Mayor Eric Adams has previously talked about the importance of bringing religion into public life. He has said that he doesn’t believe in separation of church and state.
On Father’s Day, he expressed his views on religion again and explained that God talks to him.
Mayor Eric Adams said Sunday that his decision to publicly discuss his religion, including controversially dismissing America’s separation of church and state, was actually suggested to him by God himself.
The pious pol was delivering an eight-minute Father’s Day sermon at the historic Lenox Road Baptist Church in Flatbush when he shed light on why he has chosen to speak more publicly on his Christian faith in recent months. A couple of months ago, the mayor said he awoke from his sleep in a cold sweat and was told by God to “talk about God.”
“And I started to say, don’t tell me about separation of church and state,” Adams told the Sunday parishioners. “Don’t tell me that when you took prayer out of school, guns came in. Don’t tell me that I have to remove my feeling of God. And you saw what happened! You saw all the front pages and the national stories, you know, how dare the most powerful mayor on the globe start talking about God! Because I don’t care what anyone say, it’s time to pray….”
Hizzoner’s conversation with God echoed one he says he had over 30 years ago, where the Lord not only told Adams he would one day be mayor, but even said exactly when it would happen: January 1, 2022, the day he assumed office.
“Thirty-something years ago, I woke up out of my sleep in a cold sweat. God spoke to my heart and said, ‘you are going to be the mayor January 1, 2022.’ And the message was clear. God stated, ‘you cannot be silent, you must tell everyone you know,’” preached Adams, who was a police officer at the time and would go on to become a State Senator and Brooklyn Borough President before being elected mayor. “I would go around the city, pastor, and I would tell everybody ‘I’m gonna be mayor January 1, 2022.’ People used to think I was on medication.”
Not forgetting the fatherly theme of the day, Adams began asking “how are the children,” which he said was a greeting used by the Maasai people of eastern Africa, before presenting a vision of crisis and bleakness among the city’s youth. Among other things, he used the opportunity to repeat a dubious claim that children start their days by going to bodegas and buying weed and fentanyl before going to school.
“How are the children? Young children are carving highways of death with 9 mm bullets, taking the lives of other children,” said Hizzoner. “How are the children? They start their day going to the local bodega, getting cannabis and fentanyl, and they sit in the classroom trying to learn, when we know what cannabis does to the brain of a child at an early age. How are the children? Social media is teaching them how to steal cars, how to disfigure their bodies, how to use drugs. How are the children? Depression is how, suicide is how! How are the children? Our children are in a state of disrepair, and we’re so busy trying to be popular to our babies instead of being parents to our children that we have to ask, how are the children.”
Of his relationship with his own son, rapper Jordan Coleman, the mayor said his job was never to be his son’s “buddy;” in fact, he said his son was “supposed to hate me” until he was an adult and realized his reasons for parenting the way he did. Later on Sunday, Adams said in a video that being Coleman’s father is the “best job” he’s ever had.
The mayor concluded his remarks by criticizing press coverage of him and his administration, particularly of his faith, and compared himself to Denzel Washington’s character in the 1989 Civil War film “Glory,” when he is set to be whipped for leaving his squadron to spend time with his love interest. Scars from previous whippings are seen, which Adams said represents how critical press coverage cannot hurt or deter him from his Godly mission.
“What do they think they can do to me? You try to beat me with your news articles? I’ve got the scars already,” said Hizzoner. “You try to beat me with your commentary? I got the scars already. You can’t do anything to me! I know whose voice I hear.”
God could not immediately be reached for comment.

(sp) GOP
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One of the best immediate comebacks I’ve ever had occurred on a flight during the Bush years, sitting next to a guy who would gladly have accepted being called a southern good ole boy. As our conversation somehow drifted to New York, he said something like, “I can’t stand New Yorkers. They all think they know better, live better, and do everything better than everyone else [I distinctly remember repetitions of “better” because they sounded something like “bay-dah”]. They think they’re the center of the gd world!” Without missing a beat, I said, “Now you have an idea of how most of the rest of the world feels about the U.S.”
I was going to comment that I can’t believe some of the things NYC does to itself. Then I remembered I’m an American, so I have no standing to write such a thing.
