One of the non-Mormon historians (he might have been an archaeologist) the filmmakers interviewed was trying to give some context to the whole thing and said something very interesting- "Mormonism isn't unique in needing validation from the historical record- there's still no archaeological evidence that the Exodus happened."
"But Jews don't give a shit!," I cried to anyone who would listen. And that's sort of true, but not always. The best recent example of this is when Conservative Rabbi David Wolpe gave a Passover sermon saying if the Exodus had happened at all, it probably didn't resemble the story in the Torah (he also said the whole issue didn't matter, since the historicity of the story wasn't what was important). While some people agreed with him, or at least got the point, others all but called the rabbi an apikoros. (Hi Dennis!)
Among other things, Dennis Prager accused the media's timing of being biased:
During Passover and on Good Friday the Los Angeles Times published a front-page article titled "Doubting the Story of Exodus." The timing was typical of the insensitivity often shown in mainstream media to religious Jews and Christians. It is unimaginable, for example, that any mainstream newspaper would ever print a front-page article on Martin Luther King’s extramarital affairs on Martin Luther King Day.
Dennis missed the fact that the LA Times story was at least partially in response to/covering the Wolpe incident, which happened a week earlier. Oh well, not important, I'm sure. This issue is particularly interesting, because six years later, we see the same argument being parrotted by YidwithLid, who has a bee in his bonnet (kippah?) over the same damn issue.
NY Times Tries to De-legitimize Judaism
On the first day of Passover the NY Times sunk to a new low in their editorial policy of trying to de-legitimize the State of Israel. They adopted the Arab strategy of trying to deny Jewish History to take away the Jewish people's claim on the Exodus. As many of us coming were coming home from telling the Exodus story at the first Seder, the Times was printing a story saying that he Exodus didn't happen.
Let me digress for a second, I don't need the NY Times or anybody else to tell me what did or didn't happen in the Exodus, as David Ben Gurion said any Jew who does not believe in miracles is not a realist. Part of believing in G-d is having faith. Faith doesn't need proof. But it would be nice for the NY Times to read a Torah so they know what they are talking about.
...The Times takes an article about an archaeological dig in the Northern Sinai to try to dispel one of the most central themes of all Jewish Theology, the Exodus. Of course they were looking in the WRONG place.
Why would the Times pick the first day of Passover to tell such "cock and bull story?" Maybe its just another way for the NY Times owners to disassociate themselves from the Jewish community like when they buried the early reports of the Holocaust. Either way it seems like part of their attempt to de-ligitimize Israel, by removing any association between Jews and the land.
Oh for the love of Bacon Cheeseburgers.
A newspaper reporting on a story tangentially related to Passover in some proximity to the holiday of Passover? Outrageous! Wow, that's almost as bad as the Discovery Channel running a loopy documentary about Jesus in the same month as Easter. Except worse, I'm sure, because it involves us, and our issues are worth more pissed-off points than the goyim's.
Hey Yiddle, how about the fact that the Times is far from the first paper to run a story like this? Does them being part a trend complicate your vision of their singular jackassery? Or does it just mean every paper that challenges Exodus in springtime is in the same self-hating boat? What about rabbis like Wolpe, who are saying similar things? I've been to a few Shabbats where the odd frumie said something snide like, "oh yeah, the Conservatives say Exodus didn't happen", but even they don't seem to suggest that it's a plot to delegitimize Judaism, much less Israel as a state. Admit it, this is a joke, right?
In other moronic news, Pat Boone is still insisting he can read, so by WND's journalistic standards, that makes him good enough to print. He compares Harry Reid to Moses' spies in Canaan, who, he notes, "were completely demoralized and defeated by one negative report!" Yes Pat, and I'm sure it had just been shlepped in from the Kinko's, just like modern times.
There's more.
Any of this sound familiar, like anything that's happened in our own current events, just this last few weeks?
Surely you heard Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announce sorrowfully in a press conference for all the world to see and hear, "… this war is lost." Just like that. Story ended. We're defeated; we can't win. Our enemies are too much for us, and we've got to tuck our tails between our legs and come home fast as we can. We're grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we are in their sight.
