Whereas Christianity involves a lessening of monotheism involved in the doctrine of a trinity, the acceptance of Christianity is considered to be an abrogation in the commandment to avoid all foreign worship and therefore to die is preferred to conversion. The acceptance of Islam is a different story because Islam is monotheistic and thus certain communities accepted Islam when confronted with the choice between the sword and conversion.

(As the leader of a Messianic movement, Shabtai Tzvi’s “obligations” regarding accepting Islam or converting might have differed from those of ordinary Jews.)

The general law regarding the choice between conversion and abrogating one of these three sins can be found in Maimonides’ the laws of the Basics of the Torah (Hilkhot Yesodei Hatorah) in the Fifth chapter.

Obviously the fighting of wars in which innocents are killed raises questions about this supposed preference for death rather than abrogating these laws.

Orthodox Jews believe in heaven, but I’m not sure if heaven is assured to one who chooses death over abrogating these laws; (does it outweigh a previously sinful life).

The parallel is that Podhoretz is stating that the admiration of Obama is a drunkenness, the absence of sobriety.

Let him think what he wants.

Practically still, peace is possible only with acceptance of the other, and affirmation of that mutual acceptance in treaty, commitment to continue mutual acceptance.

It is the same as the one you can buy from Highbeam Research, unlike other copies I’ve seen.

They’re a bunch of treasonous phucks.

Bullshit. Podhoretz either needs to read history, or stop with the dininfo campaign to fool American Jews and all their supporters. That is not what Shabbatai was about. He was for deception. He recommended being Moslem on the outside and Jewish at home. They are known as Doenmeh Jews or crypto-Jews. Kemal Ataturk of Turkey was one; reason why he would not allow the Muslim religion as a state religion in Turkey.

Read Hillel Halkin’s piece here about Ataturk. Halkin’s first article about Ataturk was written in January 1994 for The Forward from Zichron Yaacov, when Halkin was their Israeli correspondent, but The Forward scorched it from its archives, and got Lexis-Nexis to remove it as well. You can only find the original on Highbeam Research for a fee. You might be able to get a copy of a copy if you search Google with the original title “When Kemal Ataturk recited Shema Yisrael.”

Halkin’s July 25, 2007 piece in The New York Sun is here:
link to nysun.com

I’m sure the citation is unfamiliar to you, you paskudnik! Squatting on prayer rugs in Tebetan monasteries and chanting “Ohm” instead of davaning and studying Torah!

I bet you’re a blast at parties. Don’t forget to duck, there will be canards flying everywhere.