Psyche, Science, and Society

Orthodox Rabbis support killing enemy civilians

Who are the fools who claim religion increases morality? If yet another example were needed that religion is associated with evil as often as any other set of beliefs, the Modern Orthodox rabbis have provided an example [Rabbis: Israel Too Worried Over Civilian Deaths ]:

America’s main organization of Modern Orthodox rabbis is calling on the Israeli military to be less concerned with avoiding civilian casualties on the opposing side when carrying out future operations.

Following a solidarity mission to Israel last week, leaders of the Rabbinical Council of America issued a statement prodding the Israeli military to review its policy of taking pains to spare the lives of innocent civilians, in light of Hezbollah’s tactic of hiding its fighters and weaponry among Lebanese civilians. Because Hezbollah “puts Israeli men and women at extraordinary risk of life and limb through unconscionably using their own civilians, hospitals, ambulances, mosques… as human shields, cannon fodder, and weapons of asymmetric warfare,” the rabbinical council said in a statement, “we believe that Judaism would neither require nor permit a Jewish soldier to sacrifice himself in order to save deliberately endangered enemy civilians.”

Don’t tell me all the beneficial effects on morality of religion. In many cases its the opium that dfeadens the moral sense. We all know about those “Islamic terrorists,” but there are plenty of Christian and Jewish killers too. Is there any evidence that religion has a net positive effect in the world? Perhaps the amount of killing would decline if we had more atheists? I can’t see any contrary evidence.

3 comments August 31st, 2006

Keith Olbermann on the emperor’s new fascism

MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann directly takes on Donald Rumsfeld and all the other “leaders” who argue that the public’s role is solely to listen and to obey.

Excerpt:

In what country was Mr. Rumsfeld raised? As a child, of whose heroism did he read? On what side of the battle for freedom did he dream one day to fight? With what country has he confused the United States of America?

The confusion we — as its citizens— must now address, is stark and forbidding.

But variations of it have faced our forefathers, when men like Nixon and McCarthy and Curtis LeMay have darkened our skies and obscured our flag. Note — with hope in your heart — that those earlier Americans always found their way to the light, and we can, too.

The confusion is about whether this Secretary of Defense, and this administration, are in fact now accomplishing what they claim the terrorists seek: The destruction of our freedoms, the very ones for which the same veterans Mr. Rumsfeld addressed yesterday in Salt Lake City, so valiantly fought.

And about Mr. Rumsfeld’s other main assertion, that this country faces a “new type of fascism.”

As he was correct to remind us how a government that knew everything could get everything wrong, so too was he right when he said that — though probably not in the way he thought he meant it.
This country faces a new type of fascism – indeed.

These comments will be widely quoted in the years to come. The fact that this can come from a commentator on a “major” TV station raises hope that democracy just might survive the monsters who now seek to destroy it.

Make sure to watch the entire seven minute commentary. Only if you can’t watch, read the transcript.

August 31st, 2006