The 70-year-old Rabbinical Alliance of America has called upon Republican primary voters in South Carolina to reject the candidacy of Mitt Romney. The socially conservative organization — which represents more than 850 orthodox rabbis — is asking Christians in the state to bypass the former Massachusetts Governor on the ballot because of his stance against certain traditional values, specifically his support of the homosexual lifestyle as acceptable and normal behavior.
In a news release, the alliance stated:
America’s fate will likely be determined in the South Carolina presidential primary, Jan. 21. The man … the voters choose will probably become the Republican presidential nominee, the man charged with defeating President Obama and reversing the moral and economic freefall he and his allies have encouraged.
In a recent televised Republican presidential debate, Gov. Romney, a dangerous homosexualist, boasted that he will continue to pander to the lowest elements of American society in many areas, including appointment to the [Supreme] Court. This bodes very ill for those with future Supreme Court appointments in terms of the militant homosexual agenda. And basically, what we perceive at this point — the New York Orthodox Jewish Community — to be a very, very much anti-religious, anti-traditional values bent of the courts system. This could impact upon us literally for decades to come.
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Alliance spokesman Rabbi Yehudi Levin called this a “Nineveh moment” for America:
The famous story in the Bible of the prophet Jonah, who received a prophecy [from God] and he went to [the Assyrian city of] Nineveh. He told them — “In 40 days you are going to be destroyed because of your wickedness, because of your evil, because of your good old-fashioned immorality.” And the people repented — that’s the story of Jonah.
The alliance was specifically referencing a GOP debate in New Hampshire on January 8, in which WHDH’s moderator Andy Hiller said to Romney:
Governor Romney, I’d like to remind you of something you said in Bay Windows, which is a gay newspaper in Massachusetts, in 1994 when you were running against Senator Kennedy. These are your words: “I think the gay community needs more support from the Republican Party, and I would be a voice in the Republican Party to foster anti-discrimination efforts.”
How have you stood up for gay rights and when have you used your voice to influence Republicans on this issue?
Romney responded:
Andy, as you know, I don’t discriminate. And in the appointments that I made when I was governor of Massachusetts, a member of my Cabinet was gay. I appointed people to the bench, regardless of their sexual orientation — [I] made it very clear that, in my view, we should not discriminate in hiring policies, in legal policies.
At the same time, from the very beginning in 1994, I said to the gay community, “I do not favor same-sex marriage.” I oppose same-sex marriage, and that has been my, my view. But, but if people are looking for someone who, who will discriminate against gays or will in any way try and suggest that people that, that have [a] different sexual orientation don’t have full rights in this country, they won’t find that in me.
The alliance has also called upon the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) to sanction Romney for adhering to social principles that are in conflict with LDS teaching regarding homosexuality and related issues. The group also castigated conservative talk radio hosts for focusing almost entirely on economic issues and ignoring social issues:
The scary part is not that Romney “came out of the closet” politically, but that the Hannitys and Limbaughs failed us by not discussing the implications of Romney’s stance. … Endless defense of “Capitalism” for days on end; nary 10 minutes about morality and Supreme Court nominations. FOR SHAME! [Emphasis in original.]
The Rabbinical Alliance’s admonition observed that America’s existence is intimately tied to the teachings of the Creator of Jews, as well as Christians:
If America is to regain G-D’s grace and rebuild our ruined economy, it is crucial that South Carolina actively reject Governor Romney’s previous record and future aspirations. Choose the right man. The man who has lived and shares our Biblical values, the moral man with the uncompromising moral positions who will thus bring G-D’s blessings, once again, to our society.
America is on the brink of collapse economically and morally. Capitalism alone can not save it. No amount of financial tinkering can save a country which is morally bankrupt — that is what we learn from the decline and fall of the great empires of history. America became great, because it acknowledged G-D in every aspect of its public life — on the dollar bill, on public buildings, and in the schools — G-D as the author of America’s liberty and national success. G-dly values comprised the public and private moral code of America and Americans.
And G-D blessed this nation with an abundance of wealth and greatness unparalleled in human history. But, over the last 50 years, secular libertines have succeeded in gradually excluding G-D and His moral code and value from the public square — from our schools, from our law, and from our public institutions. It is up to the religious leaders and followers of South Carolina and other primary states to elevate the moral records of the candidates to the “primary” position of importance. Heed the message of Nineveh: We do right by G-D, He will do right by us! The time is short. We are being judged. Will we choose wisely?
Pointing to the beginning of the celebration of Chanukah last month by Jews around the world, Rabbi Levin again reminded the Judeo-Christian world that the Festival of the Lights was a victory over cultural values in the ancient world that were wholly at odds with what Jews and Christians believed. He declared:
Chanukah commemorates the defeat of the Syrian Greek efforts to impose their pagan culture on the Jewish people. The Jews rejected the intergenerational homosexual activity which was a prominent aspect of the Syrian Greek culture. While our organization does not make any endorsements of political candidates, in view of the disastrous national decline in morality, we are compelled to condemn Mitt Romney’s support and promotion of the immoral homosexual lifestyle and agenda. While we sympathize with those challenged by homosexual urges, or a desire for minors or adultery, they all remain prohibited activities that debase the practitioners and demoralize society.
