dyob,

Lucky you that Creedmore gives you access to the Internet.

Edward from Washington Heights AKA pretentious Hudson Heights ~

Keep up the fine work, your sense of humor is rivaling your IQ for most under developed asset.

john smith from nyc ~

"dr." anna from the psychiatric ward is a highly "educated" ideologue.

You sir, are clearly NOT smart enough to participate.

When you find yourself unable to communicate a single coherent thought in written English please, come back to visit.

"dr." anna from the psychiatric ward will see you, then.

geezus...

OK This is my last comment From May 10 1943 New York Time First Page Head Lines: "Warsaw Getto uprising an overaction. European Leaders blame Jews for for disproportionate responce."

"Gobbels: Zionists must be held accountable for war crimes".

"League of Nations anti- Bias panel acccuse Jews of racism."

"Jews caught on tape while racilly targeting Nazis"

Amazing isn't it? the Warsaw Ghetto rebels were all executed

Dear John Smith,
When one uses one's professional knowledge in describing things, events or people it's not a stereotype (look up the word).

Edward
did u forget bush 43 already?!?!

I see "Worst US President Ever" Jimmy Carter is posting as "john smith from new york city".

Say Hi to your brother Billy.

I visit this email on wnyc very often and I am sadened that I see that there is a lot of hate agaist Jews. Other people will say there is hate against others, can't we cool it for a while and a thoghtful coversation?

Anna from new york:
give it a rest, you are really getting annoying. boy, talk about stereotypes... you should sometimes listen to yourself, you'll know what i mean. thank you and God bless.

john smith from nyc,
ANTISEMITISM makes Carter an antisemite.
I have a degree in Jewish history and my specialty is antisemitism.

Mr. Jimmy Carter is a Sunday School teacher with a Sunday School perspective on Israel and a Sunday School mindset that with no serious understanding of down-to-earth realities. Because of him, Israel had to give up 50% of its oil from the Sinai, move its military and air bases back into tiny Israel, and is today under rocket fire from Gaza while being threatened with annihilation by Iran which Carter allowed to fall into the hands of the Ayatollahs in 1979. The man should be teaching in Sunday School and not trying to teach ISrael or anybody else what to do. He's caused enough trouble for Israel and the Jewish people.

Someone is Listening

Mr Carter wants a fair peace between jews and arabs. that means he supports the arabs. that makes him hate jews, that means he is
anti-semitic, he is a jew-hater, that also makes him a Holocaust denier. He should be ostracized by everybody, people should shun him, don't buy his books. take away his presidential pension, freeze his bank account because of his pro-arab, pro-terrorist, material support to terrorism gobblygook. He doesn't have the right to make a living. He should be blacklisted just like Norman Finkelstein. Where is Dershowitz when you need him? He is just beyond the pale.
P.S. if he makes a donation to the ADL, then all is forgiven.
P.S.S. to the Secret Service: this is just a lame attempt at trying to be funny, while trying to make a serious point. If you disagree, please don't track my IP address and come knocking at my door, just e-mail me at johnsmith@yahoo.com and i will stop. thank you and have a nice day. God bless.

doh-boy,

Here is a video of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran stating to the audience at Columbia University that there are no homosexuals in his Islamic Republic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-sC26wpUGQ

Edward from Washington Heights AKA pretentious Hudson Heights
"dopeboy, Does circumcision affect how things taste to you?"

Ooop! I take it all back. Your homophobia is showing, in this one...

...some more.

dboy,

Thanks and a Kim Jung Mentally illfg to you!

Edward from Washington Heights AKA pretentious Hudson Heights ~

Oh, SNAP!!

A momentary lapse of ill humor!!

Congratulations!!

illfg,

"My parents are from Italy and Sicily and immigrated here. I was born here".

So when will you be ending your brutal, racist occupation of Native American land and relocating to your ancestral home of Sicily, which luckily for you is part of Italy?

I hope you don't have DOUBLE STANDARDS illfg.

illfg, We are what we eat.

im done. going to lunch. eating pork. lol. ciao

Edward from Washington Heights AKA pretentious Hudson Heights

by the way, separating families, taking peoples land at gun point and then walling people off is what the Nazi's did. Welcome to the oppression club.

Edward from Washington Heights AKA pretentious Hudson Heights ~

OIL UP THE UZI!!!

That's a very long list!!

There's slaughter to be had!!

Edward from Washington Heights AKA pretentious Hudson Heights

and what is your point? hatred breeds hatred breeds hatred. i don't defend muslims either. i think you both are mentally ill. religion causes war, it doesn't stop it. as jgarbuz said, "as long as they fight, the war goes on". it has gone on since religion started.