This pronouncement contradicting the assessments of our own Caleb, Gen. Patraeus, and our other military leaders on the ground in Iraq, who are telling us that we can win, that over 3,000 young Americans have not died in a failed mission, that though a violent segment of Iraqis are indeed "devouring their own inhabitants," America and its allies are gradually securing the land for freedom and self-government. Harry Reid, Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, John Murtha, Cindy Sheehan and the other dissenters to the contrary, our Calebs and Joshuas are assuring us that American might and purpose will prevail!
If we have the will. If we don't turn and run.
And if we still believe there is a mighty God who has historically taken an interest in America and our conflicts, and who has given us victory over all opponents when we were united in resolve and purpose. And most importantly, perhaps, when we openly and collectively declared our dependence on Him and sought His aid, not depending solely on our own judgment and abilities.
Do you realize that, in our whole history, America has never been defeated – when we were united under God?
Oh, is THAT the secret? If we only just shut up, keep praying, and believe that God likes us best, THEN it all works out, but if we actually do some critical thinking then we get smitten? Damn it, God, why did you give us this capacity to ask questions or look at evidence? Why couldn't we have been made like deep-sea fish or moles? And Pat, news flash- America's a relatively young country, and it's not like awful things haven't happened to us over the course of even that history. Remember when the British blew up the goddamn White House?
That's not claiming, presumptuously, that we've always been perfectly right in our various purposes and tactics – far from it – but by God's grace, when we have pulled together, supported our fighting forces with everything in us, praying publicly and believing God would grant us victory over our enemies, He has!
When we've been divided, we've lost. Not often, but history tells the truth: A house divided against itself cannot stand.
Maybe some of the reasons we become divided over wars are the same reasons we lose them- stragetic reasons, moral reasons, etc. What good does it do to have a magic invisible man helping us win every battle if there are good reasons we shouldn't be fighting it? Pat's argument falls apart the second you question whether America fighting in Iraq is a good thing- to say nothing of the fact that it presumes a victory is both possible as well as existent. What would "victory" in Iraq look like? Presumably it would involve Sunnis and Shiites not killing each other and no foreign elements fucking with govt. policy, be they Al Qaeda, Iraq, Syria, etc. The second component could (theoretically) be achieved through military action, but I don't see how killing the Iraqis is going to make them hate each other less (though it will make them hate us more).
At this moment in time, we are a house divided. Our president, our commander in chief, our military, and still a large percentage of the populace and our elected representatives believe in the urgency and rightness of our military presence in the Middle East. We're not just fighting to liberate another nation and establish democratic government in that part of the world; we're also serving notice to our demonically ruthless sworn enemies that we will not tolerate their coming into our midst to kill and demoralize us. Rather, we'll come looking for them, and we'll bring a superior force and face them in their own part of the world – not in our homeland.
Except that it's not working, we're still dying, and the Iraqi fighters don't seem to be easing up. In the meantime, our army is depleted and demoralized and other places we've committed to help are feeling the neglect- like, oh, I don't know, Afghanistan, or Waziristan, which a lot of Americans have probably never even heard of. Also, a large percentage? Where are you getting those numbers? Bush's popularity is in the toilet, and the war isn't faring much better. A recent Gallup poll says 60% of Americans want a timetable on ending the war. Is this another strategy of yours, kind of like prayer? If you just believe people agree with you, that'll make it happen?
And though it's been unexpectedly difficult and costly, our troops – still the strongest and best equipped in the world – appear to believe overwhelmingly that we're accomplishing our goal, and want to finish the job, no matter what it costs.That is absolute horsecrap. At this point our troops are exhausted and overworked and our equipment is shit. It's easy for Pat Boone to congratulate the troops on kicking ass, he doesn't have to go on a third tour in Baghdad.
To them, and many Americans, defeat and surrender is just not an option.
And sacrificing another three thousands Americans for a situation that shows no signs of improvement IS? What planet are you living on?
But how do you think our enemies received Harry Reid's pronouncement?
I think they received it with shouts of glee, triumph and renewed purpose. I think it inspired them with new resolve to kill as many innocent Iraqis as possible and as many patrolling American soldiers as possible – and both as quickly as possible.
Since when do Republicans care about what our enemies think? Now you're listening to the Arab street? What a crock. Our enemies in the Middle East don't need our help to shout with glee- they're winning, we're dying, and we still don't know why
Jesus Crap.
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