July 30, 2012 | 11:46 am

How free are Americans to exercise their religion?

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

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Ross Douthat, the New York Times columnist, is bothered by what he sees as regular limitations on the reasonable free exercise of religion. He writes:

It may seem strange that anyone could look around the pornography-saturated, fertility-challenged, family-breakdown-plagued West and see a society menaced by a repressive puritanism. But it’s clear that this perspective is widely and sincerely held.

It would be refreshing, though, if it were expressed honestly, without the “of course we respect religious freedom” facade.

If you want to fine Catholic hospitals for following Catholic teaching, or prevent Jewish parents from circumcising their sons, or ban Chick-fil-A in Boston, then don’t tell religious people that you respect our freedoms. Say what you really think: that the exercise of our religion threatens all that’s good and decent, and that you’re going to use the levers of power to bend us to your will.

Read the rest here.

July 30, 2012 | 9:36 am

Nice Jewish gymnast Raisman stuns at Olympics

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Yesterday’s Olympics included a few stunners, among them Alexandra Raisman bumping Jordyn Weiber from the women’s gymnastics team finals. (I know this only because my wife loves gymnastics. Honestly.) It was Raisman’s final event—the floor routine—that jumped her ahead of Weiber.

And what song did this “nice Jewish girl from Massachusetts” perform to? “Hava Nagila.”

From Haaretz:

Raisman is certainly not the only gymnast to utilize the catchy tune - it has been a favorite over the years and is a proven crowd-pleaser with gymnastics fans. But she may very well be the first Jewish gymnast to do so - and if all goes well and American hopes are realized, she might be the first to ride the Hava Nagila train to an Olympic medal.

Read the rest here, and a 2011 JTA story about why Raisman has chosen the song.

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July 28, 2012 | 12:55 pm

NYT: Adelson and ‘the fight for the Jewish vote’

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Every presidential election, there is talk of how the Jewish vote will shake out, and efforts by each party to grab more votes than they normally do.

There are more Republican Jews than one might expect, and their prominence has grown in recent elections as the Republican Jewish Coalition has increased efforts. This cycle, Sheldon Adelson is getting all the attention. After all, he might be the single biggest spender in the presidential election.

The New York Times picked up on this and discusses what it means:

The fight for the Jewish vote is more of a hunt-and-peck search for disgruntled voters, considering that Mr. Obama won more than 70 percent of votes among Jews in 2008, according to exit polls. But with an estimated 600,000 Jewish voters in Florida, a critical swing state, Democratic leaders said they were not taking the constituency for granted, and they acknowledged a need to increase enthusiasm among Jews before November.

“They figure if they shave off a few points here and a few points there in the Jewish population through lying and distortions, they can win,” said Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. “But they can’t dress themselves up to be something appealing to the Jewish community when they aren’t.”

The Republican Jewish Coalition, the party’s leading outreach group for Jewish voters, has spent months developing a campaign to find like-minded voters in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, the three swing states with the largest Jewish populations. It is the most extensive electoral effort undertaken by the group.

“We don’t need to get a majority of the vote to win,” said Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition. “When we take votes away from Democrats, we are taking votes from a key part of their constituency.”

Read the rest here.

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July 28, 2012 | 12:21 pm

U.S. marathoner Ryan Hall has God as his coach at Olympics

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

After a terribly boring Opening Ceremony, the 2012 Olympics are in full swing. (There was a moment of silence at the Opening Ceremony, but not for the 11 Israeli victims of the Munich Olympics.) One of the many events that Americans are expected to do well in is the men’s marathon: Ryan Hall is a stud and the fastest American marathoner ever.

He also thinks he has an extra edge on the competition: God is his coach.

Deadspin has a long story about, in which the writer asks if Hall will still excel despite his now unorthodox training approach. An excerpt:

So he’s moved away from Mammoth Lakes, Calif., where the rest of the Olympic team trains. Lately, he’s been attending classes at the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, where students learn “how to cast out demons, witness, heal the sick, prophesy, preach, pray, practice His presence and much more,” according to the school’s website. Among the miracles that members of the Bethel Church say they experience during spiritually intense moments are clouds of gold dust floating down from above.

His races since the Boston triumph have been solid but uneven, but Hall has stuck to his path. He doesn’t keep track of how many miles he runs; he works out and rests when God tells him to. The resting, in particular, tends to worry some people who pay attention to running: Hall, 29, said he is running fewer miles than he has since high school, when he burst onto the scene as California state cross-country champion.

“He highlighted the need for me to take one day a week as a day of rest,” Hall wrote in an email to Deadspin, “in the same way that God took a day of rest after creating the universe.”

It seems to have worked for God. But for an endurance athlete trying to compete with a troupe of very fast, very motivated East Africans? Is this any way to train for the Olympics?

