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.”
Or Shakespeare for that matter. There are no extant original copies of his works. That’s like recent stuff. You go back to Euclid and those people and you can’t prove they existed either. But with Yashua, there are outside evidence He existed, in Israel, at that time.
***“I think the average Jew hears it as religiously exclusionist,”***
Right. And the WH moslime isn’t.
Wake up Jewish people!
I didn’t know about the Marc Rich angle...I knew the ADL was odious, but I didn’t know it was THAT odious.
where all all the FRimps to cry “Oh boo hoo the democrats will use this against us!” ?
Im sorry I totally disagree I saw it and it said black and I thought it was fine.
Just one correction. The Messiah GAVE HIS life, the Jews and Romans were only the instruments to fulfill prophecy.
ADL can pound sand
He says African-American.
The discussion wasn't about race anyway ~ not in the context.
Foxman is an old Christophobe, so no one should be surprised that he made such a remark.
Foxman doesn’t speak for Buddhists anyway.
This is stupid, both and all sides, including L’il Ricky. You don’t need Jesus to say G-d Bless America, in fact the song was written by a Jew.
Having said that, the “Jewish” groups who take offense at someone else’s profession of a faith different from theirs (ours) are showing the kind of intolerance that we Jews used to face all the time.
Excellent item. I miss Bill Safire.
This is especially what kills me:
“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 there's no gap, apparently, between Harris' organization and a president who wants to abandon Israel to the openly fascist, Jew hating Muslim brotherhood.
As a Jew, I say that fat pig Foxman is the one who crossed the line. I value my friendships with my Christian brothers far more than I do with Jews-In-Name-Only like Foxman. If he dropped dead tomorrow, no religious Jew would miss his fat Marxist ass.
Whats your problem? “See your doc real soon” Im on the same side. geez your a friendly joe... God Bless MUAWIYAH carry on
Most Jews in America cut their own throats when they vote for anti-Semites such as Obama and Hillary Rotten. They are blind to the contempt that many Democrats feel toward them. Bob
Exactly. These people know the truth, and yet they format a lie all in the name of maintaining their own power and control...even at the cost of entire nations and peoples...even their own people.
Sick and perveted. Insanely caught up with themselves and a lie. Given over to strong delusions.
The fact is, all of those conservative GOP candidates understand ISrael’s role in the destiny of nations and will fight to preserve it, while Obama is doing all he can to isolate them amongst increasingly hostile, fundamental ISlamic nighbors.
He should tell Foxman to get a life and to stop whining over trivial issues.
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