{"id":55858,"date":"2020-07-10T16:24:08","date_gmt":"2020-07-10T22:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=55858"},"modified":"2020-07-10T16:25:26","modified_gmt":"2020-07-10T22:25:26","slug":"off-the-pulpit-both-sides-now-this-i-believe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/off-the-pulpit-both-sides-now-this-i-believe\/","title":{"rendered":"Off the Pulpit: Both sides now \u2013 This I believe"},"content":{"rendered":"

By RABBI DAVID WOLPE<\/p>\n

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You can be a staunch Republican and still believe that most Democrats are neither foolish nor unAmerican.<\/p>\n

You can be a staunch Democrat and still believe that most Republicans are neither cruel nor narrow.<\/p>\n

You can be a devout atheist and still be convinced that religious people can be both informed and honest.<\/p>\n

You can be a devout believer and still be convinced that atheists can be both moral and deep.<\/p>\n

You can be an Orthodox Jew and think that liberal Judaism is born of considerations that are both principled and important.<\/p>\n

You can be a liberal Jew and think that Orthodox Judaism is neither simplistic nor rigid.<\/p>\n

You can be a leftist on Israel and believe that the right is motivated by principle, not prejudice or lack of compassion.<\/p>\n

You can be a rightist on Israel and believe the left is motivated by decency, not recklessness or ignorance.<\/p>\n

I have strong beliefs concerning all of these controversies, but I do not assume that those who oppose me are therefore bad, cruel or less thoughtful than myself. I invite you to join those who try to judge issues, not character.<\/p>\n

God is bigger than our partisanship<\/p>\n

Sometimes, we should be too.<\/p>\n

(Rabbi David Wolpe is the senior rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles.)<\/em><\/p>\n

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