Judaism and Jewish Conservative Radio Hosts

"The left's war against Judeo-Christian values as the bases of American values is leaving us morally rudderless." -- Dennis Prager, 5/13/08, stating an example of why some people believe "we are on the wrong track"

Two of the most prominent talk radio hosts in America today are Dennis Prager and Michael Medved--mentshes and proud to call themselves observant Jews. I find their efforts to spread what they perceive as truth and wisdom over the airwaves quite admirable and necessary for free society to function.

What I cannot understand is their support of a set of ethical guidelines rooted in "Judeo-Christian morality." True, many if not most of the Founding Fathers were Christians; there can be no doubt that their morality played a major role in the type of Enlightenment thinking that gave rise to national codes like the Constitution and the accompanying Bill of Rights. In this post, I do not try to refute any claims that America is better off with religious Christians in Washington than with, say, religious Muslims in charge; I certainly don't endorse any such statements, either. My concern is based in Judaism. That is why I chose to highlight some of the statements that Jews like Prager and Medved have made, rather than anything "Christian conservatives" like Hugh Hewitt or Ann Coulter have said. I hope that the following topics, quotations, and commentaries highlight some of the inconsistencies between what Jewish radio hosts say and what their faith says, for better or for worse.




(1) Lashon Hara

What exactly is lashon hara? It is traditionally translated as "gossip," but it refers to a type of speech (usually truths rather than false rumors) that rabbis (notably the Chofetz Chaim) have told us not to use. On the surface, it seems that telling the truth about others should not reflect badly on the one who tells it; after all, the person with the shortcomings rather than the person talking about those shortcomings deserves the blame... right? Here's a specific prohibition against lashon hara, taken from www.torah.org (http://www.torah.org/learning/halashon/chapter5.html):

"It is forbidden to disparage another regarding his personal qualities: whether in wisdom, whether in strength, whether in wealth, or anything along the same lines. And I must explain my words according to all detail. 'Whether in wisdom' - such as telling others that Ploni is not a wise person. It does not matter whether the information is [completely] false or partially true, and the speaker exaggerated beyond the truth. [For insulting another's intelligence through lying is] surely a terrible sin, even worse than typical Lashon Hara [about truthful matters], called 'Motzi shem ra' - 'creating a bad reputation' - for the speaker lowers the subject of the Lashon Hara through his falsehood. However, even if the information is completely true, haven't we already cited all the Rishonim (commentaries and authorities of Jewish law from the Medieval period) etc. in the first chapter [who agree that the prohibition against Lashon Hara applies]: even with regard to truthful matters, such that the disparaging of another's personal qualities is certainly included in the definition of Lashon Hara."

As of late, the "ploni" used most frequently by conservative talk show hosts is Senator Barack Obama. As is evident from this teaching, whether Obama will make an effective and sensible leader is beside the point. "Creating a bad reputation," especially for a specific benefit (like John McCain's victory) is downright immoral. Yes, that's immorality based on Judaism's teachings rather than on so-called American "Judeo-Christian values." The fact that Jewish conservative talk show hosts are willing to compromise the tenets of Judaism, which has an emphasis on "shmiras haloshon" ("guarding the tongue"), in order to vocally support Christian conservative leaders who want to protect "Judeo-Christian values" is deplorable and hypocritical. Let us not forget that the "Judeo-" component should refer not only to what Christians call the "Old Testament" but also to the teachings we have been fortunate enough to receive from great Jewish thinkers.

Such thinkers also note that lashon hara committed against other Jews is particularly heinous.*

"Jews with no religious or national identity do not like Jews who have those identities, and Americans who have likewise become world citizens do not much care for Americans who wave the American flag... The radical non-Jewish Jew loves humanity, but hurts real humans, especially his own." -- Dennis Prager, "George Soros and the problem of self-hating Hebrews," 2/27/07

There are a number of issues that arise from such a provocative statement.** First, Jews without a "religious or national identity" often do love and respect Jews who have such identities. (This claim also ignores the fact that religious Jews have historically engaged in hatred of one another, which will explain the verbal abuse found in religious and secular writings of both the Hasidim and the Misnagdim.) Prager's hasty generalization of "non-Jewish Jew[s]" casts a negative light on all non-observant Jews, which is a very poignant example of lashon hara that indiscriminately causes damage to many. Second, many Jews can and do have "cultural" identities--based on language, music, food, humor, or philosophy--that don't cause them to have an aversion toward the frum or toward Zionists. In addition, claiming that a large portion of American Jews are, in one way or another, anti-Semitic toward the religious is a remarkably effective way of turning off an entire segment of our community from Judaism and its values. Clearly, Dennis Prager is trying to use guilt--which, as a Jew, he knows could work on his Jewish readers--to convince us that we have betrayed other American Jews by endorsing a kind of morality he feels runs counter to the Judeo-Christian ideals that religious Jews endorse for all (which they don't, as I will explain in the next section). What he misunderstands is that this smear tactic is itself not very Jewish, nor is the type of morality that Christian conservatives want us to believe we share.***




(2) Jewish Gentiles

Is it possible for somebody to accept core Jewish values, be a Christian, and be viewed favorably by devout Jews? Conservative Jews (politically, not denominationally) would have you believe so: they're called "Judeo-Christian values." Religious Jews would also have you believe so, but not under the heading of "Judeo-Christian values" based on the entirety of the Christian Bible. In fact, within Judaism, a valid religion for non-Jews exists, based on the "Noahide Laws."

