U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has resigned from the all-women Belizean Grove club — waiting for Friday to try to bury the announcement in the weekend news. Sotomayor did not express any personal concerns or regrets about joining an exclusive club and only stated that she did not want it to be a “distraction” from her record.
In a letter to the Senate Judiciary, Judge Sotomayor explained “I believe the Belizean Grove does not practice invidious discrimination and my membership did not violate the Judicial Code of Ethics, but I do not want questions about this to distract anyone from my qualifications and record.” It is the type of Beltway statement that leaves me cold. Before this nominee, liberals fought any nominee who belonged to an exclusive club confined to men or whites. Here, Sotomayor does not regret joining or oppose the exclusivity of the club — only regrets that it has proven controversial. If she likes discriminatory clubs, I would have much preferred her to regain a member and defend her decision. This announcement would only seem normal in Washington: abandoning the association for the express purpose of avoiding any personal repercussions.
Sotomayor was often suggested as a nominee for George W. Bush and has a fairly conservative voting record in some areas like free speech, police abuse, and student rights.
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Mike S,
A very insightful post. And a good lesson from a real persons perspective. I appreciate your attention.
I do agree that nobody owns God and I respect any PRACTITIONERS of any faith who do not make claims to exclusivity.
Any practitioners of the Western religions (At least) who do not acknowledge their Jewish roots, respect that and then engage themselves in that study insult and in some cases anger me. Any believer in a monotheistic God MUST give the Jewish faith the respect to study the teachings of some of their great theologians (i.e. Maimonides, Emden, Hillel, etc.)
A good discussion is how the faiths do have alot in comparison.
As a Jew, I would like to know, objectively, how you feel Obama’s actions are going to effect Israel. Other administrations have “leashed” the Israeli’s. But I personally feel that Obama’s inclinations are pro-muslim/Arab and that his desire would be to weaken Israel’s hold on the “occupied territories”
Also what do you feel Israel would do in a worse case scenario where if they were made to feel they could not depend on a U.S. ally? Would they do what they felt they had to do regardless of the consequences? Or would they back down?
Mike S.
All I can do is applaud. Well said.
Gyges,
When I worked for NYC I had to take the railroad to Penn Station every day, where “Jew for Jesus” people used to lie in wait. I loved it when they approached me. Especially, the look of confusion in their eyes when they discovered I knew as much about Christianity and Judaism as they did and started to back away. It made my day.
The sad thing about Fundamentalists of any religious stripe, is that the essence and beauty of their particular religion has been hijacked in the service of ego and greed. Good people, who could do good things in the world are separated from the eternal truths that could make them and the world whole. Instead they are fed dogma that runs counter to the teachings of their sages.
Mike,
That’s a good explanation of what my gut told me. My main reasoning for describing them as I did is that they use the Bible (as opposed to the Torah) for their holy text.
I should mention that the few members of that paticular congregation I know are religious nuts (and that’s coming from someone raised as a fundamentalist Christian), and just nuts in general so my views might be biased.
Gyges,
Supposedly the story that precedes Hillel’s “Do unto others…” was that he was asked by a man if he could explain the entire Torah while standing on one leg, that was his answer. I believe the actual meaning from this is that this formulation was the whole basis of Jewish philosophy and that everything else was merely teaching examples. Christians could easily use it an insert Bible for Torah and would come to the same meaning.
Hillel, was a Pharisee, and contrary to the way Pharisee’s were portrayed in the Gospels, they were the religious liberals who tried to soften the harsh tenets of the Torah, by interpretation. Jesus, many think including me, was a Pharisee trained Rabbi. The Gospels portray the Pharisees as hypocrites and Roman lackeys. The truth was they were the main impelling force for the various Jewish rebellions against Rome and the Sadducees (The biblical literalists) were the quislings.
As for the so-called “Messianic Jews” they anger me and I’ll tell you why. Due to the entire theology of both religions one can only be either a Christian or a Jew, but not both.
For instance most Christians believe the world to be an evil place and flesh itself to be evil. Jews believe that the world, as God’s creation is holy. Christians believe that in
essence real life begins after Death and you are redeemed not by “good works” but by your faith in Jesus. Jew believe in the concept that humanity’s mission in life is Tikun Olam,
which means “healing, or repairing the world.” The idea of an afterlife is very hazy in Judaism and many like myself do not feel it is of concern, what will be will be and we must
live our lives to make the world a better place. Finally,
Christians believe that sexuality is an evil necessity and that sexual pleasure should be eschewed, except for the purposes of maintaining marriage. While Judaism does not approve of extramarital sex, I differ with it on this, they believe that within marriage each partner is obligated to work to fulfill their partner sexually.
