Isn’t this better than denying free speech?
June 24, 2009 Education, Jewish Community, Politics
The Forward reports,
When a predominantly gay synagogue in Manhattan learned that a group of ultra-Evangelical Christians were planning a protest outside their building, the congregation decided to turn the hate rally into a fundraising event.
Parishoners from the Westboro Baptist Church, a Kansas-based institution, gathered on Sunday outside Congregation Beth Simchat Torah with signs reading “God hates fags” and “Jews stole the land.”
The synagogue heard several days in advance of the church’s planned demonstration and decided to counter the protesters’ publicity drive with one of their own, rather than pursuing legal action.
The congregation encouraged its supporters to donate at least $1 for every six minutes that the demonstration lasted.
Following the 51-minute protest, the synagogue was able to raise more than $10,000 in donations.
And as I’m sure you know, Missouri State officials renamed a highway after Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel to undermine its Nazi sponsorship.
Why limit our freedoms or institute even more double standards? Just be smart and creative. So much better! For instance, I have a Black Hebrew two doors down who is filled with rage. But as long as he doesn’t spit on me, that’s his prerogative. I’m not going to take away his right to hate on the ice devil descendants of the nefarious imposter-angel Yaqub…I’m going to get rid of section eight housing!
7 comments
That’s a great story, but I wish the Forward hadn’t described those crazies as “ultra-Evangelical.” I don’t know what to call that group, but since so many evangelical Christians are philo-semitic and Zionist, the Forward should have made it clear that that group isn’t mainstream or supported by anyone else.
Like the old saying, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.
Too many people nowadays think that when life gives you lemons, you whinge: “But I wanted oranges!”
Garnel, here’s a question for you, Orthodoxy and pretty much all of religion:
What if you don’t want fruit at all?
Evangelicals aren’t exactly philo-Semitic and Zionist; they just want easy access to Israel, where they believe their Messiah will return once all Jews are disunited.
But certainly, Baptists aren’t Evangelicals.
“… but I wish the Forward hadn’t described those crazies as “ultra-Evangelical.” I don’t know what to call that group…”
How about Neturei Treife Medina?
Jeff, read the saying again. Life gives you the fruit. It doesn’t ask if you want it or not. Too many people don’t get that. They get stuck with the fruit and complain that they never asked for it so why are they stuck with it! And the answer to that is: Life isn’t fair. You can whinge about it or overcome the challenge. This group of folks could have whinged, gone to human rights groups and written politically correct editorials in the local paper. Instead they took advantage of someone else’s idiocy and prospered as a result.
Well, that really wasn’t my point.
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