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Basis of Christianity is bloodily sodden with hatred of the Jews (Leading Belfast journo on Passion)
The Belfast Telegraph ^ | 04 March 2004 | Eamonn McCann

Posted on 03/06/2004 8:17:26 AM PST by Joblie

MEL GIBSON says that his film, The Passion of the Christ, is a faithful representation of the biblical story of Jesus' trial and execution. He also says the movie isn't anti-Semitic. He cannot be right on both counts.

The New Testament is, among other things, an anti-Semitic tract. It is the source of the anti-Semitism which has characterised Christianity for two millennia.

If the film isn't anti-Semitic, it's out of line with the Gospel. In face of complaints from US Jewish leaders, Gibson removed from the film's sub-titles - although not from the Aramaic sound-track - the response of the Jews to Pilate's hand-washing disavowal of blame for sending Jesus to be crucified: "His blood be upon us and our children."

But why? The quote is there in Matthew 27:25. Its meaning is clear and has been fulfilled in unspeakable ways down the ages.

Luke 23:28-29 gives the same point a more vicious twist, depicting Jesus telling weeping women he encounters on the Way of the Cross: "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me but for yourselves and your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never gave suck!'"

Better for Jews that they'd never been born, then.

There's been no shortage of Christians ever since to ram this murderous message home to Jewish neighbours.

John's Gospel (8:44) has Jesus telling the Jews they are descended neither from God nor from Abraham but are children of the Devil.

The early Fathers of the Church took inspiration from the Bible as they preached hatred of the Jews.

In the works of Tertullian, Justin, John Chrysostom, etc., Jews are relentlessly libelled... the obscene Jew, the Satanic Jew, the murderer-of-God Jew, the whoremonger Jew, etc.

And so it continued. Pope after Pope, Council after Council, confirmed and codified the subhuman status of the Jews.

Every century is pock-marked by examples. (Council of Toledo, 694: Jews living in Spain declared slaves, possessions confiscated, all children removed from them at seven and prepared for marriage to Christians.)

Hitler didn't suck the idea of Jews wearing yellow badges out of his thumb. He took it from the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215.

The Nazi persecution can be seen as a practical expression of traditional Christian attitudes to Jews.

"From the beginning until the end of Hitler's rule, the bishops never tired of admonishing the faithful to accept his government," Guenter Lewy recalled in "The Catholic Church and Nazi Germany."

Individual Catholic clerics who opposed the Nazis' anti-Semitism were a tiny minority, totally unrepresentative.

Catholic apologists concede now that the Vatican and the German bishops should have given stronger, more courageous leadership.

But this is dodging the issue. One of the reasons they didn't is that, by and large, they agreed with the Nazis.

From its beginning, Protestantism was as bad. The editor of the Nazi hate-sheet "Der Sturmer," Julius Streich, cited Martin Luther, reasonably, in a plea of justification at Nuremberg.

In his disgusting treatise "On the Jews and their Lies" in 1543, Luther had called for the fire-bombing of synagogues, the demolition of Jewish homes, the silencing of rabbis, the banning of Jews from public places, the confiscation of Jewish property and the enslavement of "all strong young Jews and Jewesses."

Christian hymns provided the theme music for the Holocaust.

Even after the gates were flung open on the horrors of Auschwitz, Christian teachers, in Ireland as elsewhere, continued to instruct infants that the scattering of the Jews and the persecutions they endured were punishment for the killing of the Christ.

Argument over Gibson's blockbuster gore-fest diverts attention from what's important.

If the film fuels anti-Semitism, it's to be condemned, irrespective of its merits as a movie.

But let's not allow a satisfying controversy obscure the fact that the founding text of Christianity is bloodily sodden with hatred of Jews.


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To: DestroytheDemocrats
According to some recent polls, 17% of Americans (up from 12% five years ago) hold to political and economic stereotypes about Jews

What % of Americans hold to political and economic stereotypes about Christians?