I just dont want my tax dollars paying for it.

anna from new york

good for you. it must be hard to deal with opposing views on your high horse. I think no matter how eloquent my statements would be worded you will see them as bigotry or anti-semitism. yet i cant help feel that you are just hiding behind your own wall of denial.

good day to you madam.

illfg,

- Beslan school massacre
- Saddam Husseins use of poison gas (a WMD) on the Kurds of Halabja - 5,000 murdered
- 8 year Iraq/Iran war - 1 million dead
- near nuclear war between the "Islamic Republic of Pakistan" and India (a dispute over ownership of land - Kashmir)
- Mumbai India massacre
- Times Square SUV bomber
- 1993 bombing of the WTC
- Assassination of US Senator Robert F. Kennedy
- 7/7/05 London bus and underground attack
- the Assad dictatorship murder of 8,000+ people in Syria
- video taped beheading of journalist Daniel Pearl
- fatwa on writer Salman Rushdie for writing a book of fiction
- murder of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh
- death threats against the company producing South Park cartoon
- death threats against Danish cartoonists
- Beltway Sniper
- Fort Hood massacre
- Current Day Slavery in Sudan
- Female Genital mutilation
- 3/12 Toulouse, France
- Muslim-Only city in Saudi Arabia

Here is a video of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran stating to the audience at Columbia University that there are no homosexuals in his Islamic Republic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-sC26wpUGQ

jgarbuz from Queens

um, what you have done for over 50 years now is wall of a portion of people against the common sense of the world. You have incited further hatred by these people, who happen to be genetically your brothers. Oppression is oppression whether it was hitler to jews, stalin to russians, or jews to palestinians. they fight you with rocks because thats all they have. They have a wall around them, like a concentration camp. People who have lived there for thousands of years do not want to recognize your "mandated" state. you wont change that with rockets, you will change that with love. but as you said as long as they fight the war goes on.

im not religious. judging from your statements and your selfishness, im glad im not. mind control is a terrible thing. especially when its done with blinders on against people for myths and legends that go back thousands of years.

i hope you are truly proud of your people and their own evilness

Illfg,
Your comment is illiterate because it demonstrates absolute ignorance of history (all thousands years of it) and culture in which we live and a familiarity with a stock of bigoted platitudes and cliches only. It's below any acceptable level.
I am not responding more to comments of similar quality.

jgarbuz from Queens
To dboy

"Metzitza b'peh" was the most effective quick way to stop the bleeding in ancient times in circumcision. It wasn't meant to be pedophilia or a homosexual act. It was to very quickly to stop bleeding! BTW, the mohel has to be a rabbi specially trained in that procedure. But it is no different than a man using a CPR to save another person. We don't say it is a homosexual act!

Ummm... how 'bout just leaving infant penis' alone??

to ILLFG

If the Arab Muslims teach their children to go out and fight their wars for them,and hide behind their own children, claiming that if their child gets "martyred" for Allah, that they will then get the key to Paradise for the whole hamullah (clan) to enter, then I guess Arab children will bear the brunt of the ongoing war that the Arabs refuse to quit. I don't know if the Muslims accept the Ten Commandments, but I do know that they put bombs on their own children and command them to go out and blow up Jews and other infidels in the name of ALlah and for the key to paradise. As long as that is their Muslim commandment, don't blame the deaths of Arab children on us Jews.

I see dboy is out of cogent arguments - as usual

"Edward from Washington Heights AKA pretentious Hudson Heights

And "educated" people can be idiotic and evil.

Hence the academics, lawyers, doctors who supported National SOCIALIST Germany.

Edward, drop this "socialist" nonsense. Personally, I am a Social Democrat. Several dozens of post-war countries are Social-Democratic. So? Are they all National? Why are talking about Nazi Germany. Of course, educated people can be monsters. Everyone can. Atheists can, religious can.

anna from new york

right, because i disagree with you. i did not realize i am writing a tome and must use proper english at all times. i thought posting a comment on a website allows one a certain amount of leeway with errors. Let me re-write.

The old testament is very violent and graphic. It describes the murdering of children, women and entire villages, aside from war. Land acquired by dubious means will always be problematic. Do you remember the phrase, "live by the sword, die by the sword"?

thank you.

Here is an excellent video by Pat Condell:

Useful Idiots for Palestine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeGYAfh9A1k&list=UUWOkEnBl5TO4SCLfSlosjgg&index=4&feature=plcp

anna from the looney bin ~

Don't give up!

Your ideological psychosis is excellent entertainment!!

lol,
"It's against murder, not killing in war or for self defense, or for legitimate punishment after fair trial."

killing in war IS murder. Nice way to splice hairs. But thanks for the clarification, it explains ALOT. Now i understand why your country shoots kids with rocks. you are in a war and 10 year olds with rocks deserve to die for fighting against your right to murder people to acquire land that you then state has always been your land.

illfg

the old testament is very violent and graphic. Murdering children, women, entire villages. ill gotten land achieved by the sword. remember "live by the sword, die by the sword"
You don't know how illiterate your comment is. Obviously.
dr anna

And "educated" people can be idiotic and evil.

Hence the academics, lawyers, doctors who supported National SOCIALIST Germany.

I am not responding to dboy. I did it once and it's enough, but I'll respond once to his camp fellow - illfg

"the old testament is very violent and graphic. Murdering children, women, entire villages. ill gotten land achieved by the sword. remember "live by the sword, die by the sword"
You don't know how illiterate this comment is. Obviously.

dr anna

To Illfg

No, the Ten Commandments DO NOT say "Thou shalt not Kill." The sixth commandment says, "Lo Tirzakh." True translation: Don't MURDER.

The Christians CHANGED the 6th commandment to Thou Shalt not Kill for their own reasons. It is NOT what the original Hebrew bible states! It's against murder, not killing in war or for self defense, or for legitimate punishment after fair trial.

How many black slaves did WUSP Jimmy Carters ancestors have?