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Thank you so much for printing this. I have had grave reservations about Adams, and they get graver all the time.
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Anita
Isn’t it a little odd that media and influencers convey to the public that a Black, male, protestant who listens to God is weird? And that, a plethora of Christian nationalists (assumed to be protestant) are nutso. But, a politicized right wing conference of Catholic Bishops who likely listen to God are normal? And, a white, Catholic, male like Leonard Leo (father of 9) who is the power behind the Federalist Society, belongs to a religious sect that cannot be named in public?
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Linda,
Here’s my overgeneralized take. Evangelicals are “called” to share their faith out loud. Catholics are generally much quieter. Their modus operandi does not generally involve public proclamation. It’s not that certain Catholic sects cannot be named in public; they don’t want to be named.
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Speduktr
I appreciate that you didn’t call me names.
I see your point about a different style.
I agree they don’t proselytize for new members. And, they don’t want mainstream media to focus on the anti-abortion, anti-gay, pro-school choice, pro-Koch, pro-GOP and Jan.6 involvement. Occasionally, there will be investigative coverage in local media. We can learn where the fight against democracy is occurring from info. at state Catholic Conference sites, National Catholic Reporter, Catholic Vote, etc. But, as you explained, a point I hadn’t thought about, it’s rare for them to be high profile in the way an evangelical protestant leader might choose. DeSantis and Pence may reflect the transitioning to protestant.The right wing Catholic impact is in the state capitol buildings and the courts. When a right wing Catholic is in the governor’s mansion or in the Senate, he acts on his beliefs but, the constituents don’t make the association with his religion.
Thank you for the insight.
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I don’t predict a second term.
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“People used to think I was on medication.”
Used to think??
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LOL. I’ve had some pretty fancy titles over the years, but Spokesperson for God? Wow. That’s really something, Mr. Mayor.
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The Holy Quad: The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and the Mayor
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She (God) is not a registered Democrat, however, with Rank Choice Voting she’d be a very popular candidate
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My condolences to all the fine citizens of NYC.
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I will accept those condolences on behalf of my Children.
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Both church beliefs and state
beliefs, quack the same way.
One must accept something as true,
genuine, or real. One must have
faith in the belief.
There doesn’t seem to be
much separation between
those mounted on the
high horses, of church or
state beliefs.
The jockeys won’t dismount
the high horse of their myths
and take a walk in the reality
of the “others” shoes.
What result, proves a separation
of church beliefs and state beliefs
exists?
The swear-in on a bible,
“endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable rights”,
“In god we trust” on
the bills, seem to be church
related.
Take your pick, the bible or
Simon-Sez constitution.
Both are concocted.
“Whose bread I eat, his song I
sing”
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I do believe as a Christian th
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Eric do us all a favor. Count on God to save you. Take a short walk from City Hall and a dive off the Brooklyn Bridge. I don’t know whether I should be glad or sorry that I no longer am a resident of the City.
Don’t thank God for your election thank Steve Ross a Trumpanzee real-estate billionaire who sabotaged with false 30 year old allegations of sexual harassment the campaign of the early front runner Scott Stringer. As is well documented in the Guardian.
Law firms always scrub their Web pages of their partners. The day those attorneys take on a pet project for their prime client. Female attorneys who spend a career defending corporations / Clients against sexual harassment charges always have a change of heart and represent the plaintiffs in sexual harassment complaints that never will be heard in a court but tried in the tabloids.
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Yes, Eric do them a favor
and live up to the myths
they’ve been schooled to
believe in…
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NoBrick
Don’t blame those enlightened (well everything is relative ) 18th century creators of the Declaration for “In God We Trust” on the Currency. That is a product of 20th Century anti Communist hysteria driven by Corporate/ Oligarchical propaganda that equated free markets (there are none ) with freedom. Equated greed with Godliness. Portrayed the New Deal with its (small) attempts to level the playing field (Especially the NLRA) as “The Road to Serfdom”.
It was none other than Ike who placed it on all currency in 1955. After 2 decades of a very concerted well funded effort by NAM (GE …) and Hollywood from Walt Disney to Cecil B. DeMille and future President Bonzo to equate capitalism with God. To turn the not very Religious Nation of the 1930s into Church going Capitalists.Church attendance increasing from 37% in 1930 to 49% in 1959. Before starting a decline .
