Wednesday, June 9, 2004

Heschel: God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism "To the mind of the Jew mitsvah bears more reality and is a term more frequently and more prominently used than averah [sin]. In the Christian vocabulary the frequency and importance of the two terms is just the reverse. Christianity has not taken over the idea of mitsvah and, as we have seen, there is no precise equivalent for it in Western languages. On the other hand, the term "sin" has assumed the connotation of something substantial, a meaning not implied in averah." 7:55:41 PM    comment []

The Bush Monarchy "Abusing Morality and Law. Washington Post: Legalizing Torture. The Bush administration assures the country, and the world, that it is complying with U.S. and international laws banning torture and maltreatment of prisoners. But, breaking with a practice of openness that had lasted for decades, it has classified as secret and refused to disclose the techniques of interrogation it is using on foreign detainees at U.S. prisons at Guantanamo Bay and in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is a matter of grave concern because the use of some of the methods that have been reported in the press is regarded by independent experts as well as some of the Pentagon's legal professionals as illegal. The administration has responded that its civilian lawyers have certified its methods as proper -- but it has refused to disclose, or even provide to Congress, the justifying opinions and memos. The Bush administration believes that law -- domestic and international -- is what the Bush administration says it is. Now we have lawyers' justification for torture, but under a less harsh name. I keep wondering what so-called conservatives would be saying if Bill Clinton had asserted such sweeping powers in this and other ways, or had consistently stiffed the Congress and American people with secrecy and arrogance. My guess is they'd be insisting that the law, or maybe even national honor, should mean something. Not this crowd. [Dan Gillmor's eJournal]" 7:39:06 PM    comment []