Has the Carter Center paid reparations to the descendents of the slaves of the Carter clan?

"Atheism, the opium of Socialists."
No. I like David Brooks's (usually not my favorite, but I am changing - it's difficult not to after reading some of these "masterpieces") definition:
"Atheism is the opiate of the SHALLOW masses." Shallow masses clearly can be also idiotic.

the old testament is very violent and graphic. Murdering children, women, entire villages. ill gotten land achieved by the sword. remember "live by the sword, die by the sword"

Careful, Sheldon from Brooklyn:

Nuts come in MANY flavors.

anna from the loony bin ~

The Jewish "scriptures" are FULL of D_g's chosen slaughtering infants, left and right.

...and every other living thing in it's way.

What the HELL are you talking about...

...again?

jgarbuz from Queens
To Dboy

"What we are going to do about it NOW is to continue what we've been doing for 90 years, which is to continue to fight for full recognition of Jewish rights and nationhood on its national soil until the whole world peacefully accepts Israel as it does any other state in the world. As long as any country, such as Iran, calls Israel a "zionist entity," the war will go on. I deplore all innocent civilian deaths, but it's up to those who started the wars to make peace and end them."

THOU SHALL NOT KILL. its your first commandment no?

All sickos of the world share one love - love of Palestinian children - a genuine, sincere love (yes, sarcasm)
Children of Hama (ask them if they even heard), children of Homs, gassed Kurdish children, children of horrors in Africa, poor children in India, China and elsewhere, or even homeless children here don't deserve their love. Bad children. Only Palestinian children deserve love ...

Fair points ED but the reason I don't plunge an axe into the guy standing in front of me in a post office line, has nothing to with my childhood faith. I would like to think that up unitl the age of 11, I have made decisions based on my humanistic moral code not "because God said it was wrong"

And yes - Atheism is a religion.

jgarbuz from Queens
To ILLFG

"the Canaanites arrived only about 1000 years before the Israelites and subdued the earlier population."
THANKS FOR PROVING MY POINT! The land was not jewish soil until jews STOLE it.

"But in any case HEBREW is CANAANITE LANGUAGE! Most modern archaeologists now believe that most of the early Israelites were actually Canaanites who adopted an El called YHW and disposed of the earlier Baals and Canaanite and Pheonician gods of their earlier overlords that they probably overthrew."
DO YOU HAVE SOURCES?
So what you are saying is jews are really Canaanites? Nice way to have your argument both ways. lol

all you are proving is that arabs and jews are the same, which we already know from genetic tests. My point is why should the rest of the world care and support either side? well we already supported Israel, so its uneven now.

Atheism, the opium of Socialists.

If only Socialists would hold Muslims to the same stringent standards they hold Christians and Jews.

I'm done for the day, Dboy. Now you can talk to the Hand.

jaggerbutzz ~

Clearly "educated" beyond his capacity for intelligence.

Wait... isn't that the definition of ideology??

To Dboy

What we are going to do about it NOW is to continue what we've been doing for 90 years, which is to continue to fight for full recognition of Jewish rights and nationhood on its national soil until the whole world peacefully accepts Israel as it does any other state in the world. As long as any country, such as Iran, calls Israel a "zionist entity," the war will go on. I deplore all innocent civilian deaths, but it's up to those who started the wars to make peace and end them.

"You should base your abortion views on your moral code on your values as a human being."

Exactly. Catholicism makes many claims about objective reality, and the value of a human being and the place of the human being in the world. The prohibition of abortion is an easy consequence.

Funny, an atheist writes that Mr. Lehrer would just get people who would defend their religion, then he defended his atheism. Atheism, of course, is just another religion.

JG - like I said, I really don't want to back an forth but you know the the term "Jewish" in this context is an implicit racial term, not a national one, as it is with saying "Irish" or "German"

dopeboy, Does circumcision affect how things taste to you?

This fascist "left" is truly irritating - illiterate, primitive, corrupt and evil.
Whether there were Canaanites or not isn't clear, but the fact is that religious sacrtifices, including infantice, were long after JEWS fought to stop it.
An illiterate ex-friend of mine who is functioning on the level of many of the posters here, never heard about human sacrifices and her main food has been The Protocols and "Mein Campf."
dr anna

jgarbuz from Queens

First of all i didn't say Canaanite language was arabic.
Second arabic coming into the area, etc is irrelevant
Third, who was there before the Canaanites?
Fourth, if the land was owned by people BEFORE the Canaanites, it further supports MY point that the land is NOT jewish soil, thank you.
Fifth, Whatever the Canaanites did with children has nothing to do with this argument.
Sixth, the Canaanites lost the land because of Moses's blood thirsty people were told by A god, Yahweh, who was a war god, to murder everyone in their way. Land was obtained by MURDER, not by a court mandate that the Canaanites leave because they kill children. Remember THOU SHALL NOT KILL, right? why was that not heeded by YOUR people? Hypocrite.
Seventh, My parents are from Italy and Sicily and immigrated here. I was born here. Your argument is moot.

You prove that jewish people like any other group are selfish and make the facts fit their own selfish desires.

No one gives a SH*T about who was there first!!!

These pedantic historical debates NEVER address what is going on in the PRESENT!!

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO DO, RIGHT NOW?!?!?