As you can see, there really is not a Judeo-Christianity, except in that Christians have appropriated the Torah, for their own use and with substitution of their own meaning.
Please note I’m not arguing that one is better than another, that is for an individual to decide for themselves. What I am saying is that they are so radically different as to make an amalgam of them impossible.
With that long preamble, needed to define terms, let me return to the so-called “Messianic Jews” and why I dislike them. Many Jews are not learned in their own religion. In fact to many here I come off as a learned Jew when in fact, not in false modesty, I am nowhere near as learned as I should be. My father-in-law, of blessed memory, taught me much of what I know today. My Daughters and son-in-law are Hebrew Fluent and have a much better Hebrew education than I. I’m running to catch up through reading, but it really ain’t gonna happen. At least though I grew up in a Kosher home and my family on both sides were mostly Orthodox.
Many Jews grow up, vaguely proud of being Jewish, or not, but without the benefit of either Hebrew School, or a family that celebrated the many Jewish holidays. Even the holiday celebrations in Judaism bring with them a good degree of education and knowledge.
The so-called “Messianic Jews” target those Jews, ignorant of their religion, but vaguely proud of being Jewish and convert them by using certain Jewish rituals. These converts, in their lack of knowing believe that they can be both Jewish and Christian, but in reality they are Christians. Do groups like “Jews for Jesus” think that they are doing right, probably so and I don’t question their piety. However, they are wholly Christian, despite their protestations and rituals.
Why then you might ask should this bother me. They are who they are and I am who I am. The reason lies in the fact that I have, even in my most irreligious moments, like the 18 year period after both my parents died and before I met my wife, never stopped feeling proud to be a Jew. Look, we’re like the eternal underdog. Always a minority, always living with the possibility of being wiped out, never more than a small percentage of humanity, yet we have persevered and continued and prospered. That makes me proud and gives me a stake in future Jewish survival. This “Jews for Jesus” movement is yet another benignly trying to wipe us out and for that I dislike them.
Mike,
I’d just like to mention I’ve started using your tenants to explain my own morality (although I leave out the bit about the Torah). It’s thinkers like Hillel that cause me to often find myself defending religion as an institution (that and my dislike for binary mentalities).
As an aside, do you consider Messianic Jews a Jewish or Christian sect? The ones I know seem to be Christians that keep Kosher, but I’ve been curious as to a Jewish perspective.
sicilian 1,
Regarding Hillel I follow these two formulations as a basis for my philosophy of life, for the ideals I try to live up to and for the way I tried to teach my children:
“That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.”
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And when I am for myself, what am ‘I’? And if not now, when?”
While I am a practicing Jew it is these teachings that I most try to live up to. However, I believe that at base almost all religions have similar formulations and these get hijacked by people for their own self interest. A great book delineating this similarity behind faiths is Karen Armstrong’s “The Great Transformation.” When it comes to belief in God I am a Deist by inclination and study. I don’t think any particular faith has God’s ear, since I believe that any creator of this universe is way beyond our ability to understand It. I do think there is a creative energy in the universe because to a small degree I have had personal experiences that lead me in this direction and because the shape of modern physics strongly suggests a universe beyond science’s previous expectation.
Regarding your question on the President’s standpoint on Iran, I would point out the second Hillel quote. Geopolitics
is such that a nation must act in its’ own self interests and that is the “If I’m not for myself….” part of the equation. It is America’s self interest to not be seen as favoring either side in this dispute. This is not only because as the President stated our statements will be used by the current government to show we are providing support to the dissidents, but also the corollary that by showing support we undermine the dissidents position. America’s interference with Iran historically has been intolerable and has caused them to view us with some hostility. The Shah and his father were very bad men who severely repressed their people. The Savak, their secret police were known to be as brutal as the USSR’s KGB and/or The Gestapo. We put this “Royal Family” into power via the CIA and it was a mistake.
We are now paying for the mistake.
Incidentally, like Saddam, the Shah ran a secular country.
