What does 'Judeo-Christian' mean?

townhall.com ^ | 3/30/04 | Dennis Prager

[kattracks]

The United States of America is the only country in history to have defined itself as Judeo-Christian. While the Western world has consisted of many Christian countries and consists today of many secular countries, only America has called itself Judeo-Christian. America is also unique in that it has always combined secular government with a society based on religious values.

But what does "Judeo-Christian" mean? We need to know. Along with the belief in liberty -- as opposed to, for example, the European belief in equality, the Muslim belief in theocracy, and the Eastern belief in social conformity -- Judeo-Christian values are what distinguish America from all other countries. That is why American coins feature these two messages: "In God we trust" and "Liberty."

Yet, for all its importance and its repeated mention, the term is not widely understood. It urgently needs to be because it is under ferocious assault, and if we do not understand it, we will be unable to defend it. And if we cannot defend it, America will become as amoral as France, Germany, Russia, et al.

First, Judeo-Christian America has differed from Christian countries in Europe in at least two important ways. One is that the Christians who founded America saw themselves as heirs to the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible, as much as to the New. And even more importantly, they strongly identified with the Jews.

For example, Thomas Jefferson wanted the design of the seal of the United States to depict the Jews leaving Egypt. Just as the Hebrews left Egypt and its values, Americans left Europe and its values (if only those who admire Jefferson would continue to take his advice).

Founders and other early Americans probably studied Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament, at least as much as Greek, the language of the New. Yale, founded in 1701, adopted a Hebrew insignia, and Hebrew was compulsory at Harvard until 1787. The words on the Liberty Bell, "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land . . . ," are from the Torah. Vast numbers of Americans took Hebrew names -- like Benjamin Franklin and Cotton Mather (kattan in Hebrew means "little one" or "younger").

The consequences included a strong Old Testament view of the world -- meaning, in part, a strong sense of fighting for earthly justice, an emphasis on laws, a belief in a judging, as well as a loving and forgiving, God, and a belief in the chosenness of the Jews which America identified with.

The significance of this belief in American chosenness cannot be overstated.
It accounts for the mission that Americans have uniquely felt called to -- to spread liberty in the world.

This sense of mission is why more Americans have died for the liberty of others than any other nation's soldiers.

It is why those who today most identify with the Judeo-Christian essence of America are more likely to believe in the moral worthiness of dying to liberate countries -- not only Europe, but Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. That is why America stands alone in protecting two little countries threatened with extinction, Israel and Taiwan. That is why conservative Americans are more likely to believe in American exceptionalism -- in not seeking, as President Bush put it, a "permission slip" from the United Nations, let alone from Europe.

The second meaning of Judeo-Christian is a belief in the biblical God of Israel, in His Ten Commandments and His biblical moral laws. It is a belief in universal, not relative, morality. It is a belief that America must answer morally to this God, not to the mortal, usually venal, governments of the world.

That is why those who most affirm Judeo-Christian values lead the fight against redefining marriage. We believe that a pillar of Judeo-Christian values is to encourage the man-woman sexual and marital ideal, and to provide children with the opportunity to benefit from the unique gifts that a man and a woman give a child, gifts that are never replicable by two men alone or two women.

That is why those who most affirm Judeo-Christian values are unmoved by the idea that the war in Iraq is moral if Germany, France, China and Russia say so, but immoral if they oppose it. We ask first what God and the Bible would say about liberating Iraq, not what Syria and other members of the U.N. Security Council say.

That is why those who most affirm Judeo-Christian values believe that war, while always tragic, is on more than a few occasions a moral duty. Nothing "Judeo" ever sanctioned pacifism. Of course, the Hebrew Prophet Isaiah yearned for the day that nations will beat their swords into plowshares. But another Hebrew Prophet, Joel, who is never cited by those who wish to read the secular value of pacifism into the Bible, said precisely the opposite: "Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, 'I am strong!'"

And that is why those who want Judeo-Christian values to disappear from American public life affirm multiculturalism, seek to remove mention of God from all public life, and make Christmas a private, not a national, holiday.

The battle over whether America remains Judeo-Christian or becomes secular like Europe is what this, the Second American Civil War, is about.

©2004 Creators Syndicate, Inc.

Contact Dennis Prager | Read Prager's biography

[docmcb]

Hooahh! Go Dennis!

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

The battle over whether America remains Judeo-Christian or becomes secular like Europe is what this, the Second American Civil War, is about.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Bookmarked.

[Skooz]

bump

[Just mythoughts]

"One is that the Christians who founded America saw themselves as heirs to the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible, as much as to the New. And even more importantly, they strongly identified with the Jews."


Yes those Christians who founded America saw the Bible as a WHOLE book, not what most modern Christians are taught today.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[Jonx6]

ping

[wgeorge2001]

I so appreciate this wise American Jew who loves our great country and understands the truth of the sorrows of the liberal left and the dangers of secular humanist government. The Lord Jesus Christ blesses the nations that bless the Jewish people and curses the nations that curse the Jewish people. Christians like myself realize that God channels the carnal blessings that we have enjoyed in American life through the Jewish people and that only can come if the people of the nation know that there is one God and one faith and one Holy Spirit baptism.
If the selfish liberal left has it's ignorant way, this nation will be plunged into a time not seen since the dark ages and Jews and Christians along with freedom loving conservative agnostics and religionists will suffer along with them; though our souls are saved with all them who come to God through the grace of God by faith alone in the finished work of Jesus Christ at the cross of Cavalry and by his resurrection power. He alone arose from the dead on the third day by the power of God almighty after paying our sin debt for all believers in Him alone. 10. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15. Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16. Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17. And the way of peace have they not known: 18. There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 29. Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: 30. Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

[aruanan]

Great article. Of course, as one would expect when people are involved, the identification with Israel has been taken to extremes:

1. Some groups have gone so far as to state that that they are, indeed, Israel (British Israelism and its very successful New World variety Mormonism). This is historically, archeologically, linguistically, anthropologically, etc., etc. nonsensical.

