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From:  The Pro-Life Infonet
Reply-To:  Steven Ertelt
Subject:   Lieberman's Rabbi Urged to Teach Him Pro-Life Values
Source:   NewsMax; January 31, 2003

Lieberman's Rabbi Urged to Teach Him Pro-Life Values

Washington, DC -- Pro-abortion Sen. Joseph Lieberman's Rabbi, Barry
Freundel, may have opened up a can of worms when he told the Washington
Post's Lloyd Grove earlier this week that he didn't think having a
presidential candidate in his congregation would "affect my standing as a
rabbi."

Acting in a personal capacity, Judicial Watch Chairman Larry Klayman fired
off a letter to Rabbi Freundel urging him to avail himself of the
opportunity to educate Lieberman, the Orthodox Jewish abortion advocate,
on the just how far he's strayed from the fold.

"You should be proud that you are the first Jewish rabbi in United States
history to count a presidential candidate among your congregation,"
Klayman wrote Freundel. "And I applaud your decision to not advise him on
politics but instead on religious issues."

"However," continued the public interest lawyer, "I urge you to counsel
Senator Lieberman what it means to be an orthodox Jew."

Klayman continued:

"You stated in Groves column that you 'suspect that there are a lot of
people who would want to be in this position (as rabbi to a leading
presidential candidate), but I dont think it affects my standing as a
rabbi.' But according to Mishnah, the oral interpretation of the Hebrew
Scriptures, abortion is only permitted when a womans life is in the
gravest of danger."

The Judicial Watch chief also reminded Rabbi Freundel of his own
statements at the 2000 National Right to Life Convention, where he
contended that the majority of U.S. abortions were in conflict with Jewish
Scripture.

"You also mentioned that you would 'certainly make time' to meet with
Senator Lieberman if hes elected President."

Klayman then suggested, "You may want to consider using this historic
opportunity to educate a presidential candidate on what being an orthodox
Jew is all about, so that he can live his life according to these tenets
and perhaps teach others to respect the lives of the unborn as well."

right politics Keeping

This is an interesting dilema. I say this because on the one hand, I wonder how someone puts aside their religious beliefs in order to gain public favor and votes necessary to gain public office. On the other hand, I believe you represent the person/people who elected you and must work to uphold what they want.

I guess I think you should run for political office on a platform that reflects your religious beliefs. That way, if you are elected, the people who elected you chose you knowing your beliefs so you should be able to vote your conscience and still be representing those who elected you.