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January 12, 2019 9:36 pm at 9:36 pm #1661179Neville ChaimBerlinParticipant
If, theoretically speaking, a very reasonable, well-received Democrat with a good chance of beating Trump announced a 2020 presidential bid, but happened to be a Hindu, would it be a problem to vote for her… err I mean him or her in the primary given that Hinduism is A”Z?
I wonder if we’ll get a Rabbi Hoffman article on this topic closer to 2020.
January 12, 2019 9:54 pm at 9:54 pm #1661216Avi KParticipantI thought that JFK solved the question of not voting for people because of their religions. What about the opposite? Suppose someone is an Orthodox Jew but liberal on political issues.
January 13, 2019 12:03 am at 12:03 am #1661262Yserbius123ParticipantIt’s a machlokes Rishonim if Christianity is A”Z or not. Last I checked, Rabbonim have absolutely no problem voting for Christians. Why should a Hindu be different?
January 13, 2019 12:04 am at 12:04 am #1661266JosephParticipantAvi: It’s better for Jews not to become politicians and rather support non-Jewish politicians who will support them.
January 13, 2019 7:18 am at 7:18 am #1661307Ex-CTLawyerParticipant@NevilleChaimBerlin
I don’t see much difference from when the Republicans ran a Mormon (Romney).
It is all about the candidate’s qualifications and abilities to execute the office of POTUS.We have had Presidents who were Protestant (of assorted denominations) Roman Catholic and Quaker who have done the job without letting personal religious beliefs interfere with performance of the job,
January 13, 2019 9:34 am at 9:34 am #1661366Neville ChaimBerlinParticipantMaking mashal’s to Christianity just shows you don’t know the halachah. Hinduism is A”Z even for goyim.
January 13, 2019 1:39 pm at 1:39 pm #1661577Neville ChaimBerlinParticipantI think I made this too jovial and hypothetical to be interesting.
Tulsi Gabbard just announced a white house bid. She is well received by populists on both sides of the spectrum, including none other than Steve Bannon. She’s a Hindu.
How we deal with Christians is not a proof that hilchos avoida zara don’t apply today. We don’t posken that Christianity is A”Z for goyim, which is why we can buy stuff from them before their holidays. Eastern religion is, however, a problem according to everyone.
January 13, 2019 1:55 pm at 1:55 pm #16615901ParticipantTulsi Gabbard is the most tolerable Dem
January 13, 2019 2:01 pm at 2:01 pm #1661596☕ DaasYochid ☕ParticipantHow we deal with Christians is not a proof that hilchos avoida zara don’t apply today.
Of course hilchos a”z applies today, the question is, where does voting for a candidate who happens to be an oveid a”z fit in?
January 13, 2019 2:15 pm at 2:15 pm #1661601Neville ChaimBerlinParticipant“Tulsi Gabbard is the most tolerable Dem”
Agreed. More than tolerable. I intend on voting for her in the primary tentatively. It will depend on how the debates go and whether or not she is still on the ballot by the time it reaches my state. If my opinion stays the same, and the opportunity presents itself, I will have to actually ask this shailah.
January 13, 2019 2:23 pm at 2:23 pm #16616141Participanther biggest challenge is the toeivah crazy media doesn’t like her
January 13, 2019 2:23 pm at 2:23 pm #16616131ParticipantI’m still voting Trump. But if a dem has to win a primary, I’d take a Hindu with military experience.
January 13, 2019 4:32 pm at 4:32 pm #1661622JosephParticipant” I intend on voting for her in the primary tentatively.”
Why are you a Democrat?
The better shaila is whether it is permitted to vote for a woman
January 13, 2019 8:11 pm at 8:11 pm #1661716GadolhadorahParticipantThere is a reasonable chance that a moderate Dem with military background, some serious gravitas on foreign policy issues and not intent on “spreading the wealth” could beat Trump in 2020. Sadly,however, it appears that the Dems are intent on forming their usual circular firing squad and will end up moninating some far-left (aka “progressive”) candidate who will turn off the same historically Democratic voters in Blue states who voted for Trump in 2016.
January 13, 2019 8:12 pm at 8:12 pm #1661707Neville ChaimBerlinParticipant“the question is, where does voting for a candidate who happens to be an oveid a”z fit in?”
That would be the question. I don’t think the situation has ever presented itself in history. It could potentially give a boost to Hinduism in the US.
“Why are you a Democrat?”
