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In contrast, the Christians hold, on the basis of their Scriptures and the accounts of Jesus' words and example, that the use of "the sword" should have nothing to do with religious conversion.

That may be true now, but it wasn't for a LONG time. Read the history of Christian-Jewish (and, particularly, Catholic-Jewish) relations going back oh, about 1950 years or so. Mostly it isn't a story with a great ending for the Jews involved - and that is why we are less than thrilled to hear about, or be subject to, attempts to convert us, however well-intentioned that they may seem or be (because many of the early attempts started out the same way, real polite and all).

You folks have your covenant with G-d, and we have ours. Why don't you and we agree - in a very civil manner - to disagree about our faiths and have the decency to respect the right of each other to be left alone. That's all that Jews have ever asked, by the way - just to be left alone. How about actually respecting that desire, which is no skin off of your collective backs, for once in the last 2 millenia? We just finished having one-third of our people shot and gassed within living memory, and now a bunch of lunatic Moslems with ballistic missiles and a very strong desire to acquire nukes are making threatening noises about murdering another 6 million or so of us. Just so you know, we're getting a bit tired of this kind of stuff. Hope you understand.

FYI, Jews don't try to convert ANYONE and, in fact, it is very difficult for someone to effect a genuine conversion because it is our belief and practice (at least the traditional Orthodox one) that a potential convert should be strongly (though politely) rebuffed at least 3 times before the process is allowed to go through, and we are never supposed to initiate the entire process.

Maybe try reading and understanding what G-d promised Abraham in Genesis 12:3: "And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you."

I'm just now reading Paul Johnson's "History of the Jews" and I agree there were many shameful instances of Catholic oppression of Jews over the last two millennia.

All of the condemnations the Prophets of Israel hurled against the Jewish People, could just as fittingly be hurled against the Catholics: that your people and mine have acted against their divine heritage.

And of those to whom much is given, much more will be expected.