@Dboy - thanks @ Bernie, for sure - Many consider Mormonism to be "crackpot", because they are not used to its rituals but I can assure you, if you just came in from Mars, you would consider it as "sane" as any other established religion.

To ILLFG

In case you missed my earlier response, the Canaanites arrived only about 1000 years before the Israelites and subdued the earlier population. But in any case HEBREW is CANAANITE LANGUAGE! Most modern archaeologists now believe that most of the early Israelites were actually Canaanites who adopted an El called YHW and disposed of the earlier Baals and Canaanite and Pheonician gods of their earlier overlords that they probably overthrew.

illfg,

If you live in North America and aren't a "Native American", what does that make you?

To quote someone you are close to, "you can not have the argument both ways".

To Sheldon

Israel is JEWISH LAND that is why it is the Jewish state, just as Ireland is Irish land which is why Ireland is the Irish state. The US is "INDIAN" land ,but you and I live on it anyway, purely due to the right of conquest! I do not claim ISrael as JEwish land because the JEws conquered it. I call it Jewish land because it is the historic homeland of the Jewish nation. The Jewish religion is only a cultural artifact of Jewish civilization. The League of Nations recognized Jewish nationhood on historic basis back in 1920, and the UN authorized a "Jewish State" in Novermber 1947. Look up and read UNGAR 181. It does NOT mention a Palestinian state, but only a Jewish state and another Arab state alongside it. But the Arabs rejected it and went to war.

FYI:

Wikipedia is NOT considered a legitimate source to cite as fact.

If you cite Wikipedia, you automatically undermine any argument you're trying to put forth.

"jgarbuz from Queens - To Dboy:
As long as the Muslim Arabs do not recognize ISrael as JEWISH SOIL, the war goes on!"

By your own account it was originally the land of Canaan. It's Canaan soil. the blood is on jewish hands first. blood in blood out. as an occupying force, you will have problems forever.

@sheldon, dboy-
doboy- yes, you may be right- they're all different forms of crackpot, i agree but mormonism is one that borders on being disqualified to be president.
sheldon- yeah, that's all crazy stuff but how about the golden plates ,written in egyptian writing, found in upstate ny and is the basis for the religion? the garden of eden was in missouri! these people actually believe this stuff!!
and one who believes this could possibly become the leader of the free world? wow...

Sheldon from Brooklyn ~

Rational and clear...

A better man than I.

Amen!!

To Illfg

First of all Hebrew is the Canaanite language, not Arabic. Arabic is the foreign language brought into Israel after 638 AD. Second, the Canaanites only arrived sometime after 3000 BC, and they had wiped out the PREVIOUS inhabitants! So the Canaanites were not the first people in the land. And the Canaanites practiced child infanticide, which later the God of Israel told Isaac not to do. So the Canaanites also lost the land because of the evil they were committing. But by what right do YOU have to occupy the United States, land of 100 "indian" nations who have been here 17,000 years?

The reason there is a anti-terrorist wall separating Israel from Hamasstan is the same as the reason that every airport in the world has checkpoints and screen passengers and cargo.

Remember Pan Am 103?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Flight_103

Remember KAL 007?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KAL_007

JG - I really don't want to go back and forth on Israel.

I don't hate Israel or oppose "its right to exist"

The fact that it was founded explicitly as a "Jewish" State, is why there are so many problems.

I just don't believe in racial preferences or quotas for anyone or any race, regardless of it it comes from the State,the bible, or post holocaust European guilt.

If you think Palestinians - (who I admit, can be their worst enemies and have suffered from poor leadership)and other non-Jewish residents are treated with the same respect and dignity as Jewish Israelis, then we have to agree to disagree.

Ummm... no one ever suggested it was "homosexual".

I think I used the term "INSANE"!!!

Unfortunately, it is a practice that has NOT been relegated to "ancient" ritual. Infants continue to suffer and die due to herpes and encephalitis, in New York City right now in 2012.

INSANE!

LESS RELIGION, MORE BRAINS!!

To Dboy

As long as the Muslim Arabs do not recognize ISrael as JEWISH SOIL, the war goes on! It's up the Muslim Arabs to stop the war, not up to Israel. Even MExico would not be justified in continuing the US-Mexican war after 1847 even if the US actually stole half of pre-1835 Mexico. If the Arabs want an end to the war, they have to recognize Hebrew National Rights in the Jewish homeland! SImple. We recognize 21 Arab countries.

jgarbuz from Queens

by your own account, god (your god) promised the jews the land of Canaan, which was already populated. The jews originally stole the land they now claim they are the only one that have a right to it.

you can not have the argument both ways.

I am a church-going Christian. Matthew is my all-time favorite book. Throughout Matthew Jesus rails against the unutterable hypocrisy of the Establishment Religious (the caps are mine).

Santorum called Pres. Obama a snob for wanting all American children to get (or at least have the opportunity to get) a college education.

Santorum himself has not only a BA but an MBA and a JD. He has seven children - will he be making sure that THEY go to college?

So who's the snob? Santorum wants HIS children to be part of the ruling elite and wants to make sure that there's an uneducated peasant class over whom they can rule.

So much for Santorum's Christianity.

Then there's the Newt - having an extra-marital affair while he's trying to crucify Bill Clinton for doing the same.

So much for Newt's Christianity.

