Comments on: Merry Christmas…

By: rickl

rickl — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 14:08:05 +0000

Wow, that is an outstanding post.

Happy Hanukkah, Yaacov ben Moshe!

By: Liberty Wolf

Liberty Wolf — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 20:27:04 +0000

I’ve come to appreciate these Protestant founders more as the years go on and understand that certainly, their Protestantism informed the constitution and the founding of this country in both great and subtle ways. They are clearly reviled on the left, and more as time goes on – but that’s because the left hates liberty and of course, God.

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 14:44:35 +0000

Great article! I’d add that many of the people who are adamant about separation of church and state (not in the constitution) are just hoping to have a monopoly on the conversation about morals. These are the same people who do not tolerate alternative views in press or schools. Their goal is to impose a state-sponsored secular religion of environmentalism, collectivism and PC values.

By: Maquis

Maquis — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 10:48:19 +0000

Mazel Tov a tous vrai americains pour leurs benedictions!

Joyeux Noel!

By: jon baker

jon baker — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 00:41:56 +0000

Yaacov ben Moshe, I linked to your article on my FB page for my (predominately Christian Evangelical) friends. In the past I have thought about how ancient Israel seemed to have at various times a militia system, where the farmers, and others, would drop their work to be citizen soldiers when called upon. I have also noticed how the Mosaic code was basically tempered capitalism with a safety net, such as the prohibition of harvesting the corner of fields so that poor persons could harvest the corners for food. Of course I also remember the warnings that Israel was given when they cried out for a human king-basically the Biblical warning about concentrating power in the hands of one person.

By: Yaacov ben Moshe

Yaacov ben Moshe — Thu, 25 Dec 2014 20:52:51 +0000

Neo,
Thanks for the link!

Illuminati,
Thanks for the kind words. I am reminded that one of my mentors, Austin Olney, a guy who was as generous with his time with young and minor writers as he was famous for editing some of the most popular writers of the last century, once told me that in his mind the colonial farmer and the Jew of the “Old Testament” were almost identical in their relationship to God…

By: n.n

n.n — Thu, 25 Dec 2014 18:12:02 +0000

Assimilation. Integration. Reconciliation.

Christianity has three components: faith, religion (i.e. moral philosophy), and tradition. It incorporates both the new and old testaments, superceding the old where it is in conflict or obsolete. Jews have a similar faith to Christians. We have the same religion as Christians. There is little if any cause to not share in their traditions. Our secular perspective: classical liberalism (i.e. favors individual dignity), tempered by religion (i.e. favors intrinsic value), is also compatible. We have overlapping and convergent interests that assure comfortable, if not always tranquil, relations.

Merry Christmas!

By: Illuminati

Illuminati — Thu, 25 Dec 2014 16:48:31 +0000

Well done Yaacov ben Moshe for a wonderful essay about the true spirit of Christmas and thanks to Neo for linking to it. It is not ironic that a Jew would be able to write such a penetrating article about our Protestant founders since Protestantism itself in its purest form is primarily about returning to the Jewish roots of Christianity found in the New Testament. It is easy to forget that the New Testament is Jewish literature written for the most part by Jews from a Jewish perspective in order to bless the World by sharing God’s love.