Sanity Squad: Rabbi Shmuley & Conspiracy Psychology
Part one of this week's podcast focuses on conspiracy theories, and their origins in fear and denial. In part two, author, and marriage and family therapist Rabbi Shmuley Boteach of the hit TLC series "Shalom in the Home" joins the Squad as a special guest to discuss the breakdown of family life, the need to make judgements about right and wrong, and when to hate our enemies.May 15, 2007 - 3:30 pm
Rabbi Shmuley and Conspiracy Psychology
The Sanity Squad is composed of 4 mental health professionals, Neo-neocon, Dr. Sanity, Shrinkwrapped, and Siggy.
It’s too bad that Rabbi Shmuley is such a Christian hater. The hostile manner in which he came out against Mel Gibson and the Passion of the Christ movie suggests he’s got first hand experience with paranoia and conspiracy theory. Shouldn’t the Sanity Squad have this guy on the couch, rather than as a guest?
To call Rabbi Boteach a Christian hater is absurd. He has worked with evangelical Christians for a long time and continues to do so.
His call to boycott Gibson’s films (a stand I vehemently disagreed with) was not predicated on hate of Christians, as you imply.
Boteach was outraged that Gibson trivialized the Holocaust. In an interview with Peggy Noona, he said “Yes of course. Atrocities happened. War is horrible. The Second World War killed tens of millions of people. Some of them were Jews in concentration camps. Many people lost their lives. In the Ukraine several million starved to death between 1932 and 1933. During the last century 20 million people died in the Soviet Union.”
Boteach went on to say, “I once greatly admired Mel Gibson not only as a quality actor but as a quality human being. He was one of the few Hollywood celebrities who seemed devoted to his wife and family, and as a father of seven I had great admiration for another father of seven who saw the blessing, rather than the burden, of having lots of kids. As a religious man, I was greatly inspired by his commitment to his Catholicism. But all that is behind me now. Because whether Mel hit his head against a rock or just decided to follow in the footsteps of his Holocaust-denying, anti-Semitic father, the Mel Gibson that first charmed us as an innocent-looking Australian soldier in Gallipoli seems gone forever.”
Disagreeing Boteach’s views on the Passion is not a license to misrepresent what he said or to misrepresent his views towards Christians.
Other religions have a tendency to do just that.
Christians do not.
Know what I mean? Sure you do.
That’s the “If this guy doesn’t agree with me” he’s crazy proposition? Right?
Well I dont agree with that and your just nuts.
Having watched many episodes of Shalome I can honestly say Rabbi Boteach comes across as one of the most rational, non-ideaological men I’ve ever seen. He puts reality first and lets his religion guide him, not the other way around. Great podcast!~ I read Dr. Sanity all the time and she is supremely cogent. Maybe now I’ll check out some of these other brainiacs! Keep it up people! Thankfully your influence is spreading.
Here is Australia the conspiracy theorists are free to combine their denial with anti-Americanism and Antisemitism – so Bush caused the tsunami and the Bali bombings were really an Israeli mini-nuke. After all everyone know that Americans are dumb and Jews are clever – or something. A podcast to save for the days when my delusional friends get me down.