>
> The Right's strategy has been to paper over schisms within
> Christianity and incorporate Jews into a new virtual corporation
> called "the Judeo-Christian Tradition," whether Jews like it or not,
> making it seem as if they were the majority.
well, i think it's less about a numerical majority than a kind of, i don't know, what would you call it, a moral majority? heh.
but that's the real issue, i think: merging it all into a single tradition, rather than two distinct traditions, assimilating not just jews but the whole history and tradition of judaism to christianity. how very pauline of them.
but it's also not like adding jews to the religious right does much to pump up their numbers.
>
> Our strategy is to reverse it: divide and conquer. Jewish activists
> and intellectuals on the left, whenever they hear anyone say "our
> Judeo-Christian values" or some such nonsense, ought to raise their
> eyebrows as archly as possible and loudly inquire about the fate of
> Jews upon the Rapture and other matters that put the first person
> plural into question. Mainline Protestants, Catholics, and Blacks
> should begin to adopt and propagate new usage: proudly reserve the
> terms "Christians" and "Christianity" for themselves, and
> consistently and insistently use the terms "Christianists,"
> "Political Christians," "Christianism," and "Political Christianity"
> to refer to their enemies who claim to believe in the same religion
> as theirs. At the same time, expand the existing interfaith
> associations (e.g., <http://www.nain.org/>) linking ecumenical
> liberals and leftists from all faith traditions.
i think you're right that the language has to change. this may be the way to do it. but again, this was a lot of my argument with chuck: we need to do this by way of making allies with progressive religious people rather than pushing them into the arms of fundies they fear less than the atheist commies who hate them and their religion.
>
> This is a winning strategy, if Christians on the left, who have
> hitherto been too nice to excommunicate theocrats, manage to stand
> firm and stay on message, no matter what.
see above. don't alienate them by calling them all stupid, insane, anti-scientific boors, and you might get this to work. but it means precisely that *you* (and i don't mean yoshie, but everyone who wants to employ this strategy) have to stop blurring distinctions between fundamentalist-evangelical theocrats and more progressive (mainstream? dunno, honestly) religious people, christians and otherwise. because this strategy can only help if you get *christians* talking this way.
right?
that's all i'm saying.
j
-- http://www.brainmortgage.com/
Among medieval and modern philosophers, anxious to establish the religious significance of God, an unfortunate habit has prevailed of paying to Him metaphysical compliments.
- Alfred North Whitehead