Geraldo: "If I Hear One More Rabbi Talking About Israel...Shut Up!"

This morning on "Fox & Friends," Geraldo ranted about religious figures who weigh in on political matters and made an inflammatory remark about rabbis. "I must say, it gives me the absolute creeps anytime I hear a religious person being so blatantly political," Geraldo said. "Why is it that these people get income tax exemptions?"

He then continued, "If I hear one more rabbi talking about Israel, excuse me: shut up!"

Watch:

From Fox News, 5/30

Comments

[angryoldman]

All theistic beliefs are a form of self induced insanity no better than believing in witch doctors or voodoo!

[MurrayAbraham]

Hi Geraldo!

Groucho Marx just called, he wants his mustache back.

[javaman]

If I hear jerry rivers spout off about some bullshit, I will tell him to shut the fuck up.

[Knowledgeseeker]

I guess there is a lesson to lean here....
First they say Obama was Muslim and they try to make it a big deal, now we know he is Christian and is even a bigger problem,
My solution is: leave church out politics...

[jimmy2001]

Speaking as a black man I have to disagree

IMHO so much of what we (AA) have achieved in America as a people and individuals has its roots in the Church. Not just the so called "black" Church (a term I detest) but the Church in general going all the way back to slavery.

The Church has been an institution that has accepted us when no other would, protected us, inspired us, educated us, consoled, consulted, guided and lead us. These are very important roles the Church and our religious leaders still fulfill even today.

So to tell any religious leader not to get involved in any aspect of our lives or society is wrong. From the very personal issues of family life, to the wrongs of society or our leaders, they should be actively advocating for the good of all. They are supposed to represent the moral values of which this country was founded.

I also think that they, our religious leaders, have the responsibility to be unbiased, nonpartisan, and non divisive. Seems to me, they normally cause problems when their not.

By the way, isn't Geraldo an atheist, he probably doesn't know or want to admit the important role religion plays in our society.

[BroMan]

I agree. The church was our ONLY institution when "the state" was killing us - literally. It has more than a religious basis. It was our shield FROM the government and has evolved accordingly. Thus it became not only a religious sanctuary but a political one, as well.

[Rockwell]

Get a fur coat for the Devil because I agreee with Geraldo.

[raiheen]

The separation of church and state, that is all and that is it.

[badinko]

just because Geraldo is a dummy and a joke does not mean he is not right sometimes

[SamThornton]

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

[leftcoastliberal]

What a gray area! I totally believe in separating church and state, but movie stars, business tycoons, and other celebrities make public comments on politics all the time.

[brooklyncitizen]

but the category of people you name are not making policy and do not have political power or hold sway over a congregation week after week.

I completely agree with Geraldo.....it is propaganda and they have acted as a
mouthpiece for bad policy.

[Waitaminute]

Celebrities don't have tax exempt status.

[Hirnlego]

Very few of them say, do this, vote that or you'll go to hell. Religion is a special kind of indoctrination since many of these priests claim to speak for a deity.

[bilditup1]

Geraldo is right (!). In my experience, Rabbis who begin to pontificate about politics are using cheap tricks in order to inflame their congregation and thus seem prescient. It's like the time they screened Obsession at my synagogue on the 9th of Av. Not saying the film in valueless, but in such a setting, its purpose is only to incite hatred.

[Zeje]

First time I ever agreed with Geraldo

[heal57]

ditto!

[JeanPaulSatire]

And I suppose Pope Benedict XVI ( who is the head of a religious state) should stay out of politics, too?

[leftcoastliberal]

In my dreams!

[heal57]

YES HE SHOULD

[brooklyncitizen]

Well this is a gray area fro me as a Catholic....but here are some thoughts:

I personally like what JPII and this Pope were/are saying about the USA and this war in Iraq....clearly JPII was not able to stop it and he tried vehemently. THis Pope has also been clamoring against it so the question really is about the motivation and if there is any personal gain in using their position as clergy to voice their opinions/ opposition.In this instance, not.

Too many of the protestant evengelical nut jobs that abound in this country are trying to make or influence policy that support their beliefs and impose their lifestyle values on others...gay marriage, abortion etc.

Clamoring for peaceful resolution and decrying the invasion of Iraq held no personal gain for either Pope; so I think their role was more of social activist for justice. I would place the Buddhist monks protesting and dying in "Burma" in this category as well as Bishop Desmond Tutu....

[avicenna]

Anyone - be they head of church or state - or both - who denounce violence and encourage peace should be given the podium in my opinion. There is a dearth of common sense and we need to grab it when we see it - if only for world stability. The Pope is not part of the largest and most powerful lobby in the US (AIPAC) - he doesn't give large sums of money to buy politicians, and as brooklyncitizen indirectly suggested, he has little or no impact on the American foreign policy. Unfortunately, it is the war-mongers and those spreading the word of hate that have the most impact on the Bush administration and their policy of violence first.

[camb94]

Your logic is faulty on this one. Since Pope Benedict is the "Head of a State" (even if it is a religious one), he must be treated as such. Other heads of states, such as Israel, Germany, France, Poland, etc., etc., have and can weigh in on U.S. international actions (i.e., War in Iraq, Kyoto, etc.) The Pope however, is not a U.S. citizen and is not getting Tax Exempt status. The role of religion should be moral not political. Now, because the Catholic Church does get tax exempt status, then the roles of priests should remain apolitical. It is a very tricky spot. The IRS has gone after churches who have recommended candidates, (although recently, only after "left wing churches"). However, churches can preach moral issues, which candidates can then weigh in on.