Yes every purchase we make has “God on its side”. I am waiting, if the Christian Nationalists have their way ,”In God we Trust” will be on credit card receipts.
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Joel What you said.
There’s nothing like a little history to widen a narrow view and to put junk in its proper place. CBK
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Diane I don’t know which is the worst moral and spiritual hazard . . . (1) belonging to a religious organization or (2) living in a capitalist culture. Together, they are a poisonous blend that can destroy even the most tempered spirits among us.
I’m of the mind, however, that democracy can be and often is served well by both; but not when the grounding principles of democracy itself are set-on by the ignorant, self-serving, and contemptuous people and groups from either or both influences and persuasions.
I get sick to my stomach reading some of the hateful dribble on this site (sorry, Diane); but also, at times I am quite transformed and gain many insights, sometimes from the same people who are so full of contempt. So, I get behind reading many notes, but still hang around. (I automatically delete Josh’s notes for his utter stupidity, and Linda’s for her constant din of cherry-picked half-truths, distorted and hateful, anti-Catholic bias and don’t want to waste my time on such closed-minded ignorance on either score.)
I offer to you, however, that I, for one (and I know, and know of, many others), love science. However, I also pray, i.e., I talk with a still mysterious God whom I believe in but do not claim to know very well, and certainly not in the way that some here think about such a stance . . . so I hope you can put away the burning torches that automatically come out when you see “religious.”
And again, I love science and the truly scientific (open) attitude; but not the view from some who think they know “there is no God” with the same dangerous, and sometimes murderous, dogmatic attitude that we see in the Eric Adamses of the world.
For me, however, being religious is not anything like what is portrayed by so many on this site with such vehemence. I’ve been on this site for a long time now and appreciate, even love many of you (as much as one can love someone online, I guess) but for me, being sickened by the extreme anti-religious attitudes is not an abstraction.
Let me add this: Critique of religious people and institutions, or of scientists, is one thing . . . we can all learn from and by humanized by either . . . but if you love democracy as most here suggest you do . . . then religious people, as well as scientists and atheists, must be a part of the “we the people” situation, even as part of the public sphere . . . but not as politically controlling of it.
And I am convinced that a fear of both science and religion is stoked by oligarch . . .predatory capitalists . . . who buy officials and stand by, but know they still need to sway “the people” to do their bidding–and like the good little fascists that they are, they know just how to ring those bells in either camp.
A purvey of extremism, contempt, and hate, however, is quite another and only fuels the defensiveness of both the scientist and the quiet but religious people among us . . . the ones who, like me and so many others, also understand and love democracy all the way down to its core principles, including the battered freedoms in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. CBK
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Thank you for this CBK. I too am a believer who is not always sure how to address some of the disdain presented toward Christianity in this blog. What I can say is that neither Adams or “Born on the Eighth Day” Desantis represent the justification for my faith journey. The Christian Nationalism so prevalent and dangerous today has nothing to do with a believe in the teachings of aJesus from the Middle East 2000 years ago. There is far more depth to all faiths than the fundamentalism spewed by opportunities and grifters.
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Paul Bonner Thank you for your helpful note. I’m going to put up that thing from Corinthians just for the hell of it. . . I keep it handy to read for whenever I get really mad. CBK
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Paul Bonner A hard act to follow. CBK
English translation New King James Version
First Corinthians 13
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love
I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and can understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have faith, that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
And though I give all I possess to the poor, and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
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Not to get too deep here, but I often reflect on the fact that the biblical use of love is too often misinterpreted as a physiological emotional experience when in fact it is a call to be with and accept one another. That’s what I think Paul is trying to tell us here. I have always felt that the genius of our constitution was that we are welcome to believe and share that belief any way we see fit with out rejecting and acting to harm someone who has a different perspective. Now, we continuously fail in this endeavor, but it’s out there if we want to grasp it. This is certainly not the place for me to bore people with theological perspective, but I came to the conclusion a long time ago that I have to embrace this type of love to serve others effectively.
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Paul Bonner Much appreciated.
