Krauthammer: "Gibson's Blood Libel"

Washington Post ^ | Mar. 5, 04 | Charles Krauthammer

[churchillbuff]

Gibson's Blood Libel

By Charles Krauthammer Friday, March 5, 2004; Page A23

Every people has its story. Every people has the right to its story. And every people has a responsibility for its story. ...[snip]

Christians have their story too: the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Why is this story different from other stories? Because it is not a family affair of coreligionists. If it were, few people outside the circle of believers would be concerned about it. This particular story involves other people. With the notable exception of a few Romans, these people are Jews. And in the story, they come off rather badly.

Because of that peculiarity, the crucifixion is not just a story; it is a story with its own story -- a history of centuries of relentless, and at times savage, persecution of Jews in Christian lands. This history is what moved Vatican II, in a noble act of theological reflection, to decree in 1965 that the Passion of Christ should henceforth be understood with great care so as to unteach the lesson that had been taught for almost two millennia: that the Jews were Christ killers.

[wardaddy]

Man, you are sure reaching with some broad generalizations.

[infowarrior]

And what is the response of the Christian to be?

Even as the Lord has said...

Love your enemy, even as yourself...

the infowarrior

[BCrago66]

You mean Jews have not died on the battlefield in Iraq? Perhaps you're telling us too much about yourself.

[mercy]

I don't think you gave any thought at all to the question.

Just let Abe Foxman make a movie showing Jesus of Nazareth as a womanizing false prophet and let's see how loud you scream.

They are not hurt by the Gospels. Maybe unhappy and unbelieving. They have never complained like this before. Try to take a step or two in their mocasins. It's the way that Gibson made this movie they disagree with.

I think it very telling how you all toss Krauthammer to the wolves when he was just yesterday one of your best friends.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

He knows that every Jewish family has lost thousands of people over the generations because of inciting portrayals such as Gibson's.

You apparently consider the Gospel an "inciting portrayal" of events as well. If you do, you're missing the entire point of Christianity. The entire point. That is sad.

[stands2reason]

Ultimately, a civilized society must disarm its citizenry

(shiver)

[thoughtomator]

If it's the result of preconditioning (which I agree it is to some degree), that also constitutes a fabrication. There is simply no hatred for Jews expressed in this movie. It is unreasonable for any group of people to demand that members of that group are portrayed only in positive ways. Can you imagine a black lobby being treated seriously if they demanded that no black person ever be shown on film as a bad guy?

None of the myriad peoples of the world have hands that are clean of sin throughout all their generations. Neither may any man justly be held responsible for the errors of another.

[BCrago66]

Why' when you disagree with one person who happens to be Jewish, do you make general negative statements about Jews? Do you have a personal problem?

[Texasforever]

I didn't toss anyone to the wolves. In fact I left this thread because of some idiots comment about the holocaust being exaggerated. I hate bigots on both sides of this issue.

[autoresponder]

The critics are making Christians start examining their 80% dem voting patterns

Oddly, they will vote with American Islamics in majority numbers this November

Sleeping with their enemies

Hum the theme from M*A*S*H now


You know the words

[Finalapproach29er]

I don't think so. I think the real truth has finally been flushed out. Tolerance is a one-way street for mostof these hypocrite Jews-mostly the liberal ethnic.

I think society's next act is to ostricize, scold, and pressure Christian-hating Hebrews into being "tolerant".

Add to the laws; maybe some sensitivity training, a class perhaps... What's good for Us is good for them, right? Fairness,after all.

[Sabertooth]

Also, it was Mel Gibson's own hand that drove the spike. It was a symbolic but very significant gesture. Maybe some of our Jewish friends aren't aware that he did that, or don't understand why.

See my #55.

We all put Christ on the Cross. We all drove in the nails.

Mel Gibson knows it, and he wants everyone to know that he knows it.

[wardaddy]

I don't know squat about Krauthammer's personal observance but at least since the early days when he abandoned the confines of THE LEFT, he has been very very up front and proactive about Jewish Identity and Israel....not something I fault btw.

How religious he is I have not a clue but he is very Jewish.

[mercy]

****As a Christian, I certainly didn't look to see if there was any "anti-semitism" in the film - - why would I? But I do know that Jesus himself was a Jew, as were Mary, Simon, Peter, May Magdelen, and a whole lot of other people central to Jesus' life and times. ****

Stop. Pretend you are a Jew. All those folks you just named are heretics. the lowest form of life. Under Mosaic law of the time they deserved death.

The deep truth is .... no, you can't handle the truth.

[wardaddy]

Yes....amazing...he should know better.

[Al Simmons]

"Boy are you ever wrong about Krauthammer! He's as far from an "ACLU jerk" as one can get. If you read his column regularly, you would know this. Krauthammer does not hate anyone, but he does know what it is to be hated and to have his entire people hated going back generations. He knows history. He knows that every Jewish family has lost thousands of people over the generations because of inciting portrayals such as Gibson's. The Jewish community has been decimated again and again throughout history at the hand of those who are whipped into a violent, sadistic rage by the local representatives of the Holy See. You might not like to hear that, but it is the case. If the shoe were on the other foot, you would understand. Jews hate violence and the sight of it; From what I have read, some Christians find the violence of the movie uplifting are dragging their kids to see this violence. Most Christian academics, who have actually studied what is really known about the first century, are as upset about the fictionalization of the facts, as is Krauthammer."

The Germans summarily executed my uncle in 1941 because he was a Serb (along with 6000 other men women and children on the same day).

I do not hate today's Germans for what those Germans did 63 years ago.

The Turks enslaved my people for 500 years, tried to convert them and to destroy their religion and culture.

I do not hate the Turks today for what the Ottomans did all those centuries ago.

so...GET OVER YOUR NARCISSISM AND SELF-ABSORPTION AND LIVE IN TODAY'S WORLD.

P.S. The "Christian Academics" you refer to (like the Jesus seminar perhaps?) are neither Christian nor academic. At best they are apostates, at worst devil-worshippers.

[drlevy88]

Most Christian academics, who have actually studied what is really known about the first century, are as upset about the fictionalization of the facts, as is Krauthammer.

Show us these academics and their political leanings too. Methinks most of them are CINO's.

[stands2reason]

Can't let a little thing like normal human respect amoungst the races get in the way of your crusade though.

What's a little "blood libel" between friends?

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

And similarly, I have agreed with people like Hugh Hewitt on most things until now, and am dumfounded to realize that he has blinders on as to the danger of this movie among the world's Christians, especially those who already continue to put on passion plays each year, in which things are no complete until blood is drawn and replicas of Pilot and the Jews are beaten. God help us all from the power of this movie.

[mercy]

I think the central problem here is that most of the christian world is not at all empathetic with the Jews. A race of people. Christianity is a religion. Jews are a race. Their cultural heretage and experiences are very different from christian americans. Were you ever called a kike. Christ killer? Heeb? Were your grandparents gassed?