Friday, August 25, 2006

A couple of days ago I told you about the religious-right TV documentary that will be broadcast this weekend blaming Charles Darwin for the Holocaust. Well, if you find that offensive, relax -- a rabbi assures us it's just fine.

Guess which rabbi.

... Bloggers Internet-wide as well as the Anti-Defamation League launched their criticism in pointed phrases when the airing was announced.

But Rabbi Daniel Lapin, founder of Toward Tradition, suggested reining in the words just a little....

"This dazzling production shows how ideas always have consequences, often unintended, and how Darwinism has impacted American culture," Lapin wrote. "It discusses how the philosophy of evolution can dehumanize people and how Adolf Hitler, on his own admission, was influenced by Darwinian thought."

...Rabbi Lapin['s] organization works to advance the nation toward "the traditional Judeo-Christian values that defined America's creation and became the blueprint for her greatness" ...


You remember the rabbi's idea of traditional Judeo-Christian values:

...Rabbi Daniel Lapin confirmed Sunday it was his foundation, Toward Tradition, that took $50,000 from two Abramoff clients and, at Abramoff's suggestion, used it to hire the ... wife [of an aide to Congressman Tom DeLay] to organize a conference for the group.

Lapin said he and his board had no idea the money was part of Abramoff's vast scheme to influence Congress...

The foundation is a conservative Judeo-Christian group where Abramoff once served as chairman of the board.

... Although he has been reported to have been the man to introduce DeLay to Abramoff, Lapin said Sunday he doesn't recall that.

...During Senate hearings last year on the Abramoff scandal, e-mails between Daniel Lapin and Abramoff were read detailing the lobbyist's request that the rabbi help phony-up some awards for him.

Abramoff said he wanted something to help burnish his application to join a fancy D.C. club. Lapin responded that he could oblige, saying, "I just need to know what needs to be produced ... letters? plaques? Neither?"...

National Public Radio reported in July that Abramoff at least one time listed on his biography awards from Toward Tradition and another Lapin organization — awards the rabbi said were never given....


Is there such a thing as moral de-evolution?

No comments:

Post a Comment