Authority has a place in our lives precisely because we are developing beings. But in a democracy, that need for authority has to make a slow shift from other-directed to self-directed in our movement towards maturation. This is where the power vacuum occurs in a democracy.
How that occurs, and what principles we take to govern ourselves in the context of a world of others becomes the key to both authentic and unauthentic authority. It’s authentic self-authority, direction, and ongoing development with others that will secure the ideal but also the concrete reality of democracy as a political system for as long as humans are around.
On responsibility, Richard Haas has a new book out, “The Bill of Obligations.” He was on NPR yesterday and said, in it, he was juxtaposing our narratives about freedom with the overlooked reality of civic and social obligations, especially for living in a democracy. He also mentioned the importance of PUBLIC SCHOOLS!
Now let’s party! CBK
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Paul Bonner Just a brief note about the definition of love. In a philosophical/theological work I am reading, the author discusses meaning as such, and says that there are hundreds of definitions, or “meanings of meaning.” It set me to remember a philosopher-teacher I had back in the 80’s. He was asked by a student in class one time when we were discussing Socrates’ speech in Plato’s “Symposium,” “What is love anyway?”
My teacher was quite aware of the multiple meaning of such terms in history but also about how little class time he had to explore. So, he gave this answer: “Love is wanting what is best for the other.”
As many of his words “stuck” with me over the years, this definition did also, not the least of which concerned what it does NOT say. I have referred to it many times in my own life as a kind of beginning point or framing of the question of “what do say and do, or not” in the seemingly endless “weeds” that grow in also-endless historical and personal life events. Sometimes the question’s meaning gets totally shredded by the detail, but sometimes it helps clear the way to the clarity of purpose I try to find in the hard work of living.
At any rate, there it is, and I don’t want to bore others here either, so I rely on knowledge of how dependent are we for our freedom on the presence of the “delete” button. CBK
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Great definition! It took me a while, but I finally got to the point where I could tell my stafff that it is about loving the kids.
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That’s fine, Paul, ignore what Jefferson warned, in every age, in every country, the priest aligns with the despot.
Ignore all of the indicators around you, Jesus, guns, babies as political slogan because you, individually, don’t associate your religion with the politicized religious who elect the GOP. Ignore the success of the GOP outreach to evangelical protestants and conservative Catholics because you are a religious person who votes Democratic.You are not like Leonard Leo, so ignore his power. You are not like the CNP nor the EPPC, so ignore their political influence on the policy, laws and government that affects the lives of people like the women forced back to the views of controlling patriarchy. You are not like Koch’s Paul Weyrich so, ignore his training manual posted at Theocracy Watch. Btw- he co-founded ALEC (drafts state laws for the GOP) and Heritage Foundation (Ginni Thomas’ former employer). Then, chastise the people who heed Jefferson’s warning and who are willing to understand the future foretold by the organizations, Leonine, Lumen Christie, Catholic Vote, USCCB, ADF, Napa Institute, Legatus, NOM, Manhattan Declaration, Beckett, Faith and Freedom, Notre Dame’s ACE, the collaboration of state Catholic Conferences with the Koch’s AFP, and the prediction about the Bible that will be waved when fascism comes to the nation’s door. I’m just identifying the tip of the iceberg.
Go ahead and be smug in your cloister of religious comfort while rights are stripped away.
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I am truly sorry you feel that way. My faith journey is based on the humility required when confronts this tendency you refer to as being cloistered. I know many who reject the very forces you cite here, yet they continue to seek spiritual enlightenment. My beliefs are not meant to harm anyone. Regretfully, some, claiming my particular faith, are. I am simply attributing this big sentient thing we call life to a force much greater than me.
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Linda I read the top of Paul Bonner’s note, so continued to read.
“Ignore?” Your note tells me you don’t know what you are talking about. I don’t know Paul, but certainly wouldn’t presume “ignoring” if I were you. In my view, the narrowness of your thinking is regularly proved here; and your expectations that others follow your view and then act on it is a cake-taker. If something good does seep into the conversation, or something that doesn’t match your own view, it seems to me your notes express the same “ignoring” that you accuse others of.
