Ann Coulter calls for Jews to be 'perfected' by converting to Christianity Nick Juliano

Published: Thursday October 11, 2007



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Print This Email This Jewish group calls on media to boycott right wing author The National Jewish Democratic Council called for media organizations to stop inviting arch-conservative Ann Coulter to appear on television after the right wing pundit and author continued her habit of making outrageous, offensive comments on national television. This time, Coulter said Jews should be "perfected" by accepting Jesus and America would be better off if everyone was a Christian. A national Catholic organization also criticized Coulter's remarks. "I'm just dumbfounded that a Christian would even say this in America," Chris Korzen, executive director of Catholics United told RAW STORY . Korzen said it was "particularly dangerous" to be mixing religious conversion with discussions of what it means to be an American, and he said Coulter's comments reminded him of John McCain referring to the US as a "Christian nation." "I don't believe I read anything in the constitution about Jesus Christ dying for our sins," Korzen said. Others called for television networks to ban Coulter from the airwaves. While Ann Coulter has freedom of speech, news outlets should exercise their freedom to use better judgment, NJDC Executive Director Ira N. Forman said in a press release. Just as media outlets dont invite those who believe that Martians walk the earth to frequently comment on science stories, its time they stop inviting Ann Coulter to comment on politics. Media Matters also criticized Coulter, one of the group's favorite targets. Coulter's comments came during Monday's episode of CNBC's The Big Idea, but received little notice until Media Matters' report Wednesday and the NJDC's criticism Thursday. Host Donny Deutsch asked Coulter what her ideal picture of America looked like and she recalled the 2004 Republican convention in New York City. "People were happy. They're Christian. They're tolerant. They defend America," she said. Deutsch asked, "It would be better if we were all Christian?" Coulter replied "yes," and reitereated her declaration again later in the interview, although she denied wanting to wipe all Jews off the map. "We just want Jews to be perfected, as they say," Coulter said. Deutsch, a practicing Jew, said he was personally offended by Coulter's remark, and she tried to defend herself. "I don't want you being offended by this. This is what Christians consider themselves, because our testament is the continuation of your testament. You know that. So we think Jews go to heaven. I mean, [Rev. Jerry] Falwell himself said that, but you have to follow laws. Ours is 'Christ died for our sins,'" Coulter said. "We consider ourselves perfected Christians. For me to say that for you to become a Christian is to become a perfected Christian is not offensive at all." Another Catholic group blasted Coulter's remarks, saying they "show profound ignorance of both religion and American history." "Ms. Coulter embarrasses Christians with her arrogance and insensitivity," Alexia Kelley, Executive Director, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, said in an e-mail to RAW STORY . "And (she) does not speak for those Christians and Jews who struggle together every day for justice and the common good." Reaction to Coulter's comments was mixed online, with the US correspondent for Israeli daily Haretz cataloguing all the possible responses to Coulter's latest tirade. In what he calls one of the "silly parts of blogging," Shmuel Rosner gives a range of reactions from, " This is anti-Semitism; pure and simple," to "She only said that for a Christian it is okay to hope for everybody else to be a Christian. What's wrong with that?" to "Ann Coulter? Who's Ann Coulter?"



