BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

I never learned there was any Jewish heritage in my family until I was in my early 40s. There was talk... whispers... but nothing conclusive said or seen. My father is from New England stock. A family that goes all the way back to the Mayflower, a small historic cemetery in Oxford, Mass., familial relations to American writer Booth Tarkington and a pride in all things American. I only dated one Jewish man - twice. We worked together and after two dinners on the Upper West Side of Manhattan where we both lived I finally told him that he, being a Modern Orthodox Jew and I, being Catholic -- there was no way this relationship would ever be anything but a friendship. I was very involved in my acting career, I was traveling a lot, and while his parents seemed to like me I was a shiksa ... I would always be a shiksa and I just didn't have the time or inclination to be involved with anyone, let alone someone who's culture (I felt) would never accept me. I was involved with o...

I read C.S. Lewis' THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS years ago. And loved it. Never has it been more true than it is right now, today: Screwtape (a pseudonym for an emissary of Satan) advises his young cousin on how to derail a Christian: Let him begin by treating patriotism…as a part of his religion. Then let him, under the influence of partisan spirit, come to regard it as the most important part. Then quietly and gradually nurse him on to the stage at which the religion becomes merely a part of the “cause,” in which Christianity is valued chiefly because of the excellent arguments it can produce… [O]nce he’s made the world an end, and faith a means, you have almost won your man, and it makes very little difference what kind of worldly end he is pursuing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Putting Faith Before Politics By DAVID KUO Op-Ed Contributor SINCE 1992, every national Republican electoral defeat has been accompanied by an obituary for the religious right. Every one of these obituaries has been prematur...

Faith & Intellect They say that someone once asked the Rebbe's wife what she thought of her husband. "I'll tell you one thing," she replied. "My husband believes in G-d." Great faith of a simple mind is not so impressive. Simple faith of a great mind is. Perhaps the simple person just hasn't asked the right questions. Perhaps faith is convenient for him. Perhaps he's afraid of what others would say if he one day announced that he no longer believes. A truly great mind is not swayed by such concerns. Nothing forces him to believe --he believes because it is the truth. And since his faith is not self-serving, but founded on a truth beyond the self, therefore it is absolute, it is unshakable, down to the detail. And very infectious. A Daily Dose of Wisdom from the Rebbe -words and condensation by Tzvi Freeman

"I assert that the cosmic religious experience is the strongest and the noblest driving force behind scientific research." The university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists? A student bravely replied, "Yes, he did!" "God created everything?" The professor asked. "Yes sir", the student replied. The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil". The student became quiet before such an answer. The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth. Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?" "Of course", replied the professor. The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?" "What kind of que...

Redundance on Religion The proper role of faith in the presidency still eludes candidates. By Charles Krauthammer Mitt Romney declares, “Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.” Barack Obama opens his speech at his South Carolina Oprah rally with “Giving all praise and honor to God. Look at the day that the Lord has made.” Mike Huckabee explains his surge in the polls thus: “There's only one explanation for it, and it's not a human one. It’s the same power that helped a little boy with two fish and five loaves feed a crowd of 5,000 people.” This campaign is knee-deep in religion, and it’s only going to get worse. I’d thought that the limits of professed public piety had already been achieved during the Republican CNN/YouTube debate when some squirrelly looking guy held up a Bible and asked, “Do you believe every word of this book?” — and not one candidate dared reply: None of your damn business. Instead, Giuliani, Romney, and Huckabee bent a knee and tried appeas...

I dislike Oprah. There. I said it. Yes, I realize I am in her demographic. Stay-at-home (by disability), children, between 30-60, female. But, UGH! She is just so FULL of herself since becoming a TV icon. The celebrity interviews are insipid. The newsmaker interviews are just a click away from Barbara Walters "fluff" pieces. And her give away surprises make the whole thing look like a used car lot event. Yes, every once in a while a friend emails me to say "so-and-so is going to be Oprah, you have to watch." I tune. And I tune out. When OPRAH magazine launched and she made herself permanent (airbrushed) cover-girl I felt naseous. About 11 years ago I was part of a group from a national advocacy group who was pitching Oprah's producers to do a show about our shared illness. After a couple months of playing phone-poker with us, they took a pass for a really idiotic reason. Their reason was, the story wasn't "uplifting enough." We were a...

A CHRISTIAN NATION? The religious right is still working tirelessly to push America towards a theocracy. Something our founding fathers POSITIVELY did not want! Our military is being steered towards Christianity and the separation of Church and State is being chipped away at right under our noses. Precedents are not just being overturned--the five Catholic justices (John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Anthony Kennedy) are endangering jurisprudence in this nation by violating their oaths of office. Instead of maintaining judicial impartiality it appears they are imposing their religious and political ideology upon all Americans. The U.S. Code Title 28, Part I, Chapter 21 at Section 453 states the oath of justices and judges as follows: Each justice or judge of the United States shall take the following oath or affirmation before performing the duties of his office: "I, ________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I...

LEFT "JUST NOW" DISCUSSING FAITH? CNN = WRONG! I no longer belong to any party but I am more left on affairs at home and more right on affairs abroad. How can any media outlet, particularly CNN - say the Dems never discussed faith. I was at the Spiritual Progressives Conference in Washington, DC last year and I have been a news-junkie for years. Faith is discussed ALL - THE - TIME. This is part of the neocons still trying to frame Dems (and anyone who doesn't drink their kool-aid) as godless, golden calf worshippers and priviledged pretty boys. At least they aren't hijacking it like the Bush campaigns did - and calling the US a "CHRISTIAN NATION." And it's dead wrong. CNN reporters falsely suggested Democrats are only now talking about religious beliefs and values Summary: On June 4 and 5, several CNN correspondents suggested that, until recently, Democrats have largely been silent on their religious beliefs and "values," ignoring the f...

Bush May Veto Hate Crime Bill With Gender Focus Does the Chimp-in-Charge do this because he's a bully and doesn't care? Or just because he can? Please let Bush & Cheney know you want this bill APPROVED! President Bush: comments@whitehouse.gov Vice President Cheney : vice_president@whitehouse.gov Comments: 202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461 TTY/TDD - Comments: 202-456-6213 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By Allison Stevens -- Washington Bureau Chief A bill to add gender into federal hate crimes legislation faces a veto threat. Proponents say it would help protect victims of crimes who are targeted for being female and the benefit to women is being obscured in the debate over sexuality. Women's rights groups are making a last-ditch push to enact legislation that would expand existing "hate crimes" laws to include gender and other categories such as sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. The bill cleared a major hurdle on May 4...