Liberalism as Religious Faith

Submitted by Fay Voshell (United States), Sep 8, 2009 at 13:53

Rick Richman has written a review of Norman Poderetz' new book "Why Are Jews Liberals?"

He writes that Poderetz concludes "liberalism has become for many Jews not simply a substitute for religion, but a religion itself, with roots in the history he describes and a set of doctrines and dogmas adhered to with the force of faith. For many modern Jews, conversion from liberalism to conservatism is roughly equivalent to what conversion to Christianity was to their ancestors in Eastern Europe."

I agree with Poderetz. Left liberalism has all the ingredients of a faith--a secular faith that is adamantly opposed to other faiths such as the evangelical faith, which--ironically enough--supports Israel and is adamantly opposed to antiSemitism.

Yet evangelical and Catholic supporters of Israel and the Jews are routinely attacked by far left Jewish liberals even while main line denominations supported by liberal Jews, such as the United Presbyterian Church, divest their portfolios of investments in Israel and soft-pedal anti-Semitism.

American Jews of all convictions should think hard about just who their real friends are.

Fay Voshell

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