Your question was whether my religious beliefs affect my political beliefs. Absolutely. When politicians are hypocrites I dismiss every position they advocate as being tainted by their hypocrisy.

I missed (almost) the program and heard only the last two comments. I also just glanced at the predictably long list of the posts.
Someone is absolutely correct: "Anyone who babbles about ISRAELI occupation of ISRAEL should leave this land of the Indians and go ...."
Both comments I heard were irritating, particularly the one from a "Jew" (of course) from Pittsburgh. No, friend, only those have been raised on The Protocols (directly or not) "know" about Jewish political influences. They also "know" all the canards, stereotypes, cliches their masters want them to know. The level of his arguments was so low and so predictable that I am not in a mood to discuss. I do want to express my utter dissatisfaction with the host. If I understand it correctly, it is not the function of the PUBLIC radio employees to promote bigotry, or even just to tolerate it.
Now, Carter. I didn't hear what he said, but I have a good memory and remember well what this bastard (if I understand it correctly, the first amendment allows me to describe politicians the way my knowledge and my conscience dictate) said several years ago on Air America and was applauded by a host, coming from a long line of political prostitutes and keeping this tradition of Cockburns and relatives.
dr anna

jaggerbutzz ~

The absolute King of pedantic "historical" rationalization.

NONE of your cited atrocities make it okay for Israel to perpetrate heinous crimes against the Palestinians or anyone against anyone else, for that matter.

You can site ALL of the odious crimes against humanity ALL THROUGHOUT HISTORY, NONE of it justifies current or future crimes!!

Geezus!!

MORONIC.

Ever time the world spends more and more AFTER TAX dollars to fill the gas tanks of their cars, you can thank OPEC.

To dboy

"Metzitza b'peh" was the most effective quick way to stop the bleeding in ancient times in circumcision. It wasn't meant to be pedophilia or a homosexual act. It was to very quickly to stop bleeding! BTW, the mohel has to be a rabbi specially trained in that procedure. But it is no different than a man using a CPR to save another person. We don't say it is a homosexual act!

Brian, Shame on you for letting Carter get away with the one of most horrible events of Jewish History. Jews were forced to be money lenders from late antiquitie (by the Romans) to Medieval times, by the Christines, by the way before the last pope died, he said that it would take 1000 years to atone for Chritians for the Jews. Christians where much worse to the Jews than Muslims in history. Brian, for God Sake (really God, really Brian learn a little more Jewish history and don't be afrad to use it from time to time on the air with out feeling so guilty

To Sheldon

The Irish have a natural moat around their island, but they did resent the Protestants who came from Scotland and England to settle and rule over them.
That's why the Irish finally had to throw the British out, and the war with the Protestants in the north has gone on for decades, and still not fully resolved even now.

Israel has had to build a wall around itself to protect itself a HORDE of terrorists who deny that Israel is Jewish land. Israel stole nothing from no one. Read the League of Nations Mandate. All non-private property in Palestine was opened to Jewish settlement. Private property owned by Arabs or others could be purchased for the same us> There was no stealing of Arab owned land. However, in 1947 the Arabs rejected the Partition compromise and swore to attack and drive the Jews into the sea, and as luck would have it, it turned out opposite of what they had intended. SO the JEws have no stolen anything. The Arabs were the ones who broke international law by going to war against a UN authorized Jewish state.

Sheldon from Brooklyn ~

Or, one of the most insane religious practices: metzitzah b'peh

Virtual thumbs up for [Janet from Plfd, NJ]
With you all the way, great message.

I think that people should not criticize Jews for any reason whatsoever.
If you do, then you are an anti-Semitic jew-hater who wants to push all the jews into the sea, just like Hitler. Thank you for your support. Now where's my campaign donation?

illfg and dudboy,

For your information, here is a link to the FBI website titled:

"Most Wanted Terrorists".

http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/wanted_terrorists/@@wanted-group-listing

My Catholicism puts me at odds with the Republicans & so-called religious right. The Republican party does not follow the teachings of Christ. They are the party of avarice and intolerance, which are totally contrary to Christ's teachings. Jesus never mentioned abortion or homosexuality... He was against the death penalty, war & violence... He did not cast out, shun and abuse minorities or sinners... For the Republican party or Rick Santorum to claim they are Christian is laughable. I think that people who follow the teachings of Christ are more Christian than people who merely proclaim that they believe in the existence and divinity of Christ. This standard would hold that many atheists, Jews, Muslims and people of all faiths are more "Christian" than many priests, pastors, and others that hold themselves out as Christian, in spite of the way they act.

Jesus was NOT an advocate for self-defense. He accepted abuse and death but and did not defend himself. He corrected his disciple who used violence to defend him from arrest by the state which would execute him.

Jesus instead advocated resistance to oppression, a more subtle and successful strategy.

While not a Jehovah's Witness myself, they must be counted among the world's steadfast advocates against violent response. One of the major reasons they have been persecuted is their consistent stand against war.

Great point Brian, about the distinction almost never made about people supposedly resenting religion, when it is really about using that as an excuse to dismiss people with whom they disagree.

If the other person's religion informs them to views we agree with, then we are far more respectful of that persons' religion, but when those religious views get them to a place we don't like? Well then, we vilify religion.

