American Christians Don't Threaten Jews [Critics of "The Passion" look for anti-Semitism...]

WSJ Opinion Journal ^ | 4/05/2004 | ARYEH SPERO

[Eala]

Record-breaking multitudes over a span of many weeks have now viewed Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" in every major and far-flung U.S. locale, and not one American synagogue has been torched or Jewish cemetery vandalized by the Christian faithful who have seen the movie. Having been forewarned that in medieval Europe, passion plays and Easter sermons roused the public to immediate pillaging of Jews and their property, Americans should be proud that the warnings by Jewish organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League of anti-Semitic outbreaks did not materialize here.

[Eala]

another review

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[Bismarck]

Rabbi Spero is THE man!

[Eala]

Isn't he, though! Right on target...

[marron]

...it has been obvious for decades that American Christianity embodies a warm and symbiotic attachment to the Jewish religion, believing as it does in a Judeo-Christian ethic with strong, literal emphasis on the Old Testament.

Such did not prevail in pre-World War II Europe, which viewed the Jewish religion as basically illegitimate. Moreover, Americans, in contrast to Europeans, have repeatedly shown themselves to be philo-Semitic. In America, Jews are not considered "outsiders."

And herein lies one of the most disheartening but salient observations one is forced to make, post-"Passion," about many in the Jewish community: They still don't get it. Even after more than two charmed centuries in America, they confuse contemporary America with medieval and postmedieval Europe, still not realizing how America and American Christians are a category wholly different from those of other nations, other religions and other strains of Christianity.

[Ciexyz]

Wow! Keep on talkin', Rabbi Spero!

[CharliefromKS]

BTTT!

[Eala]

ping

[Migraine]

The Muslim world may well use this Christian film to depict Jews as evil and further their anti-Jewish propaganda.

...which represents less a problem with the film than with Islam.

[Eala]

there was the devilish ugliness in which they were physically portrayed

Something to look for the next time I see the movie. I don't recall this at all, outside of Barabbas.

[Ciexyz]

I'm forwarding this article to a number of net friends.

[MEGoody]

"Something to look for the next time I see the movie. I don't recall this at all, outside of Barabbas."

You're right. The Roman soldiers looked pretty bad (well, at least some of them). But I didn't see anything wrong with the looks of the Jews (except Barabbas).

[presidio9]

DUPLICATE

[Eala]

Odd. I did a search before spending the time to post this. Not sure why it didn't show up.

[Ciexyz]

there was the devilish ugliness in which they were physically portrayed

I believe that Mel was trying to portray the ugliness of evil that exists in unredeemed humankind....perhaps this was misconstrued by some viewers. The mob of children who heckled and chased Judas was shown at times with twisted, ugly faces. Mel wasn't saying that the Jewish children were part of an ugly race....but that the children were an incarnation of the Devil, or that the presence of the devil had entered the children and incited them to provoke Judas to suicide.

Ditto for the female Devil figure carrying the "demon child", the Devil's mocking of the Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus. The "demon child" represents unredeemed humankind in the Devil's grasp, who was freed by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. At the end, when Jesus gave up the ghost and the Devil screamed in a kind of orgy of rage and anger....you see that the captive "demon child" is nowhere in sight, for unredeemed humanity has been liberated by the sacrifice of Jesus.

[Eala]

Ah. I know why. He posted the subtitle, not the primary title and I used search terms from the primary.

[TexasRepublic]

The heads of American Jewish organizations ignited this world-wide controversy by implying that American Christians are but one movie away from attacking their Jewish neighbors. Now that the evidence is in, will they apologize?

Yes, about the same time that Barbara Streisand shows up at the gun range with her Uzi!

[AlaskaErik]

"We are deeply concerned about conservative Christian views and policy initiatives," Mr. Foxman wrote recently.

This boy had better pull his head out of his rectum. He should be much more concerned with the views of his fellow left-wingers. In case he hasn't noticed, the left now supports the enemy and villifies Jews and Israel.

[bayourod]

"The heads of American Jewish organizations ignited this world-wide controversy by implying that American Christians are but one movie away from attacking their Jewish neighbors. Now that the evidence is in, will they apologize? "

I doubt it. The Jewish leaders who constantly attack Christians don't see anything wrong with it. They have no more respect for Christians than Muslims do for "infidels". It's open season on Christians, especially conservative ones.

[Map Kernow]

It's easy to attack American Christians, schooled on love and forbearance, who will never requite these attacks with any sort of comparable intensity. It takes real bravery to confront the anti-Semitism of militant Islamists and left-wingers who have been inclined to physical violence.

HA! Someone's been reading our posts here. American Christians are a "soft target" and a "soft touch." That's why it's so convenient and risk-free for human vermin like Foxman to attack them.

I have to assume from the "Passion" controversy that too many American Jews don't know what goes on during Christian services, or get their impressions from TV and Hollywood, which always present Christian church services as moron conventions. Yesterday was "Palm Sunday" in the Christian calendar, also known as "Passion Sunday," because in many churches, including Catholic churches, the entire Passion narrative of one of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) is read to the congregation, often (as in Catholic churches) in "Passion Play" style, with the pastor taking the role of Christ, other honored members of the congregation various individual roles, and the congregation itself the part of the Jewish mob. Got that? And on Good Friday, in Catholic and other churches the entire Passion Narrative in the Gospel of John will be read in the same manner.

That tradition didn't start yesterday---it's been going on for hundreds of years in America. And I defy any of you to cite me an instance where that annual "Passion Play" in Christian houses of worship led to an anti-Jewish pogrom here in America.