For me, your diatribes are exhausting. And so, I’m going back to NOT reading your repetitive and biased notes. Any “nuggets” of truth in them get buried in so much bad logic and obvious-to-me omissions, it’s just a waste my good time. And I happen to think, it’s Diane’s blog, but she and her readers deserve better . . . than the same methods that fascist propagandists use in their writings and on public forums, even in their treatment of truth. CBK
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Linda,
I am not quite sure why I, who identify as Christian, am responsible for the acts of every other person who also claims to be Christian. I do not expect all Muslims to be held responsible for every vile act committed in the name of Allah, nor do I condemn all Buddhists or Jews or Hindus,…or even, gasp, atheists for their less than non-violent, justice seeking, peaceful acts. Paul’s expression of faith in no way threatened you or your point of view. There was absolutely no reason for rebuttal.
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speduktr Nicely said. Your point is even true in families. If a person’s brother is a known felon . . .
I don’t read Linda’s notes anymore (I do read responses to them); but my complaint from before was that she treats Catholicism as if it were a pod-people conspiracy disease. When in fact Catholicism covers an historical, multi-cultural, and multi-country group of very different people with very different personal political outlooks, and so is hugely DIVERSE . . . and many in it who understand the needed change in the Church’s views as on the proverbial slow boat to China (so to speak).
Linda’s points are sometimes completely true . . . like protecting pedophile priests for a long time, or sexism (which is changing but, again, too slowly), and especially the RIGHT-WING activities of people in this country like Leo and even organized groups like the Federalist Society or ALEC. Here, however, Linda seems to forget the over-influence of power-monger oligarchs, as if even THEY are all being led around by those OMG! Catholics (defined as her coverall distorted pod-people view of us) instead of the other way around.
Has Linda recently (again) referred to that Jefferson quote about the fascist wrapped in a flag and holding a Bible? Hello! . . . that’s more about fascist personalities than the flag or the Bible? And there ARE some people in the Catholic (as well as all churches) who hold horrible totalitarian views and who fail to understand or accept the tenets of the U.S. Constitution . . . sort of like my-brother-was-a-felon kind of thing.
If things haven’t changed, Linda gives some good information but then goes way beyond authentic critique using every logical fallacy in book to tar and feather anything with the name “Catholic” associated with it. One of my favorites is when she finds an OMG! Catholic school in the background of anyone who does something bad . . . like you couldn’t do that with public schools, or religion in general, and with hordes of people who also do good in the world. It’s as if being “Catholic” brands all of us as necessarily right-wing, tribal, totalitarian, and fascist. She has asked, why would anyone belong to a church that denigrates women.<–that’s really one of the most historically ignorant things I’ve heard on this or any site. It’s right up there with calling Georgetown University a “Catholic organization.”
But there are so many logical fallacies in her notes that I just got sick of reading them. Pretty much any note has some sort of “hook” into an opportunity for Linda to bash Catholicism. And call me weak, but I cannot spend all of my blog time trying to right Linda’s wrongs.
For anyone reading this note, some months ago, the whole thing started with my thanking Diane for her (what I thought was a) reasoned discussion about religion; and Linda jumping in to accuse me of kowtowing to Diane as an authority here, of course like all Catholics blindly follow authority.
I wasted allot of time and energy on this blog trying to separate the wheat from the chaff by giving a context, by, in spite of some truths, pointing to evidence of an intense anti-Catholic/religion bias in Linda’s notes, and to reveal those truths AS half-truths combined with ignorant hyperbole, broad-brushing, cherry-picking, and omissions, even hatefulness. . . but nothing changed (She did start putting “right wing” more often in front of her subjects.)
So, I stopped reading Linda’s notes to stop feeling like I was being baited and needing to offer a critique of what, in my estimation, and despite some exposures of truth . . . is repetitious “spewing” and where there seems to be no end to it. But in Linda’s hands, truth is turned into propaganda, which is a method right out of the fascist playbook. And if pointing to fallacies doesn’t wake up a mind, then it’s, for all intents and purposes, gone dead.