I have found this to be true of people who say they don't like "judgmental" people. What they REALLY mean is they don't like people who have judgments different than their own (and express those differences openly.) Because it is rare for people to reject others who actively articulate and echo their own beliefs -- even though those folks might be as "judgmental" as someone else with antithetical views.

jgarbuz from Queens

right, because we get all our oil from Israel. lol

JG -That's good to know but I don't think that the Irish build walls around their "non-Irish" citizens homes or restrict water access to their land.

JGARBUZ from Queens.

really? so God promises the jews the land of Canaan. So you admit that people lived there first who werent jewish.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Bible

interestingly enough it took 2000 years for the jews to get there, murdering everyone there.
2488 AM/ 1436 BCE - The Israelites entered Canaan Joshua 4:19
2448–2884 AM/ 1476–1040 BCE- Period of Joshua, Judges and Saul, first King of Israel 1 Kings 6:1

Thats NOT day one, and your premise that because YOUR god promised them the land of Canaan, they deserved it.

To Illfg

The US got involved in the Middle East not due to Israel, but due to its need for oil and security of the oil fields. The US had no special relationship with Israel UNTIL the USSR began to become strong in the Middle East and only then did the US start to give Israel aid and arms. It saw ISrael as a strategic asset for its own interests, which again is primarily access to cheap OIL. Not so cheap anymore though!

bernie from bklyn ~

I might argue that, from the line-up, it would be VERY difficult to single out the MOST "crackpot-y" religion. They're ALL equally crackpot, as far as I can tell.

Bernie - Crackpot? As opposed to not touching an elevator button on Saturday, or cutting off a boy's foreskin, or drinking the "blood" of Christ with wine via some Roman ritual, or stoning a woman to death for "allowing herself to be raped?

Any European, African, Asian who lives in North America and self righteously claims to be against occupation should heed their own words and return to their respective ancestral homelands.

Ireland belongs to the Irish. America belongs to the "indians," but was settled by others. Sweden belongs to the Swedes. Arabia belongs to the Arabs. Israel belongs to the Jews. To me its a NATIONALISTIC thing, not a religious one. From day one, God promises Abraham the REWARD of a land, Canaan to his offspring, if He follows the voice of God. So from day one, Israel is the patrimony of the Israelites and the rest of the Levant and Arabia to the Ishmaelites.

My politics influence my religion. I was a progressive all of my life. In my 60's I began to participate and learn more about the Jewish religion. Now in my 70's, as I read the prayer books, I begin to understand the religion within the framework of my political, environmental, and moral beliefs.

It's kind of inane to have this subject as a call-in. All you're gonna get is people defending their religion.

If you want a more honest dialogue you should ask how does economics affect your world view. Almost every religious conflict in the world has economic underpinnings.

The Hebrew Bible describes constant warfare between the Jews and other tribes, including the Philistines, whose capital was Gaza - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Israel

The US needs to remove itself from thousands of years of warfare

I don't necessarily agree with Mr. Carter's religious worldview but, he has demonstrated throughout his entire life, the potential for a positive and compassionate religious path. Probably the intended purpose of religion, in the first place.

I wish we'd have more discussion about how freedom of religion also means freedom FROM religion. In other words, the freedom not to believe. I don't think you need a god to lead a moral life of make good political decisions. Seems like there's too much religiosity in politics these days.

to the caller-mormons care about the world?? by baptizing dead jews from the holocaust?
please read about the mormon religion.....it's so much more crackpot than all the other religions. it's quite shocking actually.... all organized religion is scary but mormonism, holy cow!

Plus Israel has nukes yet acts like a terroristic state. And USA tax dollars pay for it. Why dont all the jews of the world, move to Israel and defend Israel THEMSELVES without tax dollars from a NON jewish country?

Wow - Jimmy Carter gets to tell other people what they should believe about contraception. Wow is he full of himself.

Brian did not offer a non-religious option - but the way I was raised - to think rationally, to hold judgement, to be flexible, to question authority, to value life and choice has absolutely affected my politics. Prioritizing human rights above all else has nothing to do with religion and the most hateful people I have ever met have also been the most religious.

Ed - why do you oppose abortion because of your "Catholicism"?

You should base your abortion views on your moral code on your values as a human being.

jgarbuz from Queens

you cant have it both ways.

There were people living in what EVENTUALLY became Israel before Moses people went there right? doesnt the old testament say they murdered everyone in their way to get their with YAHWEH leading the charge? Then they got displaced themselves, so why do they have a right to it?

Arabs, proto arabs whatever you want to call them were there first. so either its muscle leads to right to live there OR who was there first leads to the right to live there. Either way, Israel wouldnt exist without USA tax dollars.

I don't believe in god, but I believe in Jimmy Carter.

I was raised Catholic and attended a Baptisit church for 25 years. I am now a non-denominational Christian, who tries to "Do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with my God". The anti-intellectual bias and mean spiritedness of the Chritian right leave me chilled. The love of God seems not to be manifest in them.

To Illfg

What has being "semitic" had to do with ISrael? The non-Jewish semites have 21 Arab countries of their own! The Muslims have 56, and few Jews live in them anymore! None live in Saudi Arabia. Israel is JEWISH LAND not "semitic" land. The Arabs have 21 other semitic countries of their own!