Read the rest here.

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July 27, 2012 | 11:52 am

Here’s looking at you, Bob

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

The Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympics will be held today. And, as Bloggish notes, all eyes are on Bob Costas:

Whether he actually goes through with his on-air moment of silence to honor the Munich 11 during tonight’s Olympics opening ceremonies, NBC broadcaster Bob Costas probably elevated the campaign to memorialize Israel’s slain athletes from the 1972 Games more than anyone else—even the president of the United States. The petition with more than 105,000 signatures that was begun by volunteers at a suburban New York JCC, which turned into a global movement involving heads of state and parliaments, was not enough to convince International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge that Israel’s murdered athletes are worth memorializing at an official event during the Olympic Games. But it probably gave the issue more publicity than had Rogge agreed to the moment of silence in the first place.

Previously, I mentioned Deborah Lipstadt’s criticism of the politics of the Olympics refusal to offer a moment of silence.

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July 24, 2012 | 11:59 pm

Bar Exam Files: Continuing my attorney journey

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned my journey to become an attorney. (I really should have blogged about my plans for saving the newspaper industry. Maybe later.) I finished law school back in May, and today I began the California bar exam. Two more days to go.

That said, blogging will be a bit sporadic this week. If you’re so inclined, help me out by sending me interesting blog fodder. (Actually, always a standing invitation for that.) And wish me luck.

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July 24, 2012 | 9:53 pm

Egyptian candid camera gets violent when actor told he’s on Israeli TV

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

From JTA:

Egyptian actors on a hidden camera television show reacted violently upon being told they were being aired on an Israeli TV channel.

Excerpts from the show, part of satellite TV channel Al-Nahar’s special Ramadan programming, were translated and distributed this week by MEMRI-the Middle East Media Research Institute.

In one show, Egyptian artist Ayman Kandeel attacks the producer, who had identified himself as Israeli, and slaps the host, causing her to fall to the floor.

Realizing he has been pranked, Kandeel tells the host that she brought it on herself and offers to rub lotion on her back where she has been hurt.

Read the rest here and check it out in the above video.

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July 22, 2012 | 11:34 am

Why the Olympics won’t mark the Munich massacre

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Members of the Israeli Olympic delegation stand during a memorial at a monument commemorating the 11 Israelis who were killed at the 1972 Munich Games. Photo by REUTERS/Baz Ratner

The 2012 Olympics, which start next Sunday, will mark the 40th anniversary of the Munich massacre in which 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were murdered by the Black September terrorist group. And yet, there will be no mention of this tragedy, no moment of silence to honor the victims.

Despite pleas from family members of the murdered Israeli athletes and coaches, the International Olympic Committee has repeatedly refused to remember Black September. In a powerful piece for Tablet Deborah Lipstadt, the historian best-known for her work in Holocaust studies, explains why the IOC thinks “Jewish blood is cheap.”

An excerpt:

Why the IOC refusal? The Olympic Committee’s official explanation is that the games are apolitical. The families were repeatedly told by long-time IOC President Juan Samaranch that the Olympic movement avoided political issues. He seemed to have forgotten that at the 1996 opening ceremony he spoke about the Bosnian war. Politics were also present at the 2002 games, which opened with a minute of silence for the victims of 9/11.

The families have also been told that a commemoration of this sort was inappropriate at the opening of such a celebratory event. However, the IOC has memorialized other athletes who died “in the line of duty.” At the 2010 winter games, for example, there was a moment of silence to commemorate an athlete who died in a training accident.

The IOC’s explanation is nothing more than a pathetic excuse. The athletes who were murdered were from Israel and were Jews—that is why they aren’t being remembered. The only conclusion one can draw is that Jewish blood is cheap, too cheap to risk upsetting a bloc of Arab nations and other countries that oppose Israel and its policies.

Read the rest here. Relatedly, Israel is worried about an anniversary attack at the London Games.

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July 22, 2012 | 9:17 am

James Holmes, suspected ‘Dark Knight’ shooter, worked in 2008 at Jewish camp

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Unlike with Phillip Markoff, I don’t suspect that many people heard the name James Holmes and immediately asked, “Is he Jewish?”

But NBC reported yesterday that Holmes was, in fact, a counselor at Camp Max Strauss, which is run by Jewish Big Brothers/Big Sisters in Los Angeles. Via Bloggish:

NBC 7 San Diego KNSD reported on Saturday that during the summer of 2008 the alleged shooter, James Holmes, 24, was a cabin counselor at Camp Max Strauss and was “responsible for the care and guidance of a group of about 10 children.”

The NBC story quotes a statement from Randy Schwab, CEO of Jewish Big Brothers and Big Sisters, which runs Camp Max Straus, that says Holmes “helped [campers] learn confidence, self esteem and how to work in small teams to effect positive outcomes.”

