Religion
Related: About this forumBernie Sanders just came reeeeeeally close to coming out as an non-believer
10/23/15 12:45pm
by Jon Green
Bernie Sanders is Jewish the same way Im Jewish: emphasis on the ish. As the New Yorker reported in their October 12 issue, Sanders values his Jewish heritage, less for the religious content than for the sense it imbued in him that politics mattered. So while he still identifies as Jewish when asked, and his Jewish heritage has in many ways informed his political identity, he isnt all that observant. And in an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Wednesday night, Sanders gave his clearest indication yet that, if elected, he would be both our first Jewish and first non-believing president (and no, those identities are not mutually exclusive):
When asked about his electability, Sanders dropped a God forbid at the prospect of a Republican victory in the general election a line that drew an applause break from the audience. But when Sanders finished answering the question, Kimmel used it as a followup, asking Sanders if he believed in God, or if his God forbid was ironic given culturally Jewish identity.
Rather than answering that question head-on, Sanders pivoted to an ecumenical case for reducing economic inequality, referencing his spirituality instead of his faith:
It didnt take very long for conservative media sites, such as The Blaze, to read between those lines: Sanders may have just outed himself as a non-believer.
http://americablog.com/2015/10/bernie-sanders-just-came-reeeeeeally-close-to-coming-out-as-an-non-believer.html
Yorktown
(2,884 posts)There is no consensus as to the definition of what makes someone a Jew.
There is now a half Korean she-rabbi in Israel.
Was she part of the group the Bible says was promised the land of Israel as a birthright?
Time and information are busting the religious myths like sledgehammers.
Jester Messiah
(4,711 posts)Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: A comment about someone's religion turned into an anti-seminate remark, imo.
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Poster is correct on the facts. The truth is an absolute defense.
Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #7 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: AT first I left it but on second thought I'm not so sure it's innocently clueless.
Yorktown
(2,884 posts)My post was polite and factual. Just the facts, Ma'am, and one gets alerted upon?
Smacks of desperation.
rug
(82,333 posts)I take it you are juror 2.
LuvNewcastle
(16,856 posts)and he did come close to saying that he wasn't a believer. I don't think that non-belief would hurt him much with younger voters, but it could affect how much support he gets from older voters. Some Americans are even more afraid of atheists than they are of socialists. Someone is going to pin him down on it eventually, and it'll be interesting to see the reactions.
murielm99
(30,761 posts)his beliefs are his own private, personal business.
Maybe it is time someone said that.
erlewyne
(1,115 posts)Believing is Santa stuff.
Jesus knew.
upaloopa
(11,417 posts)living beings and all of nature,
Response to rug (Original post)
jtuck004 This message was self-deleted by its author.
Bernblu
(441 posts)His ideas are Jewish and like many Jews he may not be aware of it. His ideas are derived from the Jewish mystical traditional (aka known as Kabbalah) that had a profound influence on Jewish culture and thought. In modern times, this tradition began to express itself in more universalistic forms and many non-religious Jews express this in the form of Tikkun Olam, "the repair of the world." The kabbalists, though deeply religious, had concepts of God that were considered heretical and bordering on atheistic by the more literal religious authorities. So, just because Sanders may not experience or relate to God as a personal being the way most Americans say they do does not mean he is not spiritual.
rug
(82,333 posts)Welxome to DU.
MisterP
(23,730 posts)(and apparently you can make calves with it by rewriting reality)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sefer_Yetzirah
Ed Suspicious
(8,879 posts)describes a religion and an ethnicity. "and no, those identities are not mutually exclusive"
http://www.jewishchronicle.org/article.php?article_id=15195
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)the wealthy richer on our labor, the policy we have been following for most of the past 35 or so years, is an acceptable policy.
I'm a non-believer in that as well.
He didn't answer the question head on because they need to eat before they can worry about going to church or anywhere else. He's not one who is more about image.
thesquanderer
(11,992 posts)And there is some basis for that, depending on the flavor of socilaism you're looking at.
Jester Messiah
(4,711 posts)of not believing in bullshit.