Pro-Jesus Jews paid Rick Santorum

[Torie]

This little contretemps does not bother me in the slightest (I really don't care what religious sect folks subscribe to, nor how they label themselves, unless we sink down to the Scientologist level or something), but it may hurt Rick with those Orthodox Jews (as well as other Jews for that matter perhaps) who have not yet found their way to Jesus. According to the Orthodox Jewish guy I talked to about redistricting in NYC, Rick has some rather substantial support among registered Pub Orthodox Jews, including from himself - tentatively at least. He thinks Rick will run better than Mittens in Ohio against Obama among other things.  Everyone has their own opinion.

I find it interesting however, because I recently met the daughter of my next door neighbor who is a self described messianic "Jew" who has embraced Christ, who lives in Utica, New York, poor thing. She is a strong Santorum supporter. Her still Jewish parents are going to vote for Obama.  Anyway, this tends to connect the dots a bit. When it comes to religion, Rick has a certain psychological intensity about it, which is unusual for politicians in my experience.

Everyone carves their own path in life don't they?

[Torie]

Hopefully, Rick "disclosed" his speaking fee income on his tax return. I assume that he did. I assume that Rick is not a crook. Absent that, since Rick was not in public office at the time, just why does he have some duty to reveal to the public the exact source of his streams of income, assuming those streams are legal?  Granted, I can understand opposition research digging into it. That is all part of the game.

I wonder what the "filing" was that disclosed it?  That confuses me.

[Torie]

BRTD, I think the thing that really offends Jews is the trade name "infringement" as it were. If the Messianic Jews called themselves something other than Jews, or Jews for Jesus, it would be less of an issue. But it is a free country, and Jews don't have the exclusive legal right to the name, so that is that. It is complicated by the term Jews referring to both a religion and an ethnicity/tribe in common parlance.

Back in the 16th and 17th century, probably many Catholics would have preferred Protestants calling themselves something other than Christian, for that matter.

"Heretics" just are not that popular.

[Torie]

Yep, of course, Brittain33. Anyway, it is easier to be dispassionate about it all when one is Godless.

[Torie]

Ah, one of my little delights in life is savoring Yiddish words (yes, it is perhaps an odd hobby for a Godless WASP but whatever), and not having been exposed to "mishling" before, it immediately went into my Google. And look at what I found. Who knew?

[Torie]

Most Jews are offended when outfits using "Jew" in their name whom they consider flying under false colors using unethical tactics to try to peel off members of their tribe and dilute their religion. Others think Jews shouldn't be offended and should just get over themselves - it's all part of the marketing game in the religion business, so chill out guys. Arguing that someone shouldn't be offended when they are, is one of the most ultimate exercises in futility, and just feeds the flames of resentment actually. It would be like me saying the "Santorum wing" of the GOP should not be foisting their agenda on the GOP because much of it actually just isn't suitable to being resolved in the public square, and is wrong headed and political poison to boot, and they should just stop. Is that going to persuade anyone of anything?  No. It will just irritate folks.

It is just the way the world is - almost as immutable as the earth is round rather than flat. Ersatz Jews are going to be offending Jews for a long time to come, and they will certainly not appreciate being lectured to that they shouldn't be. That simply isn't the way to win friends and influence people.