61 posted on 03/06/2004 9:25:19 AM PST by freebilly
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To: DestroytheDemocrats
Yeah, pretty vile words from Luther, but the 2004 is not 1543. I'd start looking at the real enemy of Judaism worldwide and take my outrage there.

Israel's little support in the world today comes from Christians.

62 posted on 03/06/2004 9:33:26 AM PST by freebilly
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To: Joblie; All
This guy leaps from a description of events, most of which occurred 800 to 1000 years ago, and from dialogue between Jesus and the political managers of the Jewish community in 30 AD to the conclusion that the movie and the scripture will result in anti-sematic acts today. Doesn't follow logically, and as somebody points out, has not happened either.

Responsibility is individual. The Roman church and its successors in the mainline Protestant community engaged in many actions that fly in the face of the Christian message of the New Testiment. We might have been equally guilty if we had been there but we were not--and today, the clear message from the Christian community to the Jews is one of love and support at every level.

63 posted on 03/06/2004 9:34:33 AM PST by David
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To: freebilly
"What % of Americans hold to political and economic stereotypes about Christians?"


Polls are an interesting snapshot at any given point in time.

However Christians cannot be concerned with "sterotypes", this is a spiritual war and must be fought in that manner.

This is not about flesh and blood, while there to be plenty of battles to fight to protect us, we are entering a "new" phase of battle. It will be through the WORD old and new that leads us against those who seek to destroy us. That is the body of Christ. I don't want to 'preach' but.....
64 posted on 03/06/2004 9:35:04 AM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: Cboldt
Oh, I didn't even think of that. I am referring to liberals of the frantic variety such as this writer.

I read something the other day (I can't remember the poster) who said the attitude from so many Jewish critics is indicative of centuries of oppression which has become almost a collective paranoia, akin to many blacks who think everything is based on racism.

There might be some truth in this, because I am sure people like Krauthammer grew up hearing tales about how things degenerated in Germany, with relatives who ignored it until it was too late for them to escape. I think many Jews are thinking that this might be similar, and they don't want to take the chance on not stopping it. They are wrong, but it is understandable.

However, as we move further along from the opening of this movie and nothing changes, perhaps their attitudes will soften.

Writers like this guy, however, are simply anti-Christian because it threatens them with the thought that there is a God who requires them to make a choice, and what they would choose does not please God. It is sad and somewhat scary.

If I were counseling Jewish people about this movie, I would suggest that they have some faith in Americans and how we will behave. I don't know the answer about foreign showings. Countries that have a history of pogroms don't need much of an excuse.

65 posted on 03/06/2004 9:38:23 AM PST by Miss Marple
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To: DestroytheDemocrats
Weren't you on another thread yesterday preaching the evil deeds done by Catholics the past 2000 years?


So you think you are talking to the Lutherans today, who will be on your list tomorrow?
66 posted on 03/06/2004 9:47:23 AM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: freebilly
"How much of the anti-semitism is from non-Christians?"

First you guys say, "Well there's there is no anitsemitism in America." Ever heard of skinheads. Ever heard of the KKK? Ever heard of the Nation of Islam? When it is proved that there is and it is growing you say, "Well those antisemites not Christains." Then when it is proved some are you say, "Well they are not REAL Christians because no real Christian is capable of it."

Accept it!! Antisemitism exists in America and Christians are capable of it.

67 posted on 03/06/2004 9:49:56 AM PST by DestroytheDemocrats
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To: freebilly
How much of the anti-semitism is from non-Christians?

IMO, all of it.

68 posted on 03/06/2004 9:52:05 AM PST by Cboldt
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To: DestroytheDemocrats
You really need to get a grip. WHAT ARE YOU DEMANDING BE DONE?

First you guys say, "Well there's there is no anitsemitism in America." Ever heard of skinheads. Ever heard of the KKK? Ever heard of the Nation of Islam? When it is proved that there is and it is growing you say, "Well those antisemites not Christains." Then when it is proved some are you say, "Well they are not REAL Christians because no real Christian is capable of it."

