Posted on 08/02/2006 7:18:48 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein
August 2, 2006 - 09:47
A wave of New Testament fever seems to be gripping liberal media types. As reported here, during a recent Good Morning America, Chris Cuomo noted that the Gospel of John denotes Qana as the place where Jesus turned water into wine. Who would have thought that Adam Shatz - of the far-left Nation magazine - would be a New Testament maven? But, saints alive, he leads his op-ed in today's LA Times with the very same story.
What could account for this new-found interest in the New Testament? You don't suppose it could have anything to do with a desire to add fuel to the anti-Israel fire in the wake of its bombing of Qana, do you?
Annotated excerpts from the Shatz column:
"History repeated itself Sunday with grisly precision when Israel, in the midst of another war with Hezbollah, bombed a residential apartment building in Qana, killing as many as 56 civilians, 37 of them children."
Israel acknowledges having bombed the area. But there is growing suspicion that Hezbollah might have at least partially staged the aftermath. Not a hint of this from Shatz.
"Is Israel's 'accidental' violence against civilians somehow better, or more morally acceptable, than that of a Hamas suicide bomber who steps into a pizzeria seeking to kill civilians? Or a Hezbollah guerrilla firing a Katyusha in the direction of a Haifa residential neighborhood? In short, do Israel's declared intentions make a difference?" 'Accidental' in scare quotes, Adam?
If you have any evidence that Israel intentionally targeted civilians, bring it forward. Otherwise, it's hard to see this as other than a slur, and an irrational one at that. Why would Israel want to provoke the entirely predictable condemnation of the 'international community'?
"Israel is not really addressing its 'apologies' to the Arab world but to the West, the club of 'civilized' democracies in which it proudly claims membership."
Shatz clearly has a love affair with scare quotes. In one sentence he manages to cast doubt on the sincerity of the Israeli apology while throwing in some moral relativism for good measure. After all, what makes the US and UK any more civilized than Hezbollah?
"Another argument made by Israel's defenders is that it cannot be held responsible for killing civilians in militant strongholds. . . By this criterion, the French Resistance would have been 'responsible' if the Nazis had destroyed a village sheltering anti-Fascist partisans."
Analogizing Israelis to Nazis - tastefully done, Adam.
No surprise, then, that the normally-elusive Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah, granted Shatz an interview not long ago.
LA Times/NewsBusters MSM-New-Testament-fever ping to Today show list.
Moral equivalence is only a valid argument to convenience Christians.
Wrongo!
Cana is only 2 or 3 miles from Nazareth, which is east of the Sea of Galilee and well into Israel.
The location of Cana is not known definitively but you more likely to be right about this than Qana.
But it is hilarious to watch the leftists who hate Israel fall all over themselves making up dumb comments and observations when they have absolutely no clue.
The Nation: Isn't that Hurricane Katrina Vandenheuvel's rag?
Precisely!
THis is the first I heard that "Qana" is "Cana of Galilee" where Jesus performed his first miracle. If that's true, it IS a newsworthy point -- just to provide some very intersting historical context -- and Finkelstein is being ridiculous in suggesting that the fact shouldn't be mentioned.
You are absolutely right, he must of used the islamofacist bible version. LOL. Amen.
Finkelstein responds: you don't think it's a bit suspicious that the normally religion-leery liberal media suddenly turn into New Testament scholars when it suits their purpose of bashing Israel?
Perhaps you remember that Governor Dean when asked his favorite book in the New Testament answered The Book of Job. Biblical scholars they ain't, and I'd be surprised if the New Testament is guiding considerations in Israel. It's certainly not guiding Israel's critics either.
There is a bigger issue here. Once the Islam-Fascists are eradicated, we Christians will be able to visit our religious historical sites in safety. Thank you, Israel, for starting to drain the swamp.
Cana, however, was definitely in Galilee. Not across the mountains in Lebanon near Tyre.
This tells you all you need to know about the coiffed-hair MSM barking beaks. They are lazy and not the sharpest tools in the chest. It would take no more than a few minutes to look up Cana in a Bible dictionary and see that it has nothing to do with Qana in Lebanon.
I am shocked I tell you.
Correct, the Biblical Cana is on the shore of Galilee. Qana is in Lebanon.
I did not bother to read the entire LA Slimes article. But I do think its of note that Baal bek is named after the ancient god of the Caananites...Baal. The one they built the golden calf too while Moses was on Mt. Sanai. So if Baal was an enemy then and while Elijah had a direct encounter with the priests of Baal on Mt. Carmel, it looks like the forces of the enemy of the Lord are still in the same area, what Paul calls "principlaties and powers" So I hope Israel bombs those principalities into the firey pit! Amen.
"On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee." --John 2:1
I also think it's interesting Baal is still around in this war. That name would jump out to any practicing Jew or Christian.
Maybe they should read the Old Testament as well.
Leave it to the MSM to turn water into whine.
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