Posted on 01/10/2012 12:09:48 PM PST by mas cerveza por favor
US Republican presidential candidate criticized as "religiously exclusionist" for saying, "We always need a Jesus candidate."
BOSTON – Jewish groups slammed Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum on Friday for telling listeners of a Boston radio show that “we always need a Jesus guy” in the campaign.
Santorum, formerly a Pennsylvania senator and the second-place winner of the Iowa caucus, made the remark Thursday after being asked about a listener’s comment that “we don’t need a Jesus guy this election. We need an economics guy this election.”
Santorum continued, “Do you stand up and say, ‘God bless America?’ Do you mean it? Are you just saying it? The idea that we don’t need someone with a moral compass, is that what we’ve come to? Is that what the Republican party is? No, it isn’t.”
The candidate, who then went on to campaign in New Hampshire, which will hold its first-in-the-nation primary on Tuesday, reportedly repeated the conversation later in the day, relating that he had said, “We always need a Jesus candidate.”
Anti-Defamation League Abraham Foxman told The Jerusalem Post that Santorum’s remarks were “totally inappropriate. It’s crossing the line.”
“It says to Jews, to Muslims, to Buddhists, to non-believers, you’re not part of this country,” he added.
“I think the average Jew hears it as religiously exclusionist,” National Jewish Democratic Council president David Harris said, though he added that he didn’t think Santorum had meant it that way.
“It helps remind American Jews of the yawning gap between them and today’s Republican Party,” continued Harris, whose partisan organization backs US President Barack Obama.
But Foxman pointed out that Democrats had also invoked Jesus in their campaigns in past elections, and noted Santorum has not been the only candidate in this election cycle to bring Christianity into the public conversation.
The Santorum campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
However, at a later event, he reportedly clarified his statement.
“I said we always need a Jesus candidate,” he was quoted as saying. “I don’t mean necessarily that we always need a Christian, but we need someone who believes in something more than themselves.”
Foxman should be in prison because of his payoff from Mrc Rich. He also needs to get over his hatred of Christianity.
Quit apologizing damnit! I see Santorum backtracking all the time. Remember the blah comment, geez. Im sick of it
Do you love your wife or husband? Would you apologize every time you told him or her you loved them in public because you were afraid it might offend someone?
Do you love God?
Jews tend to forget that Yashua is/was Jewish.
Isn’t Foxman the ignoramus that called Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh anti-Semitic?
On the other hand, everybody else, including Buddhists, Hindu Republicans, Moslem Republicans and even Holy Rollers and Primitive Baptists will understand "Jesus guy" as a metaphorical allusion.
Abe should go back to beating up on Nazis ~ he's out of line on this one.
Did you notice that 2 out of 3 Republican candidates who've been lifelong Republicans are Catholics? Santorum and Gingrich.
They are getting heavy Evangelical support.
I find it interesting.
Boy, Foxman isn’t even trying to hide his anti-Christian bigotry anymore.
Well said.
Umm, Mr. Foxmann, Jesus is a Jew.
Just in case you didn’t know.
Considering your position on Israel, Foxmann, perhaps you’re the *REAL* anti-semite. At least Santorum will defend Israel.
Of course that answer is incredibly vacuous. We have so few written records left behind we can hardly believe the Western Roman Empire ever existed either.
I dont see the ADL demanding an apology from those OWS cockroaches who say that Jews need to be put back in ovens, etc etc..yet they go after Republicans..such hypocrites the ADL are
People who have hearing defects have to face up to the fact their brains filled in the blanks and turned a NONWORD into a WORD. They should see their doctors.
Right. His Santorum's cravenness gives Foxman another notch on his gun.
Right. His Santorum's cravenness gives Foxman another notch on his gun.
The gospels were written during the lifetimes of eyewitnesses who would have had a reason to and could have provided a refutation of the life and works of Jesus.
I notice that all the Jews quoted
are atheist Marxists.
What we don’t need are scum like the creep who made this criticism of Santorum.
“It says to Jews, to Muslims, to Buddhists, to non-believers, you’re not part of this country,” he added.
“I think the average Jew hears it as religiously exclusionist,”
Actually it does no such thing. His comment was an inclusive statement, not an exclusive one. Plain and simple.
To say that we need at least one "Jesus" candidate in the race allows for all the others in the race to be something else.
The fact is, the religious tolerance we have in this nation, the constitution we have in this nation, and the basis for our free society is founded upon the teachings of Jesus Christ which a vast majority of the founders revered and ensured were that foundation.
If it were not so, the religious and free speech rights we have would not have been nearly as strong or as tolerant as they are.
Just look around the world at nations which have based themselves on less tolerant philosphies and thought and you will know this is true.
Santorum recognizes it and is not afraid to say it out right. Good for him.
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