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July 20, 2012 | 10:52 am

Congressman: ‘Dark Knight Rises’ massacre caused by ‘ongoing attack on Judeo-Christian beliefs’

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Rep. Louie Gohmert. Photo by Wikipedia

I woke up this morning wondering what a blog about religion news could have to say about a gunman walking into a midnight showing of the “Dark Knight Rises” and stalking up and down the aisles, killing at least 12. I didn’t expect to be reporting on a politician who wasted little time blaming the massacre on the “ongoing attack on Judeo-Christian beliefs.”

Of course, I don’t believe in the war on religion. Never have I felt any limitations on living as a Christian. And just because not everyone agrees with, or even opposes, my beliefs does mean they are under attack.

But the Huffington Post reports that in a radio interview Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas had this to say:

“You know what really gets me, as a Christian, is to see the ongoing attacks on Judeo-Christian beliefs, and then some senseless crazy act of a derelict takes place,” Gohmert said.

“Some of us happen to believe that when our founders talked about guarding our virtue and freedom, that that was important,” he said. “Whether it’s John Adams saying our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people ... Ben Franklin, only a virtuous people are capable of freedom, as nations become corrupt and vicious they have more need of masters. We have been at war with the very pillars, the very foundation of this country.”

(skip)

“People say ... where was God in all of this?” Gohmert said. “We’ve threatened high school graduation participations, if they use God’s name, they’re going to be jailed ... I mean that kind of stuff. Where was God? What have we done with God? We don’t want him around. I kind of like his protective hand being present.”

Read the rest here.

President Obama, on the other hand, had this to say:

Read more of this post

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July 20, 2012 | 10:06 am

Bachmann looking for Muslim Brotherhood moles

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

In her ongoing attempts to remain relevant, Rep. Michele Bachmann has taken up a new cause: protecting the U.S. government from the calculated infiltration of the Muslim Brotherhood.

That seems like an unlikely danger. After all, it took the Muslim Brotherhood more than four decades in exile to return to politics in their home country of Egypt.

But a report about the Muslim Brotherhood’s rise in the U.S. by an organization called the Center for Security Policy was enough to draw Bachmann’s attention. She and four other Republican congressman recently sent letters to federal agencies asking them to investigate whether the Muslim Brotherhood was infiltrating the U.S. government. Of particular concern, it appears from news reports, was top State Department aide Huma Abedin.

Abedin, who is married to that Anthony Weiner, is Muslim-American.

Sen. John McCain pointedly criticized the paranoia this week (video above). From the Huffington Post:

McCain never mentioned Bachmann or the other lawmakers by name, but pointedly criticized their letters and the report, noting he had worked with the Center for Security Policy in the past.

“The letter alleges that three members of Huma’s family are ‘connected to Muslim Brotherhood operatives and/or organizations,’” he said. “Never mind that one of those individuals, Huma’s father, passed away two decades ago. The letter and the report offer not one instance of an action, a decision or a public position that Huma has taken while at the State Department that would lend credence to the charge that she is promoting anti-American activities within our government.”

“These attacks on Huma have no logic, no basis and no merit,” McCain added. “And they need to stop now.”

All this led to an editorial in today’s Sacramento Bee headlined: “Michele Bachmann, have you no shame?” Do they really want her to answer that?

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July 20, 2012 | 9:57 am

Israeli lawmaker destroys copy of New Testament

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Photo by Wikipedia/Dave Bullock

I get that the Christian Bible, and in particular the New Testament, are not popular reading for most Israelis. I also get that being sent a copy of the New Testament by the Bible Society could be offensive for a lawmaker in the Jewish state.

But I don’t get this response of Knesset member Michael Ben Ari, who ripped up a copy of the New Testament and has his legislative aid take a photo and then send that photo to the newspaper Maariv.

JTA reports:

Lawmakers had received in their Knesset mailboxes copies of the new edition of the New Testament released by the Bible Society in Israel, which distributes Christian books in the country, Ynet reported. Some returned it to the society and others quietly disposed of it.

“Sending the book to lawmakers is a provocation. There is no doubt that this book and all it represents belongs in the garbage can of history,” Ben Ari said, adding that it “galvanized the murder of millions of Jews” throughout history, including during the Spanish Inquisition.

Mark Regev, a government spokesman, didn’t understand or appreciate Ben Ari’s reaction either. Regev told Ynet:

“We totally deplore this behavior and condemn it outright. This action stands in complete contrast to our values and our traditions. Israel is a tolerant society, but we have zero tolerance for this despicable and hateful act.”

Ben Ari is not the first to publicly destroy a copy—or hundreds of copies—of the New Testament in Israel.

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