I could go on here, but I have to wash my hair; and I wanted to get back to relative peace, and something besides dissecting truth from obsession in Linda’s over-the-top notes. CBK
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speduktr my response to you went to moderation. CBK
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I agree with you and your right to your beliefs, I also agree that some criticism here that ties every issue into a Papal conspiracy is over the top. I also agree with Linda that some elements of the Catholic Church in this Country have gotten a relative pass on their attack on our 1st amendment. It is hard to deny the link between organized religion (all ) and State power that limits the freedom of all, religious or not.
Jefferson and the framers are very much the product of living through or around the “Great Awakening”. Not only were there attacks on the Church of England and push back with State power. Each new protestant sect and its demagogic leaders attacked the others. Leaving a majority leery of the State picking the winner.
Thus Jefferson to Mordecai M. Noah, 28 May 1818
“I have read it with pleasure and instruction, having learnt from it some valuable facts in Jewish history which I did not know before. your sect by it’s sufferings has furnished a remarkable proof of the universal spirit of religious intolerance, inherent in every sect, disclaimed by all while feeble, and practised by all when in power. our laws have applied the only antidote to this vice, protecting our religious, as they do our civil rights by putting all on an equal footing. but more remains to be done. for altho’ we are free by the law, we are not so in practice. public opinion erects itself into an Inquisition, and exercises it’s office with as much fanaticism as fans the flames…”
It is hard to deny that there is a concerted multi decade ,well financed effort to tear down that Wall. A Wall that is “protecting our religious, as they do our civil rights by putting all on an equal footing.”
An effort that has invaded our body politic since the 1930s. And now threatens the freedom of all. From the School Board and Library to the Courts ,Congress and the White House the assault has been real.
Adams is an absolute disgrace. Tying Engel v. Vitale to an imaginary spike in Crime 60 years after that decision. It is not that crime did not go up from the Godless years of deBlasio when it was at record lows not seen since modern records were kept after WW2 ( a fact that one would not know reading the tabloids) . His problem crime (only dead men don’t lie) was 33% lower in 2022 than it was in 1962 when God was in NYC Public Schools and a million fewer people lived in NYC.
Sadly his running around the City of NY like a Guardian Angle highlighting every spectacular murder and his credentials as an ex cop,placed the fascist loving sedictionist party in power in the House.
The City where all this Godless crime was taking place voted between 67% in Queens and 78% in Manhattan to reject that message of fear. A long explanation as to why I left the small Garbage dump in the Harbor out.
Yet in the suburbs from Long Island to Rockland County where “your neighbors dog taking a poop on your lawn is the crime of the Century”, Democrats lost 5 seats in Congress. As Karen’s in the Burbs with little fear in NY of losing abortion rights for them or their daughters. Many of whom had not been to the City in decades , bought the fear mongering.
For some strange reason crime has almost totally disappeared from NYC media since election day. Perhaps it is that in spite of the small spike, Crime had already been heading down from the second half of 2021 as the City opened after covid.
But “the removal of prayer from our schools ” ….
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Joel Yes, and it’s a big clue when the “know everything” people go crickets when some prediction or event doesn’t go their way, or someone “bad” actually is responsible for something good occurring. They have a real “Sharpie problem.” CBK
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I believe one of our greatest challenges is to get back to separation of church and state. My father was an episcopal priest who refused to fly the American flag and would not allow me or my siblings to take bible in school, yes I grew up in Tennessee. Thank you for sharing this. The establishment and free exercise clauses are critical if we are going to continue as a democracy.
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speduktr
The author of Playing God, a recent book by Mary Jo McConahay, recognized that there will be people who will never be able to separate a church’s political action from its religion. I know from experience at the blog, that she’s correct. But, would you be willing to consider the name of an organization, your choice, that works politically to take away the rights of others, a group that spends, say, $3.5 mil. of its members’ money in a state to defeat a ballot issue about individual rights (maybe a right the segment had had for 50 years and a right in all other developed nations). You may offer a rationale that would say, yes, people joined the organization but, they don’t agree with everything and everybody in the organization. The difficulty for others is that the rights of the segment affected were lost due to the spending and politicking of the organization. Following your premises and assuming you see no foul, would you suggest how the segment can proceed to defend its rights? And, how long can they continue the fight given the strength of the organization in political circles and unlimited funding?