Just a minor correction: Jimmy Carter said the largest Muslim country in the world is Egypt. While there are over 80 million Muslims in Egypt, Bangladesh has 149 million, India 177 million, Pakistan 178 million, and Indonesia 205 million. Two-thirds of Muslims are in Asia, not the Middle East or Africa.

In response to the question asked about how faith influences my politics, there are many things I could say. To limit it to one: As a Buddhist, I do not support killing--do not support capital punishment.

I find it pretty bothersome for President Carter to suggest that atheists achieve morality through compliance with Judeo-Christian law. I think the atheist who is required to generate the rationales for his moral behavior is more moral than a person who merely complies with divine commands.

Thank you, Jim!

If Jesus were to return to his birthplace in Bethlehem, or to the town he grew up in in Nazareth, I bet the first thing he would say is, "What the heck are all these ARABS doing here???"

Then, would he go to Church, Mosque, or Synagogue? To the Dome of the Rock maybe?

Wow, what Carter just said about banning any religious services in his White House was so incredibly striking, and refreshing. Today's candidates (and even President) constantly pandering to religious groups and masking/changing their own religious views is cowardly. If candidates and Presidents upheld the simple idea of separation of church and state they would never have to worry about offending one group, or favoring another.

jaggerbutzz ~

Insignificant, as usual.

How does religion inform my politics?

I am sensitive to the Abortion issue, but by no means give republicans my vote for using this and other moral causes - to Distract from the central issues of good governance.

Religion seems to give me the message of selflessness, so the politician who talks more of giving and the "Ask Not ..." sorts of message usually sorts to the top for my vote. When GWB talked of tax cuts (For Me!!) in 2000 he lost my vote then.

Ha Ha. Sometimes I feel that Romney is indeed a recipient of divine inspiration - and God is telling him to not let Republicanism win without at least another 4 years of reform.

For example, as a Catholic, we see that abortion is the killing of a human being, so we're pro-life and pro-choice candidates disqualify themselves, as they would if they supported slavery.

There is also the just war theory.

What denomination is he if not Baptist?

Rem, no one in America is making you go to a church or worship any god. You are protected in that way. But other people's belief enter into the public sphere. That is what a Democracy promotes.

"Jimmy Carter believes in peace by "crucifying" Israel."?

JG - I think you are committing blood libel yourself - don't you think?

President Carter's description of the United States as being Christian is troubling. While a majority of U.S. citizens may be Christian, the nation itself is secular.

dboy

lol, you are right. sadly, semitic people INCLUDE the palestinians, though you wont ever hear jewish people admit that.

they share the same genes.
http://uanews.org/node/3082

i think the US, which is NOT a jewish or Arab state should back off of this FAMILY squabble. Let these people kill each other over religion.

My tax dollars should go to Israel to kill Palestinian children with rockets as they throw rocks.

Edward from Washington Heights AKA pretentious Hudson Heights-

That might be accurate if we overlook the following:

Richard "Shoulda Been In Jail" Nixon
Ronald "The Rodeo Klown" Reagan
George "Never Mind The Iran-Contra Affair" Bush Sr.
George "Dumb as Sh*t" Bush

Yes, besides these, Carter - definitely the worse.

Ask Jimmy Carter which church in Saudi Arabia can he visit on any Sunday to worship.

Mr. Carter sounds like a fair and good person. Thereby he has no place in politics, nor in leading a nation. The world is a bad neighborhood and it requires a pragmatist, like Mr. Obama.

Christianity leads to different opinions on how to reach good goals, but the goals are the same. It's discussions about prudential judgements.

Listen to Bryan questioning a Christian about the authenticy of the Resurrection! Such idiocy. If Bryan doesn't his own religious doctrines, fine, but to question somebody else's reading of the Bible shows inner confusion on Bryan's part.

Jimmy Carter believes in peace by crucifying Israel.

What about the minority, but significant, portion of the population that does not believe in any god? Can people be good without god? Shouldn't freedom FROM religion be included in any concept of freedom OF religion?

Why doesn't Jimmy Carter give back Florida to the Seminoles, and the Southwest and California to the Mexicans? WHy does he practice his brand of "Christian love" on the JEws, who have tried so hard to make peace with the surrounding Muslims to no avail?

Humanity will, it seems, forever be held back by irrational attachment to ancient superstition. Any exercise in governance that treats fictional characters like Jesus and Mohammed as relevant role models, or documents like the bible, koran, or torah as the basis for law, is doomed from the start.

Elaine from Baltimore, Thank you!!!

JC, Jimmy Carter, has cemented his nickname of "Worst US President Ever".

Ooop! illfg, don't confuse the issues with actual facts...

You may be labeled an "anti-semite" - the standard rebuttal to the facts.

its very easy to be pro palestinian when Israel acts like an oppressor and has zero regard for the arabs they displaced.

Jimmy Carter proved himself to be an enemy of Israel. Thanks to him, Israel has rocket fire coming from Gaza. He forced Israel to give up the Sinai for the THIRD TIME since 1949 despite 3 wars that Egypt instigated, in exchange for a worthless of paper called a "peace treaty." There were no tunnels into Gaza and no rockets being fired on Israel (as another one was just today) from Gaza before Jimmy Carter imposed himself on Israel!

