The "religious right" is a myth.

There is no unified bloc of religious people with a unified agenda heaven-bent on criminalizing more and more extra-scriptural things for the sake of creating this hyper-moral utopia in America.

Baruch Hashem.

The New Jersey Jew ish Standard ran a story speaking about various religious organizations' reaction to the emergency contraceptive Plan B's being sold

The pill is designed to prevent a pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. WalMart began filling prescriptions for Plan B in March because "they could not justify being the only large pharmacy chain that didn't carry it." This means that now all large pharmacy chains will have access to Plan B, and before the end of this year, this pill should be in the hands of any woman over 18 who wants it.

One would expect such wide access to contraception to run smack head-on into a front of irate Scripture-clutching fundamentalists. Well, yes and no.

The Jewish Standard reports:

When the FDA last week approved the over-the-counter sale of Plan B, a post-intercourse oral contraceptive, conservative and right-wing Christian groups scored the move, but Jewish groups seem fairly nonplussed by the decision.

This would have been a perfect opportunity for Jewish organizations to jump on the right-wing bandwagon, decrying Plan B as a harbinger of the downfall of American society. They are not saying, as Christian NewsWire quoted the apparently Catholic-aligned organization No Room For Contraception as saying:

Over the counter access to emergency contraception will make minors more vulnerable to sexual abuse. Easy access to Plan B will allow sexual predators to cover up their crimes by making a simple trip to the pharmacy.

No, the rabbis aren't saying that. Instead, Orthodox Union-aligned Rabbi Jeffrey Fox of Teaneck, New Jersey's modern Orthodox Kehillat Kesher congregation said:

Rabbi Jeffrey Fox, of the Orthodox Kehilat Kesher in Englewood, agreed that the pill does not pose much of a halachic problem "because the pill must be taken within 72 hours. According to the Talmud, the first 40 days, the embryo is called ‘mayim be’elma,’ simply water."

The Orthodox movement generally prohibits abortion, though, except when the fetus threatens the life of the mother. In that case, said Fox, the mother’s life always takes precedence over that of the unborn life. And when a fetus has certain known genetic defects, many Orthodox rabbis would condone abortion. It is almost universally condoned in the case of rape.

Rabbi Avi Shafran of the American charedi organization Agudath Israel was equally not moved by the Plan B decision:

Rabbi Avi Shafran, the spokesman for the fervently Orthodox Agudath Israel, which typically falls to the right of the Orthodox Union, said the issue is not that simple. Agudath Israel has not taken a position on the Plan B pill.

"Needless to say, we deplore the culture of abortion that has resulted in the routine abortion of considerably advanced fetuses even when there are no truly compelling justifications," Shafran told The Jewish Standard.

Granted, Agudath Israel wants the repealing of Roe v. Wade for "carte blanche endorsement of abortion as a woman’s 'right.'" (The "right" in question was right to privacy but that's irrelevant.)

But his problem, the problem of Agudath Israel, again, was not Plan B but a sociological phenomenon. Pregnancy is taken lightly and he wants to combat that. This is a far cry from fear-mongering and this.

In addition, notably absent from this article was Muslim input. Paterson, NJ schools get off for Muslim holidays. Not one sheikh came out either in support of or against Plan B. A "religious right wing" should unify all religions no?

People like Gary Aminoff quote people like radio host Dennis Prager and say things along the lines of "the more a Jew understands Jewish law and is committed to Torah values, the more apt he is to support social conservative positions."

I question Mr. Prager in light of the above. Here you have Orthodox rabbis going against quite socially conservative right-wing organizations.

I find myself a bit insulted by Mr. Prager. Not that I'm his hugest fan, but does Mr. Prager know more about "Jewish Law" than Rabbi Avi Weiss? And isn't Boro Park's Dov Hikind a Democrat? Is he not committed to Torah?

Morality does not only extend to the abortion clinic or the motel room. And, at worst, the worst abortion could ever achieve scripturally is a crime less than murder. Yet, whether by commission or omission, murders of the poor in Katrina and Rita, murders of Arabs "suspected terrorists" with no due process, exemption from war crimes -- how can one look at Bush's actions and say, "I know Scripture and I know this guy is doing what G-d wants!"?

Taking a stand against bigotry and racism. Taking a stand for the poor. Looking into the Torah -- without ties to the GOP and not on Pat Robertson's payroll -- and asking, "What does the Torah say about this?" Actually caring about and helping people. Why does G-d not want this, but would instead favor a philosophy of "F your neighbor, F the poor, just keep raking in those bucks galore"? G-d honestly supports 64 deaths per month?

An infinite G-d is not going to fit so neatly into the GOP party platform.

Again, in America, the hijacking of Scripture.

(cross posted from MySpace)