Accept it!! Antisemitism exists in America and Christians are capable of it.
69 posted on 03/06/2004 9:52:15 AM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: DestroytheDemocrats
No one is saying there is no anti-Semitism in America. There are those in every time who behave this way in order to make themselves feel superior. Some may even think they are Christians.

However, no denomination that I know of promotes anti-Semitism, and fringe groups who do are not accepted by the majority of Christians. While Christianity has many episodes for which it should be ahamed, I would remind you that the Jews of Jesus time also treated poorly non-Jews and Samaritans. No religion can claim perfection in the behavior of all of its adherents.

70 posted on 03/06/2004 9:54:55 AM PST by Miss Marple
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To: freebilly
"What % of Americans hold to political and economic stereotypes about Christians."

Christians are just fine!! There are 1,927,953,000 Christians in this world. There are only 13 million Jews. Thirteen million is a pittance! They feel threatend. They ARE threatend. Can you understand that?

71 posted on 03/06/2004 9:56:39 AM PST by DestroytheDemocrats
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To: Joblie
Anyone know when the pogrom is on for?
72 posted on 03/06/2004 9:57:33 AM PST by TheDon (John Kerry, self proclaimed war criminal, Democratic Presidential nominee)
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To: Just mythoughts
Accept it!! Antisemitism exists in America and Christians are capable of it.

OK, so define "Christian"

73 posted on 03/06/2004 9:57:38 AM PST by jimmyray
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To: Miss Marple
They won't be happy until we are back in the catacombs.

That might not be a bad thing, considering that the minute you came out of them you started cutting each other's throats.

74 posted on 03/06/2004 9:58:29 AM PST by Agnes Heep
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To: DestroytheDemocrats
"Christians are just fine!! There are 1,927,953,000 Christians in this world. There are only 13 million Jews. Thirteen million is a pittance! They feel threatend. They ARE threatend. Can you understand that?

"There are only 13 million Jews. Thirteen million is a pittance!"

The Promise to Abraham was his children would be as numerous as the stars of heaven and sands of the shore. and no where is it written that our Heavenly Father canceled that Promise. I guess those "lost sheep" Christ told his disciples to go to FIRST are not being counted.
75 posted on 03/06/2004 10:01:22 AM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: freebilly
"pretty vile words from Luther, but the 2004 is not 1543"

Following Luther and the "Reformation" the Church convened the Council of Trent to implement some truly needed reforms, etc. Well, that Council in the Roman Catechism clearly taught that Christians are more responsible for Christ's suffering than Jews. This has been the teaching of the Church since at least the 1500s.
76 posted on 03/06/2004 10:01:52 AM PST by AMDG&BVMH
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To: freebilly
"pretty vile words from Luther, but the 2004 is not 1543"

Following Luther and the "Reformation" the Church convened the Council of Trent to implement some truly needed reforms, etc. Well, that Council in the Roman Catechism clearly taught that Christians are more responsible for Christ's suffering than Jews. This has been the teaching of the Church since at least the 1500s.
77 posted on 03/06/2004 10:02:00 AM PST by AMDG&BVMH
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To: Agnes Heep
You have shown up on almost every thread about this movie to denigrate Christians. Whatever your problem is with the faith, sir (I remember that you are a man, you see), I respectfully request that you quit the attacks. You aren't winning converts and are stirring up a level of animosity that isn't necessary.
78 posted on 03/06/2004 10:02:07 AM PST by Miss Marple
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To: jimmyray
Followers of Christ. That is their credibility, know His Word, Old and New and you will know His sheep.
79 posted on 03/06/2004 10:02:59 AM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: DestroytheDemocrats
True, anyone is capable of evil. Thank you for honesty in expressing your fears. I pray that your fears about anti-semitism from Christians are relieved and that all Jews and Christians can move beyond any and all past and present bigotry and hatred.
80 posted on 03/06/2004 10:03:06 AM PST by freebilly
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