Because he was such a monster in other areas, this allowed the religious fanatics to gain power in the country since they had provided the opposition to the Shah for many years.
you are correct about Mousavi/Achmedinejad? being little different, save for the fact I think Mousavi is somewhat smarter in his comments and in that sense less obnoxious.
In the end though I understand the Irani’s distrust of the US and were I them I would distrust us also. Israel, unfortunately gets locked in to their equation because of the false belief in the ME that the US is Israel’s close ally, when to my mind the US has merely been doings the Saudi’s bidding by leashing the Israeli’s. I will read your opinions, but I must tell you that I’m pretty sure of mine, they having been tempered by seven decades of life and being an assiduous student of history and politics.
By the way there are many things we do agree upon. My objection with you has been what to me is your consistently strident tone and your obvious dislike for Islam. As a Jew I hold no real brief for either Christianity or Islam, but I recognize that it is not the teachings per se, but how men in the service of their own power have hijacked the teachings and perverted them. Sad to say, I think there are Jews who do the same, but there are far too few of us to make a difference on the world scene.
Mike S,
I am not assuming your position on Iran. And if you have posted a comment that I missed I apologize.
But in respect to the teaching of Hillel (“Golden Rule/Love of Man”)I would like your take on that issue. And I would also like your take on Obama’s initial comments about (“Mousavi/Achmedinejad?? Either will be hostile!!) in relation to the application of Hillel’s formulation of “Love of Man”
Once again, I am not trying to tout my blog but my opinion was explicated in my blogs about the Iranian situation. You can check them out to see where I’m coming from.
Either way I would like your analysis to my questions.
I am not looking to start a tit-for-tat confrontation. As I’ve said I respect your comments no matter your political leanings.
I have some errands to run but I would definitely be interested in what you have to say.
“For a raging progressive you are very thoughtful and do not really fit in so snugly with your knee-jerk crowd.”
sicilian 1,
As I replied to IS in another thread I am not someone to be
blithely categorized as either a leftist or progressive. However, for purposes here I will occassionally refer to myself in those terms because our modern political debate requires either using them, or writing endless paragraphs on my personal beliefs. I am pragmatic iconoclast who fervently believes in the “Golden Rule”(Hillel formulation) and tries to inform my thoughts and live my life based on it.
Mike S,
No need to feel my pain. I appreciate the concern but I am content with all the pain I carry. It is something with which I live comfortably and sometimes proudly and on occasion am more than happy to display and share.
We would ALL do better to accept our pain, confront it, deal with it and learn to love it. If we ALL realized that it is really our pain that shapes us and many times defines us, that pain is an inescapable reality of life then we could/would be better able to intellectually process the motivations of our actions and reactions to better deal with our reality and the reality around us. Because when we are able to do that then we truly know ourselves. That is the only way that we all can be constructive human beings in the service of all man kind.
As for your analysis of Sotomayor, I concure with ABSOLUTELY everything you said. Except that my conclusion that she might turn out to be a serviceable Justice and not as radical as people think is something I am happy with.
For a raging progressive you are very thoughtful and do not really fit in so snugly with your knee-jerk crowd.
sicilian 1,
As I said I feel your pain. As to Judge Sotomayor, see my post way above, which adds my own critique.
The only thing hysterical that’s going to happen is when the progessives out there start slitting their own throats when Sotomayor starts voting with the Scalia/Thomas block.
I can’t see how her Romam Catholic, up-from-the boot-straps background and also her go-along-to-get-along m.o. throughout her career will cause her to sway any other way.
If the progressives out there think she’s got the conviction to stand up to the Roberts/Scalia/Thomas/Alito block they’re going to be in for a rude awakening. She’s never shown herself to be an independent jurist willing to buck the system.
Even her controversial rulings were never backed with particularly strong language of support.
Besides, she seems to be less than sympathetic to criminal arguments.
sicilian 1,
You seem to be becoming more and more hysterical as you continue to post here. My sympathies go out to you in your time of stress and distress.
“There is only one way to take any of what you have to say seriously and that would be for you to categorically state that Bush and Cheney lied us into war and that they were war criminals in the prosecution of that war. Anything less than that proves that you are indeed a hypocrite for acting under the color of beliefs you do not share in order to pursue your childish notions of propaganda.”