He also committed one of the worst BLOOD LIBELS against the JEws by accusing ISrael of practicing APARTHEID! His experiences of his own people harassing blacks in the US South has NOTHING TO DO WITH ISRAEL and its ongoing need to defend itself against endless Arab aggression! He is false Christian in my HOly Book. He does not recognize Jewish rights to their homeland and puts projects his own guilt as a southerner on Jews, who had nothing to do with segregration or apartheid!

is mr. carter pro-choice? what does mr.carter think about the government intrusion into women's family planning issues? does he believe in the separation of church and state?

Mr. Carter, thank you for being on the radio today and your service to this country both as a president and a citizen.

How do you respond to the the anti-semitism charge when accurately describing the condition of the Palestinian people under Israeli rule?

Elaine from Baltimore.

didnt the ancient jews kill every man, woman and child on their way to the "promised land", where there was already people living there?

blood in blood out.

I think that Jimmy Carter secretly hates jews and despises Israel. Please ask him why he is so pro- palestinian. He never misses an opportunity to criticize Israel. He always supports muslims against jews.

Carter repeatedly mentions Security Council Resolution 242, which called for return of captured territories in exchange for peace, recognition and secure boundaries, but he ignores the fact that Israel accepted and all the Arab nations and the Palestinians rejected this resolution. The Arabs met in Khartum and issued their three famous "no's": "No peace, no recognition, no negotiation" but you wouldn't know that from reading the history according to President Carter.

He barely mentions Israel's acceptance, and the Palestinian rejection, of the U.N.'s division of the mandate in 1948.

He claims that in 1967 Israel launched a preemptive attack against Jordan. The fact is that Jordan attacked Israel first, Israel tried desperately to persuade Jordan to remain out of the war, and Israel counterattacked after the Jordanian army surrounded Jerusalem, firing missiles into the center of the city. Only then did Israel capture the West Bank, which it was willing to return in exchange for peace and recognition from Jordan.

More interesintg points that I would love to hear President Cater answer:

His statement that "Christian and Muslim Arabs had continued to live in this same land since Roman times," but he ignores the fact that Jews have lived in Hebron, Tzfat, Jerusalem, and other cities for even longer. Nor does he discuss the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Jews from Arab countries since 1948.

Some interesting omissions/errors from President Carter's book "Palestine: Peace not Apartheid" as documented by Alan Dershowitz:
"Carter blames Israel, and exonerates Arafat, for the Palestinian refusal to accept statehood on 95% of the West Bank and all of Gaza pursuant to the Clinton-Barak offers of Camp David and Taba in 2000-2001. He accepts the Palestinian revisionist history, rejects the eye-witness accounts of President Clinton and Dennis Ross and ignores Saudi Prince Bandar's accusation that Arafat's rejection of the proposal was "a crime" and that Arafat's account "was not truthful"--except, apparently, to Carter. The fact that Carter chooses to believe Yasir Arafat over Bill Clinton speaks volumes."

Buried at the end of his book "Palestine: Peace not Apartheid", President Carter wrote that what is going on in Israel today "is unlike that in South Africa--not racism, but the acquisition of land." Why then keep this inflammatory title for his book?

Israel's motive for holding on to this land is the prevention of terrorism. It has repeatedly offered to exchange land for peace and did so in Gaza and southern Lebanon only to have the returned land used for terrorism, kidnappings and rocket launchings, as we have been witnessing right now from Gaza.

On June 15th 2009, President Carter criticized Netanyahu on "demands that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state, even though 20% of Israel’s citizens are not Jewish" as being an obstacle to peace.
In Jimmy Carter’s world, Israel’s daring to insist that it be recognized as the Jewish homeland—only the very reason why it exists and the historical basis for it—cannot be allowed. In his view, it is the obstacle to peace, not the Arabs’ refusal to accept it. Funny, though, he applies this argument to the world’s only Jewish state, and never has done the same to any other country.
There are 27 countries where Islam is the official state religion. 12 countries (plus England, Scotland, and 17 Swiss Cantons) recognize Christianity as their state religion, and Buddhism is the official state religion in three. Carter has never made a peep about any of the 42 countries with an official state religion. He certainly never complained to his Saudi allies or the Jordanians because they prohibit Jews from residing in their countries.
President Carter is not one I would associate with being moral.

I heard President Carter speak out, essentially to Republicans, this weekend on Studio360. He said something like 'There are dozens of times in the Bible where Jesus says for us to help the poor, but not one place where it says to lower taxes on the rich." Bravo. If the (R)'s want to "own" religion they should better heed its message.

President Carter has no doubt done great good around the world as an ambassador for democracy, what could be done, and I'm sure it stems from his Biblical studies and beliefs. I wonder what he thinks about this administration's current attack on the free exercise of religion, and on the Catholic Church in particular?

It is interesting that President Carter is discussing “the moral life” on today’s program. In recent years many have accused Mr. Cater as not being moral. 14 of his own advisers, all Jews, resigned from the Carter Center and many others have accused Mr. Carter of anti-Semitism. See the links below:

http://articles.cnn.com/2007-01-11/us/carter.resignations_1_carter-center-councilors-letter?_s=PM:US

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901541.html

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/readme/2006/12/its_not_apartheid.html

In Slate, Michael Kinsley wrote an article titled “Jimmy Carter's moronic new book about Israel.”

I hope you ask Mr. Carter why 14 of his advisers and so many others can no longer support his so called “moral” beliefs.