this is meant as an observation, not a challenge -- that disdain emerges from an almost subconscious conclusion that to believe in God too fervently betrays a certain intellectual infirmity." He compared such a view with the "difficult time that some believers have in drawing the line between belief in dogma and respect for those who disagree." He called for believers and unbelievers alike to avoid "the arrogance of having no doubts."

Read the rest of the article here. It's interesting to hear Rudy talk about his faith. Clearly, there is a deeper story there. It makes me wonder what his upbringing was like and how his Catholic faith helped shaped who he is today. It's something worth exploring. I interview Giuliani next week. Maybe I'll pursue this with him. Got questions for him? Email them to me.


TOPICS: Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: election; giuliani; politics; religion
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To: Hildy
Lighten up..it was a bad joke.

Hardly. Your posts have made it quite clear that you treat the pro-life, pro-gun, and anti-gay elements of the GOP with disdain.

201 posted on 04/13/2007 7:46:58 AM PDT by dirtboy (Duncan Hunter 08/But Fred would also be great)
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To: dirtboy

Not with disdain..but with a bit of sadness that you life in a world of yesteryear and refuse to see things the way they are.


202 posted on 04/13/2007 7:50:19 AM PDT by Hildy ("man's reach exceeds his grasp"? It's a lie: man's grasp exceeds his nerve.)
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To: Hildy
Not with disdain..but with a bit of sadness that you life in a world of yesteryear and refuse to see things the way they are.

So you're not joking. Rather dishonest of you.

The world of yesteryear, as you call it, had far fewer social problems than the current world. So your sense of sadness is grossly misplaced. The goal is to try and arrest the processes causing societal decay, not embrace them as inevitable.

203 posted on 04/13/2007 7:52:28 AM PDT by dirtboy (Duncan Hunter 08/But Fred would also be great)
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To: dirtboy

Good luck with that...and I seriously mean that. You are going to be very unhappy for the rest of your life, though.


204 posted on 04/13/2007 8:03:22 AM PDT by Hildy ("man's reach exceeds his grasp"? It's a lie: man's grasp exceeds his nerve.)
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To: Hildy
Good luck with that...and I seriously mean that. You are going to be very unhappy for the rest of your life, though.

Ever hear of the book Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman? You're exactly the type he had in mind. The type would would cheer on the end of the Republic as long as it was sold to us as entertainment.

Rather than being unhappy, I am trying to prevent the gross misery that a complete societal collapse or loss of liberty would entail. You truly are a fool with your vapid and chippy commments regarding this subject. I guess I should just be like you - Don't Worry, Be Happy, Let Someone Else Clean Up My Messes.

205 posted on 04/13/2007 8:07:56 AM PDT by dirtboy (Duncan Hunter 08/But Fred would also be great)
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To: dirtboy

Take out out on me ... fine. Do you believe in God? I believe the only thing we I have control over is my own side of the street. Ultimately, I am the one who has to face God. The rest? The end is already written.

For you to think you could really effect history is like saying man has the power to effect the weather. It’s the same thing to me. I believe we can only slow things down..but time will roll along with or without us.

So, I look at the way things are and I make my decisions based on that. You don’t. I’m not your problem.


206 posted on 04/13/2007 8:15:24 AM PDT by Hildy ("man's reach exceeds his grasp"? It's a lie: man's grasp exceeds his nerve.)
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To: Hildy
Take out out on me ... fine.

Take it out on you? I hate to tell you this, but calling you on your liberal, fatalist idiocy isn't taking anything out on you. It's calling a spade a spade.

Do you believe in God?

I'm a Deist.

I believe the only thing we I have control over is my own side of the street. Ultimately, I am the one who has to face God. The rest? The end is already written.

Well, gee, just swallow a cluster bomblet and get it over with, then. Just do those of us who try to arrest the rot a favor and quit making snide, condescending remarks about our values when you don't give enough of a crap about yours to do anything more than be chippy.

For you to think you could really effect history is like saying man has the power to effect the weather. It’s the same thing to me.

Lemme guess - your ancestors back in Revolutionary War times were probably Tories.

I believe we can only slow things down..but time will roll along with or without us.

Fatalists make me sick, quite frankly. Human progress has been much more slow and difficult because folks like you are an albatross on those trying to make a difference.

So, I look at the way things are and I make my decisions based on that. You don’t. I’m not your problem.

Like hell you ain't. You're the type who will vote liberal because they allow you to indulge your libertine and fatalist worldviews without challenge. Those folks COUNT on a base of voters like you.

207 posted on 04/13/2007 8:27:35 AM PDT by dirtboy (Duncan Hunter 08/But Fred would also be great)
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To: dirtboy

I vote for the person who I think is best for the Country. Period. You are one angry man. Go enjoy your day.


208 posted on 04/13/2007 8:30:44 AM PDT by Hildy ("man's reach exceeds his grasp"? It's a lie: man's grasp exceeds his nerve.)
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To: Hildy
I vote for the person who I think is best for the Country. Period.

You just contradicted yourself. You said we can't do anything to arrest the slide. So why even friggin' vote?

You are one angry man. Go enjoy your day.

Angry? Naw. Just disgusted with the likes of you.

209 posted on 04/13/2007 8:33:56 AM PDT by dirtboy (Duncan Hunter 08/But Fred would also be great)
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