Charles Grashow,
You didn’t refer to the above in your reply, merely reiterated that your furious with the Obama Administration and the Democrats. You are disingenuous in your statements and professed leanings. Merely another faux conservative apparatchik, using lies to disseminate propaganda. Were you an honorable person you would proudly proclaim your views and debate them. This I could respect and it would be profitable for everyone. You are not, however, an honorable person. You are just another ineffective game player of the
Rovian modality, whose wandered into a place where people are too smart to fall for his tricks. The saddest part of it
is I, or many others here, could actually do what you’re trying to do and make it seem plausible. You lack the skills to even accomplish your purpose.
Jim Byrne,
Nice try with your senatorial tidbit. Too bad that Charles lacks your skills for dissembling, otherwise you two could tag team.
HA, HA, HA.
Better sell her out before she gets on the court and starts voting with the Scalia/Thomas block.
It looks to me like what Souter turned out to be to Bush the elder Sotomayor may very well turn out to be to Obama.
How could you progressives let your hero Obama nominate another Roman Catholic?
Did Sotomayor Violate NY Ethics Rules in Private Solo Practice with “& Associates” Name?
Someone may have already picked up on this.
The idea tha some of you are finding fault with this woman because of her membership in a women’s organization is really sad. The organization did not discriminate; no men asked to become members. It is also say that no members of women’s organization came forward to defend Ms. Sotomayor.
The typical men’s club was created for the express purpose of discrimination against blacks and Jews.
In case you are interested, there are thousands of women’s organization active in country. Are you suggesting that all of the members withdraw their membership and close down?
This is the level of your thinking? What has happened to people in this country that they have lost the ability for critical thinking? You are really a sad bunch.
These are only a very minute list of some of the active women’s organization. How many of you are interested in becoming members.
Women’s Organizations
– Women’s Army Corps Veterans’ Association
– Women’s International Public Health Network: non-profit organization for women in public health/related areas to improve women’s health, nutrition and status worldwide
– American Women in Radio and Television
– Black Women Physicians Project: collect, process the papers of black women physicians and the records of organizations and associations of black women in health care
– National Association For Women Executives: professional association dedicated to the advancement of women in the workplace through education, networking and public advocacy
– Women in Communications, Inc: largest communications organizations, with 12,000 + members active in print and broadcast journalism, public relations, marketing, business and association communications, advertising, magazine and book publishing, communications education and law, photojournalism, film, and design
– American Association of University Women organization (AAUW): Education, Civil Rights, Employment, Reproductive Rights
– The American Medical Women’s Associaiton (AMWA): support women physicians and promote women’s health
– The National Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW/USA): promotes full participation, equity, and economic self-sufficiency for women
– National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs: addressing injustice in education; equal rights, poverty, and economic development
– 9 to 5, National Association of Working Women: empowers women to seek equity on the job and change policies
– Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA)
– Emergency Management Professional Organization for Women’s Enrichment
– American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM)
– International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC)
– Hispanic Professional Women’s Association
– Professional Women’s Roundtable (PWR)
– Organization of Women in International Trade: increasing global trade opportunities for women
– Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS)
– Womens Professional Billiard Association
– Women’s Automotive Association International
– American Business Women’s Association
– National Association of Professional Asian American Women
– National Council of Women’s Organizations: achieve equity for all working women in the workplace
– National Federation of Press Women: organization of professional journalists and communicators
– Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA)
– NYPD Policewomen’s Endowment Association: faternal organization of female police personnel
– Wives Of Police Officers
– Women’s Professional Football League
– California Professional Women’s Association
– Women’s Tennis Association
– National Association of Women Lawyers
– Womens Bar Association of the District of Columbia
– Women Lawyers Section of the Birmingham Bar Association
– Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
– Florida Association for Women Lawyers
– Georgia Association for Women Lawyers
– Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys
– Hawaii Women’s Legal Foundation
– Women’s Bar Association of Illinois
– Black Women Lawyers Association of Greater Chicago
– Arizona Women Lawyers Association- Cochise Chapter
– Association for Women Attorneys, New Orleans
– Women’s Bar Association of Maryland
– Texas Women Lawyers
You obviously did not read what you wrote either.
You obviously didn’t read what I posted
You have no idea how furious I am with with the Obama administration in terms of civil liberties, not investigating the war crimes committed by the past administratio, etc