‘Spare us the sermonizing’

Wonderful news! See “Area clergy join Rabbis for Obama,” Sept. 19. The anti-lashon hara rabbis have joined the ‘Rabbis for Obama’ group. Shame on all the pro-lashon hara rabbis who did not join Rabbis for Obama.

What utter nonsense. If the rabbis were really against lashon hara, they would have formed the ‘Rabbis for Palin” group. Every week, the lashon hara against Sarah Palin continues to grow, with no outrage from the members of Rabbis for Obama. Or do they believe that lashon hara against Sarah Palin is a mitzvah?

Clergy who become political activists deserve no special credence. Politically active rabbis should stop hijacking terms like “lashon hara,” “tikkum olam,” and “Jewish values” for political purposes. Are the Rabbis for Obama saying that John McCain and his supporters are pro-lashon hara, anti-tikkum olam, and anti-Jewish values?

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Rabbis for Obama, spare us the sermonizing. You are in the political arena now. Just say that you support Barack Obama and explain why without making your politics into a religious issue. Your congregants are capable of deciding what is lashon hara, tikkun olam, and even the definition of Jewish values.