Relative to Paul, he wrote, “Thank you for this, CBK.” Speduktr, I ask you to read the personal insults leveled at me in CBK’s 3rd paragraph and those implied in the preceding 2nd paragraph. If I concluded this comment with false and character-maligning charges against you and, a commenter added, “Thank you for this,” in what light would you see it?
Thank you for reading my comment.
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Is the warning about the threat of Christian nationalism, without specificity, similar to Zelensky’s framing of Ukraine’s fight against the tyranny of “Russia,” while omitting Putin and the Wagner group from consideration?
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Mayor Adams can believe what he wishes, but he still has to perform his duties fairly for all the residents of the city regardless of his and their religious inclinations. He has a civic duty that is not associated with any particular religion.
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Eric Adams, aside from being an inept mayor, violates the Constitution with this nonsense.
I care not a whit what “deity” he chooses to follow in his private life. As mayor, though, he is bound, as a public officer, by the Constitution, which does not allow bringing one’s religion into one’s performance as a state actor in this way. He should be held to account for it.
Either he believes in the Constitution, or he doesn’t. If he doesn’t, he should quit. So should every other god botherer that runs for and attains office promising to use religion in this way.
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jsrtheta Some history: When I was teaching already-certified K-12 teachers as they took further education classes, I ran into many teachers who either covertly or overtly thought that teaching in public/secular schools was their chance to “insert” their religious ideologies into their classrooms.
I was shocked by it and tried to make remedy; but it was also one of my first (known) experiences of grown people living in a democracy who had no idea about civics in general or the meaning of the U.S. Constitution, much less about democracy itself, and especially with regard to the tenuous, at best, relationship between church and state.
I have to say that we can lay that problem at the door of their own educational experience (probably overwhelmingly public? but I didn’t take a poll), which by the time I was teaching at the time, went back to circa the 70’s and 80’s.
But then I remember how, over that time period, history courses (and others) were slowly being drained away from education to be replaced by STEM etc. I think the computer revolution, also happening during the later part of the 20th century, helped confuse and secure that slow quashing of civics and anything related to history and political science out of the curriculum.
Just as a personal comment . . . I was a horrible student in K-12 in the 50’s and 60’s but still, somehow, I “got it” about democracy. CBK
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I appreciate your thoughts.
But this is as good a time as any to say this as any other. I don’t have a web page to do it on, and unlucky you, you just happened to respond now.
I’m done. I am offline, except for paying bills and buying things. After 30 years I’ve had it with the internet. It is the primary reason this country is so consumed by hate. People spend all their time shouting at each other and raging.
It’s why we have Trump. It’s why bigotry and ignorance anger is the soundtrack of all our lives.
I am certainly as bad about this as anyone. This has nothing to do with anyone on this site, believe me. I am up there with the worst offenders, far worse than anyone here. I’ve never been Little Mary Sunshine, but I’ve never been this angry, all the time, as I am now.
Catherine, please know you just responded to me, and I have this little box to vent this in. It has NOTHING to do with you.
I appreciate all of you. But on every site I go to, it’s just anger and quick rage and it’s killing this whole country, this whole world.
I’m out.
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jsrtheta If you do go away, please know I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your refreshing, insightful, (and pithy) comments. I doubt I will be the only one who will miss you . . . that is, if I remain myself. CBK
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jsrtheta
You must do what is best for your emotional health.
Given the personal attacks that Catherine has leveled at me, she would well understand your comments.
From the time I first started posting at this site, I have seen my duty as communicating not just here but, to audiences of one, receptive or not, like my congressmen, faculty, news reporters, spin tank staff, etc.
I agree there has to be more than venting at this site. To the extent that your comments informed and gave support to those who needed heartening, thank you.
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Take it from me, Linda, that was pretty mild.
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Flerp-
Good to know, I hadn’t realized I’d been spared.
Is there a softening in the avatar negotiations?
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From my cold, dead hands!
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FLERP! I missed your meaning HERE about “cold dead hands” though I remember the quote. Can you explain? CBK
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Linda elsewhere playfully proposed swapping avatars with me, or perhaps purchasing mine. My part in this playful discussion is to vehemently rebuff all advances. Here I adopt the voice of Charlton Heston.