"In Jewish tradition, non-Jews are expected to follow just seven commandments—the Noahide laws of basic morality. According to mainstream Torah teaching, gentiles who follow these rules (don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t commit gross sexual immorality, and so forth) should be judged as righteous and assumed to earn their share in the World to Come (the afterlife)." -- Michael Medved, "Why the World Hates the Jews" on Townhall.com, 8/9/06

This begs the question, "Are American society and law based on the Noahide Laws or on Christian moral codes, or on something else entirely?" This is difficult to answer. If one asks, "On what 'should' American society and law be based?" the answer is clear-cut: If you are a Jew, regardless of political affiliations, the Noahide Laws would be acceptable, and if you are a Christian conservative, the Christian Bible. So what causes Medved and Prager to insist that American society is and should be based on Christian morality? And why do they advocate "Judeo-Christian" ideals above the Noahide Laws? If these two men are bothered by liberals' obsession with politically correct terminology, they should be more specific in what they advocate (unless they actually don't advocate the Noahide Laws for Gentiles, which would go against mainstream Jewish belief). As Jews, they should be advocating the Noahide Laws instead of "Judeo-Christian ideals" which, as I will clarify below, are really just "Christian ideals."

Here's a brief list of the standard 7 Noahide Laws, not including the numerous laws that religious scholars believe are logical extensions of these principles:
1) Prohibition against idolatry
2) Prohibition against immoral sexual relations (incest, adultery, etc.)
3) Prohibition against murder
4) Prohibition against blasphemy
5) Prohibition against stealing
6) Prohibition against eating the meat of a living animal
7) Commandment to establish courts of law

Some of the principles from the 10 commandments not on this list are keeping the Sabbath, a prohibition against coveting, and a commandment to honor one's parents. The 7 Noahide Laws are, for the most part, evident from American institutions and practices. We have laws against marrying one's siblings, animal cruelty, and murder, and we have courts to interpret those laws. Nonetheless, idolatry is legal, unless inhumane sacrifices take place. Blasphemy is also protected under the First Amendment.

But do the Noahide Laws form the basis for the civilized non-Jewish world? As a Jew, I would have to say yes. Adherence to the laws is what makes them "civilized." Has anybody else acknowledged that the Noahide Laws are so critical to American values, even with the exceptions I've mentioned above? The U.S. Congress and President George H. W. Bush have. On March 20, 1991, President Bush signed into law a resolution designating March 26, 1991, "Education Day, U.S.A." in recognition of the work of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. "Congress recognizes the historical tradition of ethical values and principles which are the basis of civilized society and upon which our great Nation was founded... these ethical values and principles have been the bedrock of society from the dawn of civilization, when they were known as the Seven Noahide Laws." (Full text at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c102:H.J.RES.104:)

Judaism, known for its tendency not to endorse proselytizing, would never advocate that we lobby for laws that favor Judaism. Most people don't need to keep kosher (according to the 7 Noahide Laws), so we should not expect them to. We also should not expect them to keep Shabbos. And coveting? Coveting is the basis of any capitalist system. Coveting and ambition made communism nonfunctional in every country that has attempted it. Our values do not and should not always resonate with mainstream American ones.

How can Jews endorse Judeo-Christian morals over the Noahide Laws? The Noahide Laws say nothing about praying in schools or taking the oath of office over a Christian Bible, yet these are "ideals" that Jews like Prager and Medved have supported. Sure, these have been practiced in this country historically (e.g., the residents of Salem, Massachusetts in the 1600s prayed in their schools, and President Richard Nixon swore in using a Bible), but the "it's part of our rich American political tradition" argument is not logical. After all, Jews have historically been left-leaning (the Bundists, the Workmen's Circle, kibbutzim, etc.), so Prager and Medved are going against Judaism's "rich political tradition" every day they're on the air. I'm not saying that Prager and Medved should be liberals or progressives, but I am trying to make a point that Jews cannot support "Judeo-Christian ideals" if they believe that Christians need only practice the Noahide Laws. Perhaps we should endorse a mandatory daily recitation of the Noahide Laws in public schools rather than prayers from this country's majority religion, Christianity.****

What I'm advocating here is an end to the hypocrisy: If you are a Jew, then the fact that non-Jews keep the 7 laws should be enough to make us respect and honor them. If you are a Jew who, for whatever reason, believes the United States should "continue" its dedication to "Judeo-Christian" ideals (I will not interject specifics about the Founding Fathers' Deism or the texts they've written about government and religion, though you should familiarize yourself with them), then at least recognize that you are endorsing Christianity rather than Judaism. Jews do not benefit from Christmas becoming a national holiday, and, despite what Dennis Prager said in March 2004, this de-secularization of the U.S. is hardly a "Judeo-Christian" value. "Judeo-Christian" is meant to be broad enough to include both Jewish and Christian ideals for society as a whole, but on further inspection, it mostly covers the Christian half.



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*Yes, I admit I am also committing lashon hara by pointing things out about Prager and Medved, but I am making concessions and compromises wherever possible.

**With the exception of this aside, I will not mention the obviously contradictory "I speak today as both a citizen of the United States and of the world" statement Ronald Reagan made back in 1982, just as I will not comment on the "Proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world" comment Barack Obama made in Berlin recently.

***Let me be perfectly clear: I am not attempting to call Prager and Medved out on their Judaism. After all, even accurately quoting something another Jew says can be lashon hara. I know they are not Christians. Nonetheless, I certainly hope they understand the influence they have over Jewish voters and the power they wield over Jews who respect them as religious as well as political leaders in our community. If I have time to continue writing, parts (3) and (4) will come soon.

****In my humble opinion, we should not endorse any prayer in public schools, but that's irrelevant here. I'm trying to make this discussion one that has its foundations within mainstream Jewish belief.