I never said anything about who I would vote for in the general. Do you prefer to register in such a way that you disenfranchise yourself just so that you can tout that you’re “a republican?”January 13, 2019 9:48 pm at 9:48 pm #1661747JosephParticipant“Do you prefer to register in such a way that you disenfranchise yourself just so that you can tout that you’re “a republican?””
4 out of the last 6 NYC mayoral elections were won by the Republican nominee and lost by the Democrat. What exactly are you disenfranchised from by being a registered Republican?
January 14, 2019 9:44 am at 9:44 am #1661898Neville ChaimBerlinParticipant“What exactly are you disenfranchised from by being a registered Republican?”
It means you can’t vote in Democratic primaries. There will be no Republican primary next presidential cycle, so if you don’t reregister, you will have to sit and watch from the sidelines (unless your state allows you to vote in either primary). What on earth do the mayoral elections of NYC have to do with anything? Are you not allowed to vote differently than how you’re registered in them?Gadol: Probably the most reasonable comment I’ve ever seen from you in CR history. You probably noticed that the usual far-left media suspects started running hit pieces on Gabbard as soon as she announced. They haven’t clearly anointed a primary candidate yet because they’re all too busy drooling over Ocasio-Cortez still, but my guess is that it will be Warren and we’ll have a total repeat of 2016: barely any primary debates, a super-delegate controversy, biased media coverage, etc.
January 14, 2019 11:10 am at 11:10 am #1662014JosephParticipantNeville: You reregister to the opposing party of the president before re-election, every alternative cycle, in order to vote in their primary since the president’s party obviously won’t have a primary against the president? So in 2012 you were a registered Republican since the Democrats had no primary?
In most states you can only vote in the primary of your party.
January 14, 2019 10:09 pm at 10:09 pm #1662652Neville ChaimBerlinParticipant“You reregister to the opposing party of the president before re-election, every alternative cycle, in order to vote in their primary since the president’s party obviously won’t have a primary against the president?”
Correct. Many people do it. Some people also purposely stay registered in the party opposite to their hashkafa for various ulterior motives. Some people, for example, might purposely vote for the weakest democrat because all they care about is Republican victory; I don’t personally agree with that technique. Didn’t a YWN article say that something like 60% of Simcha Felder’s district is registered as dem even though most of them voted Trump?
January 14, 2019 10:51 pm at 10:51 pm #1662657JosephParticipantNeville: To which party are you registered when there’s no incumbent president running for re-election? Like in 2016.
January 15, 2019 12:05 am at 12:05 am #1662681Neville ChaimBerlinParticipantThere was still clearly a bigger inyan in voting in one of the 2016 primaries than the other, even without an incumbent running for re-election. So, the answer is Republican, in my case.
That’s just me, however. Everyone has their reasons to register one way or another. I think it’s still possible to pick out a favorite candidate from the “other” party, even if you don’t agree with their core principles.
January 15, 2019 6:39 am at 6:39 am #1662713JosephParticipantI hear your mehalech, Neville. I don’t disagree with it as I find it has a valid benefit. Indeed at one time I daydreamed about doing something similar. But, as a matter of principal, I could never allow myself to become a registered Democrat. And regarding the benefit of following your approach I decided it was rather very small. Since exceedingly rarely is a primary determined by a single vote. And even culmatively the number of folks doing what you do is very very small. It is less than a niche.
January 16, 2019 2:15 pm at 2:15 pm #1663472casperParticipant“Eastern religion is, however, a problem according to everyone.”
What?
Are you saying I should cast my vote on the basis of someone’s ethnicity? Isn’t that, like, what being a racist is? I will vote for whoever’s policies and personality I support the most. Their religion has nothing to do with it.January 16, 2019 2:35 pm at 2:35 pm #1663482☕ DaasYochid ☕ParticipantAre you saying I should cast my vote on the basis of someone’s ethnicity?
No.
He’s asking (not saying) whether it’s assur to vote for someone who is an oved avodah zarah (regardless of ethnicity).
January 16, 2019 3:32 pm at 3:32 pm #1663489👑RebYidd23ParticipantWhy hasn’t this come up when different types of Christians ran for president? Also, may one vote for an autotheist?
January 16, 2019 3:33 pm at 3:33 pm #1663492zahavasdadParticipantThe BJP in India which is the Hindu party is actually good friends with Israel
January 16, 2019 3:34 pm at 3:34 pm #1663511Neville ChaimBerlinParticipant“Isn’t that, like, what being a racist is?”