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FLERP Thank you for the explanation! CBK
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See we don’t always disagree well stated. Adams is a disgrace.
Adams has attributed the recent rise in crime in NYC to the end of school prayer. Engel v. Vitale was in 1962. That year there were 631 murders in NYC with a million fewer residents than today. Last year the number of murders was 432. That is lower than all but the last 2 year of Bloombergs term ending in 2013. But here is the thing in 2010 when it first dropped below 500,Bloomberg correctly touted NY as the safest big city in America. Murders (dead men don’t lie other statistics can be “splained” away )in NYC are lower and lower per-capita by up to hundreds of percent for every year from 2011 till they started keeping modern records after WW2.
Except for those Godless years under deBlasio. Snarkiness
noted.
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It is the same carnage syndrome suffered by political manipulators including Adams, Trump, and Desantis. It is a rhetorical tool to justify tyranny in many police forces and political institutions. As soon as Adams was elected he went to his beloved NY Police and declared it is us against them. This is a sociopathic perspective that lives off of projected fear.
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JSR, I do hope you will not stop commenting here. I really look forward to your wisdom, your careful thought based on valuable experience. I would miss it, a lot.
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**My response went to moderation. CBK
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Again, my note to Spedukr went to moderation. CBK
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2:28-3:28:
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Broken Spirit…
Demosthenes:
You cannot have a proud and
chivalrous spirit if your
conduct is mean and paltry;
For whatever a man’s actions
are, such must be his spirit.
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The thoughts posted are insightful and I agree, NoBrick.
Sometimes I struggle at the blog. The experts in psychology tell us that there is a type of narcissist who can not be ignored, they escalate. After personal attacks, a person has only one option. We see it play out with Jim Jordan. The high road is where his opponents want to be. But, his attacks are unrelenting. Chivalry in the other person is a failing proposition. Safeguarding one’s reputation has to drive the response to someone like Jim Jordan.
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It is possible that a person with narcissistic tendencies frequently references themselves by using the word “I” in a discussion about a philosophy or an issue.
Is there a psychologist in the house?
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LG About using “I” . . . maybe it’s a way of taking responsibility for a person’s own ideas and arguments. I don’t know, however, in each and every case. Ooops, and OMG! There’s another “I.”
Watch out. Your use of “I” is now under suspicion by the “I” police. CBK
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Consider myself warned.
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Wasn’t Demosthenes the brother of Telly?
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Adams is totally right. Thirty years ago, the almighty spoke to me on the toilet and said NYC will employ a horrible mayor in 5783 (2022). Totally right.
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I’m confused. Who was on the toilet? You or the Almighty? 🙂
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If one was to believe the NYTimes, it seems that NYC has been on a bit of a streak in that regard…
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And to think that I once thought Eric Adams was just what New York City needed! Boy was I ever wrong!!!
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a liberal like you is usually wrong, nobody with a brain thought this idiot would be good. Even the cops did not want him ding ding should been a red flag before.
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You say “liberal” like it’s a bad thing.
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Yes, I am a liberal and proud of it, but I also DO have a brain, Josh. Nobody is right all the time, but that doesn’t make me a witless wonder.
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Did God tell him to get some money on the backs of the elderly NYC municipal retirees? Was that God or Michael Mulgrew who told him to use every possible path to throw those who gave decades of their lives to keep NYC functioning into a for profit, private, inferior to what was promised, Medicare Advantage plan? Maybe both God and Mulgrew told him to push with every breath to destroy the health insurance that the elderly, first responders, surviving spouses, and disabled retirees currently have.
Now let’s not confuse that breath with his mandated mindful breathing for next year in the schools announcement today. Mindful vs destructive brought to you by God’s messenger.
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Etoile, you are spot on. What Adams is doing to public employees’ health care is a disgrace.
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As we are all too painfully aware, Mulgrew is driving this catastrophic betrayal.
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VERY glad to be living in Illinois! (The spelling is now appropriate: no longer ILLAnnoy,)
Thanks Gov. J.B, S.o.S. Giannoulias & Mayor Johnson.
Most of all, thanks to the voters who, well, voted. 99% of the work/good result is showing up.
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