2. Some groups believe that God has replaced Israel with the Christian church which now stands in relation to God as Israel used to and is now, as the "new Israel," the object of all God's promises that were made to Israel starting with Abraham. This is largely the fault of relatively modern dispensationalism and comes from poor exegesis. This error was dealt with pretty effectively by Paul back in the first century in the letter to the Romans.

[livesbygrace]

I saw him on Dennis Miller last night and was very impressed with him. Dennis almost talked to him exclusively, even though there were two other people on the 'Varsity Panel.'

[Caleb1411]

BUMP

[BibChr]

FWIW, what Dennis Prager thinks about anything interests me only slightly more than what Andrew Sullivan thinks about anything.

Which is to say, not.

Dan

[Just mythoughts]

"Great article. Of course, as one would expect when people are involved, the identification with Israel has been taken to extremes:"


"......the identification with Israel has been taken to extremes:"

Yes, especially when what some claim, turns what is actually WRITTEN from the "beginning" "UPSIDE DOWN"! Who did Christ send the disciples to FIRST????????

[ForGod'sSake]

What does 'Judeo-Christian' mean?

A question that has been on my mind also, but I don't believe Prager offers much enlightenment. It's difficult for me to reconcile the combination outside of, say, the Ten Commandments. At best I find it odd that a religion, Judaism, that rejected the very foundation of another religion, Christianity, are used in the same hyphenated term.

The United States of America is the only country in history to have defined itself as Judeo-Christian.

Really? I suppose I could have been under a rock. I've always perceived, incorrectly apparently, the U.S. as a nation founded on primarily Christian roots. The Jefferson item Prager cites as a connection is slim evidence. It would seem more likely, if not probable, that Christianity and Judaism would be at odds given their obvious "parting of the ways" where Jesus Chirst is concerned, given the Old Testament foretold of His coming....many times. I say He's a gift; the savior of all people in the world who's only requirement is that they accept Him. For those that choose not to believe or accept Him is something that will be dealt with by God Himself.

Prager should start breathing through his nose instead of his mouth.

IMO, of course.

FGS

[Just mythoughts]

"Really? I suppose I could have been under a rock. I've always perceived, incorrectly apparently, the U.S. as a nation founded on primarily Christian roots. The Jefferson item Prager cites as a connection is slim evidence."


No you have not been "under a rock" but rather founded upon the "ROCK"!

Now what is missing in the article is the date when this nation changed being call a "Christian" nation to Judeo-Christian nation. I would suggest it has been a recent modification, what might be called PC.

All writers of the New Testament, including Christ Himself, made the Old as the FOUNDATION of Christianity.

[ForGod'sSake]

I would suggest it has been a recent modification, what might be called PC.

Sort of what I figured also. My question would be to what purpose though? Who are the likely winners and losers in this scenario?

All writers of the New Testament, including Christ Himself, made the Old as the FOUNDATION of Christianity.

I'm not sure I follow. Do you mean to say there are many principles established in the OT that flowed into Christianity? Is not the foundation of Christianity based on the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ?

FGS

[Just mythoughts]

I would suggest it has been a recent modification, what might be called PC.


"Sort of what I figured also. My question would be to what purpose though? Who are the likely winners and losers in this scenario?"

"The purpose" is foretold all through the OLD and the NEW. We live prophecy each and every day, as Pauls says in ICorinthians 10: 11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (examples): and they are written for our admonition (warning), upon whom the ends of the world (age) are come. The NEW had not been completed at this point and these examples were recorded in the OLD which Paul was well learned in.

The "winners and losers" are in our Heavenly Father's hands and each individual will be held to account. Christ warned us not to be deceived. Matt 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, when asked what would be the signs of his return.

All writers of the New Testament, including Christ Himself, made the Old as the FOUNDATION of Christianity.

"I'm not sure I follow. Do you mean to say there are many principles established in the OT that flowed into Christianity? Is not the foundation of Christianity based on the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ?"

FGS

Christianity is called such because Christ is head of the Church. All principles established in the OT are very much what Christ taught from, Christ became the final perfect "blood sacrifice", thus ending the "blood ordinances for one and all time. Through this sacrifice, He also became the Priest with that miracle at his death of the "veil" in the holy of holies being rent from top to bottom, which up to that point only the "high priest" could go behind. Each individual was given access to our Heavenly Father through Christ.

Christ was there in the Beginning, Tree of Life, and Christ is pointed to throughout the Prophets, Moses, King David, Major prophets, and Minor prophets, etc. Our Heavenly Father "divorced" spiritually speaking those children of Israel, written of in the OLD, and Christ established the path for all of Our Heavenly Father's children to be a part.

The foundation of Christianity was set "In the Beginning". Those children of Israel were taught about the coming of Christ. Remember Christ taught in parables to the masses and explained in private to the disciples, we this day have benefit of the explanation. Christ told us that it is not given for all to understand. Some are sent strong delusions so they would believe lies, some for their own protection. Christ instructed his disciples to go to "first" the lost sheep of the House of Israel.

It is a recent modern development that has cause many Christians to ignore the OT.

[yonif]

bttt