If the Torah told you that you couldn’t do business with someone based on their ethnicity, would you go off the derech because it would be “what being a racist is?”Like it or not, there are restrictions when it comes to dealing with idol worshipers, and eastern religion is unambiguous avodah zara. The halachah really doesn’t care how well it meshes with 21st century, progressive sentimentality.
On a side note, as far as ethnicity is concerned, I believe Gabbard is a convert (not that there’s such thing as a Hindu race anyway).
January 17, 2019 4:33 pm at 4:33 pm #1664052Neville ChaimBerlinParticipant“The BJP in India which is the Hindu party is actually good friends with Israel”
The Hindus and Buddhists consistently come back with the lowest rates of Antisemitism out of any religious group in the world (including Atheists) according to the ADL. It’s a shame they have to bow to idols.“Why hasn’t this come up when different types of Christians ran for president? ”
Because, so far, no candidate has ever practiced a form of Christianity that is A”Z gamor even for goyim (i.e. bows down and/or burns food offerings to statues etc.).January 17, 2019 6:42 pm at 6:42 pm #1664143JosephParticipantThe Rambam says Christianity is A”Z mamish. And Islam is not A”Z.
January 17, 2019 8:04 pm at 8:04 pm #1664180funnyboneParticipantI dont get it. Why would it be an issue if a president os oved a”z?
January 17, 2019 10:57 pm at 10:57 pm #1664215Yserbius123Participant@Joseph But I believe it was the RAMA who says it’s not. I’ve heard a shitta that it depends on how you interpret the concept of “Trinity” and how the particular Christians in your day, place, and age consider it. Christians that the RAMBAM was familiar with mamish worshiped a man as a god. Other Christians (and Muslims) treated him as a prophet.
January 18, 2019 8:33 am at 8:33 am #1664284Avi KParticipantYserbius, not to mention the Unitarians. In any case, I do not think that Xtians who are not theologians really think about it. They believe in one God but consider Yushki to be their savior. That is how they always refer to him. There was an irreverent saying that “Jesus saves but Espo (hockey player Phil Esposito) shoots in the rebound”.
January 18, 2019 10:04 am at 10:04 am #1664313Neville ChaimBerlinParticipantTheoretically it could be a machlokes. However, the point with the Rambam and pikuach nefesh with regards to converting is obviously talking about A”Z for Yidden, not goyim. We do, I believe, posken that you would be over on A”Z as a Jew if you converted to Christianity.
Even if the Rambam did mean it for goyim, then apparently we don’t posken that way. If we did, it would be assur to do business with Christians in close proximity to their holidays (I can’t remember exactly how many days the gezeira is), which would probably include every Sunday. I believe I also read that it’s mutar to sell candles or some such thing to goyim even if you know he might use it for Christianity. If the practice was assur even by the sheva mitzvos b’nei Noach, then it would presumably be lifnei iver to do so just like selling eiver min hachai to a goy.
For the topic of the OP, there have obviously been times where the Jews had to pay taxes to governments run by idolaters. Even right now, Gabbard is a public official so some of our tax money might be going to her salary, which is being used to fund avodah zara. Apparently it’s not a problem. My question is, is it so mutar that you can even knowingly put yourself in that situation by helping elect an oved A”Z?
January 18, 2019 11:09 am at 11:09 am #1664335jackkParticipantAvi K,,
They believe that he is both ” lord and savior”. They repeat this phrase all the time.
January 20, 2019 2:18 pm at 2:18 pm #1664896Neville ChaimBerlinParticipant“They believe that he is both ” lord and savior”. They repeat this phrase all the time.”
It’s true. That’s a point Jews don’t make often enough when talking about Christianity. If it were just a matter of having a different set of prophets for the same god, they would have the same status as Islam.To Avi’s credit, he’s right that run-of-the-mill Christians don’t think about it. If they did, the religion probably wouldn’t exist anymore. It’s entirely based on contradiction.
January 21, 2019 1:39 am at 1:39 am #1665197Avi KParticipantNeville,
1. Everyone agrees that there is an obligation to pay taxes.
2. “Lord” simply means “master”. Even capitalizing it only means that it is a title.January 21, 2019 9:46 am at 9:46 am #1665295Neville ChaimBerlinParticipantAvi, I have no idea what you’re trying to reply to. I never said anyone shouldn’t pay taxes. I’m also not really sure why you’re so intent on defending Christianity. Their claim that they’re true monotheists who don’t view their guy as a demigod is about as useful as Muslim’s claim that Islam is a “religion of peace.”
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