Joe.My.God. LGBT News
Slate reports:
On Monday, two days after a mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue fueled by a toxic cocktail of nativism and anti-Semitism, the Trump administration—presumably looking to give the impression of compassion for Jewish communities deeply shaken by the attack—had a rabbi open with an invocation before Vice President Mike Pence’s campaign event in Michigan. However, in possibly the most on-brand move yet from the Trump administration, the Pence team managed to make the prayer not only controversial, but bafflingly offensive as well, by ceding the stage to a Messianic Jewish rabbi, Loren Jacobs of Synagogue Shema Yisrael, to lead a prayer, “Jesus the Messiah.”
In response to antisemitic white nationalist attack, Vice President Mike Pence opens campaign event with a Christian Rabbi. pic.twitter.com/5iMLx1V3NH
— Rafael Shimunov ? (@rafaelshimunov) October 30, 2018
He begins by promoting that people in power are ordained by Jesus to wield power.
— Rafael Shimunov ? (@rafaelshimunov) October 30, 2018
Then, rather than praying for the victims and survivors of the Pittsburgh synagogue attack, Mike Pence’s Christian Rabbi prays –by name– for each Republican candidate on a list given to him. pic.twitter.com/nZ5Vj6MQs8
— Rafael Shimunov ? (@rafaelshimunov) October 30, 2018
This is no mistake. It’s a message.
— Rafael Shimunov ? (@rafaelshimunov) October 30, 2018
Normally, a Rabbi would open with Kaddish, a prayer for the dead – and list names of those taken. And blessings to the community at risk, Jews, immigrants, etc. Here, it is instead a prayer for Republican candidates to win on November 6 and a blessing for Mike Pence.
— Rafael Shimunov ? (@rafaelshimunov) October 30, 2018
You see, they need to placate Jews and allies who support them without alienating their white nationalist base.
When Trump first spoke about the synagogue attack, he opened with a joke about how he almost cancelled cause his hair got wet. Then tweeted all night about baseball.
— Rafael Shimunov ? (@rafaelshimunov) October 30, 2018
Now, even in inviting this speaker – they literally use it to coopt our holiest traditions – things Jews have been murdered for practicing – and using it to step on the dead. This is no mistake, it’s a message to their base. Their intention is a Christian nation by any means.
— Rafael Shimunov ? (@rafaelshimunov) October 30, 2018
If you read the killer’s messages on social, he thought Trump was giving into Jews too much, and other white nationalists comforted him that Trump had to string along Jews for a while in order to do it right. This is history again.
— Rafael Shimunov ? (@rafaelshimunov) October 30, 2018
Mike Pence intentionally used his “Messianic Jew” as a way to reinforce the anti-Semitism of the right. For Pence, the only good Jew is a converted Jew. It is one of the most overt acts of anti-Semitism I’ve seen from them yet.
— Karoli (@Karoli) October 30, 2018
Imagine inviting an imam to do a eulogy for slain Christians, dressing him up as a priest, and have him start with a prayer to Allah. That’s basically what Pence just did. https://t.co/boUe3nxdo4
— Greg Fish (@GregAFish) October 29, 2018
I’ve been trying to think of analogy and the closest I could come is not being able to find a Christian priest, pastor or minister to deliver a prayer so you just hire a Santa Claus to do it instead. https://t.co/z6YFqUNvrj
— LOLGOP? (@LOLGOP) October 30, 2018
Jews for Jesus is an organization whose goal is the eradication of Judaism https://t.co/CRRMn0OYv7
— Srafi Sletzter (@RafiLetzter) October 29, 2018
Imagine Pence invited a Christian pastor who describes himself as an “ex-gay” and runs a conversion therapy ministry to speak after the Pulse Nightclub massacre and you’ll understand what’s going on here. https://t.co/TzEwUUUJfw
— Dan Murphy (@bungdan) October 30, 2018
“Jews for Jesus” are Christians who hand out pamphlets on the NYC subway and get spare change from angry commuters for their conversion efforts. Closer to Scientology than Abrahamic faith. https://t.co/aEyKuar5T4
— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) October 29, 2018