[starboymikey]

The notion that Israel is in part *responsible* for anti-semitism ignores one very obvious thing. Anti-semitism has been pretty much institutionalized in much of the Christian world since the time of Constantine ... some 15 to 16 centuries before the creation of the modern state of Israel. In fact, the most vitriolic (or at least brutal) period of organized anti-semitism in Europe led directly to the creation of Israel. So blaming the victim (a favorite tactic of bigots everywhere) defies logic here.

Had there never been a bias in Christian culture against Jews, there would have been no Holocaust, no Zionism and no Israel. Thus the problem lies mainly in the Christian shadow, which seeks evil in the world outside itself, since it cannot accept the dark side of its own nature.

[Stirner]

Name a religion that does not seek "evil in the world outside itself". Check out the Old Testament for the Jewish view of evil and their ready deployment of the "Angel of Death" against the Egyptians. Nothing unexpected in this, as any tribal religion can be pretty tough on other tribes. Poor Canaanites -- the victims of an early Holocaust inflicted by the Jewish folk (Book of Joshua). Nothing new under the sun.

[ascreenname]

You're ignorant. The Old Testament is not the Jewish view of anything whatsoever. The Jewish view is given by the Talmud and another 1500 years of exegesis, none of which applies the Old Testament literally.

As for Egyptians and Cannanites, you're inconsistent and hypocritical, for if you take the OT literally in that regard, you need also take it literally in regard of the land given permanenetly to the people of Israel.

Well, which is it? Were you lying when you used the OT as a reference for Egyptians/Cannanites, or are you lying when your reject its gift of Israel to the Jews?

[leftcoastliberal]

Quakers might be naive to think pacifism is a viable option for humanitarians, but you gotta admit they're not seeking evil.

[brooklyncitizen]

I appreciate your insights, however....

We're not Germany; the Holocaust did not occur on American soil.The holocaust of native people did; the enslavement of the African did....and the result of those actions remain with us today.

The victim mentality is part of the Jewish psyche. I live in a Hassidic and African American neighborhood . The Hassidic have built fences 25'-0" high across beautiful brownstone row houses; with giant electronic gates, that are an EYESORE in our neighborhood just to keep "us" out. We had the riots in Crown Heights sparked by their rabbi's motorcade killing a small black boy and injuring his sister (ages 7 and 9; the driver of the car now lives in Israel).

Recently two Hassidics attacked a young black man (college kid) and badly injured him...their community is hiding him . Though a bias attack the police has responded by flooding OUR neighborhoods in case there is retaliation against the Hassids .We have police TOWERS with cameras and we are under surveillance. Had it been a black man who had attacked a Hassidic the NYPD would have been rounding up black men randomly or pumping them full of bullets....Sean Bell anyone?

This incident is far from neighborly and rather than learning to live with us, the non-Hassidic population of Crown Heights, the Hassids set themselves apart . Are they the only "group" that behaves this way? No...but they're just the only group protected and shielded in spite of their actions.

[dsbsh]

"The victim mentality is part of the Jewish psyche."

Ridiculous generality anyone? Last time I checked, there were Jews living outside of Crown Heights. And there were an awful lot of non-Hassidic Jews. Your comments are akin to using the Amish to label all Christians pacifists and reclusives.

[jadez]

first of all, there is no such thing as a religious figure.

they are ALL politicians.

[who38]

Hear, hear.

[Mygodbeatsyourgod]

Until the Jewish folks in Israel can show Joshuah's signature on the land deed, they must share the land with all those that were born inside the region and everyone should be treated as equals no matter what invisible sky gods they worship.

[LeoMarvin]

And what about those who weren't born in the region? Should we kick out everyone who immigrated to the US during the last 60 or 70 years?

[LeoMarvin]

I forgot, I came here to reply to your comment, "All gods are false. Simple." (There's no room to reply where it's posted.)

Sorry, but that statement is illogical. God's existence can neither be proved nor disproved.

[Hirnlego]

We can see the signs of man creating the myths though... "Inspired" by God for instance is euphemism for "made up"

[mommamia526]

You are confused. *The jewish folks in Israel* do not need Joshua's or Jesus" signature on a thing. You got the wrong religion, bud.

[badinko]

mygodbeatsyourgod is right.

There is no place for religion in politics or in matters of human rights and no country's right to survival should be premised on the word of god and which god you believe in: it should be premised on commen morality and equal rights.

The only moral thing to do with that "particular mideast conflict" is to make it all one secular nation that protects the rights of all. Let the jews call it Israel in hebrew and let the muslims call it Palestine in arabic but no one side should control the fate of the other.

It always amazes me the "rights for all, regardless of religion" is never mentioned as a potential solution. Intsead, we would rather have to theocracies side by side, batlling until the end of time.

[badinko]

Stop scrubbing my comments...there are neither inflamatory or mean-spirited.

as I stated.....Mygodbeatsyourgod is correct:

the only "right" solution to that particulary "mideast conflict" is for there to be one secular state that protects the rights of all, regardless of religion. let the jews call it Israel in hebrew and let the muslims call it Palestine in arabic.

It is an error to try and have two theocracies side by side. They will end up battling it out until the end of time...

[MacBoy]

Wow, some of you people really need a serious psychological evaluation. Geraldo is a "self-hating Jew?" Wow. Just.... wow.

[jotunloki]

Where did you get that mindless crap?

[Waitaminute]

Except for Geraldo's views on O J Simpson, i really like him. I personally think organized religions are profit making establishments to emotionally keep people in line, in order to take their money and give certain people the sense of power over the masses. I think Deist have it right, but if they have an organization, i wouldn't join it either.

[truthyguy]

Jerry Rivers, isn't there a vault somewhere that needs exploring?
If there was no Fox you would be working at McDonald's.