You just dismissed criticism of Jews by pointing out that "there are whack jobs in every group" and then you turn around and say that Jewish fear of American Fundamentalist Protestants is "justified?" Physician, heal thyself!
For most of chr*stian history, Fundamentalist Protestantism did not exist (ask any Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox chr*stian; they'll be happy to explain it to you). For roughly 1700 years every pogrom, every massacre, every outrage perpetrated by chr*stians against Jews was perpetrated by NON-Fundamentalist chr*stians. Again, any EO or RC will happily explain how alienated Protestant Fundamentalism is from true historical chr*stianity.
You're tired of people who use Jews as scapegoats? Well guess what--I'm sick and tired of people who use a religion that didn't even exist as a scapegoat for atrocities committed before it even existed.
Are there anti-Semitic Fundamentalist chr*stians? You bet there are. But they are a miniscule percentage of "whack jobs." The vast majority of Fundamentalist Protestants have never even heard of Jeff Rense or Tex Marrs (mach shemam!). Are there really Jews out there who sincerely believe that this country is full of people whose reading of Genesis and Joshua has made them into monsters who are just rarin' to unleash a second Holocaust? That is not only prejudice, it is stupid prejudice.
Did you know that I used to be a Fundamentalist chr*stian? Do you honestly think I was attracted to Noachism because I was an ultra-modern sophisticate who disdained the Bible? I'm sorry. Not only to liberals not become Noachides, for the most part neither do non-Fundamentalist chr*stians.
The reason the vast majority of American Jews (who are liberal and non-Orthodox) are allergic to American Fundamentalist Protestants is that those Fundamentalist Protestants remind them that their own ancestors were rustic Theocratic warrior-shepherds with names like "Jedidiah," "Caleb," and "Jethro." Liberal Jews like to think that Jewish history consists of nothing but Nobel Physics Prizes and Weimar Republic intellectuals. What modern Jewish liberal isn't ashamed of Yehoshu`a Bin Nun and Likkud Ha'Aretz? It is for this reason that people like Abe Foxman actually try to make anti-Semites of Fundamentalist chr*stians, so they can tell themselves that their ancestors were as liberal as they themselves are.
I have lived my entire life among Fundamentalist chr*stians. My sister is a Southern Baptist and she has never so much as even tried to convert me (she's probably less uncomfortable with my being a Noachide than she was with my being Roman Catholic for six years!). The vast majority of American Fundamentalist Protestants are the nicest, most decent, and most pro-Jewish people you could ever hope to meet.
And by the way--they're probably the only segment of the American population that knows about Judaea!
“You just dismissed criticism of Jews by pointing out that “there are whack jobs in every group” and then you turn around and say that Jewish fear of American Fundamentalist Protestants is “justified?” Physician, heal thyself!”
I didn’t dismiss criticism of Jews - there are Jewish whack jobs too. I consider Jewish liberals to be whack jobs. You don’t think the fear is “justified”? That’s interesting.
“For most of chr*stian history, Fundamentalist Protestantism did not exist (ask any Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox chr*stian; they’ll be happy to explain it to you). For roughly 1700 years every pogrom, every massacre, every outrage perpetrated by chr*stians against Jews was perpetrated by NON-Fundamentalist chr*stians. Again, any EO or RC will happily explain how alienated Protestant Fundamentalism is from true historical chr*stianity.”
I don’t believe I specified a historical time period and all of the videos I linked are from the present or 20th century. How does that mesh with your attempt to slough it off onto the Catholics? I am aware of the Protestant Reformation, but thanks for the insult.
“You’re tired of people who use Jews as scapegoats? Well guess what—I’m sick and tired of people who use a religion that didn’t even exist as a scapegoat for atrocities committed before it even existed.”
Again, I do not believe I referred to any atrocities committed prior to the last 300 years. Do I understand you correctly that you consider Protestant Evangelical Christianity to be a separate (and comparatively new) religion as opposed to Catholicism? I’m sorry, I always understand them both to be Christian.
“Are there anti-Semitic Fundamentalist chr*stians? You bet there are. But they are a miniscule percentage of “whack jobs.” The vast majority of Fundamentalist Protestants have never even heard of Jeff Rense or Tex Marrs (mach shemam!). Are there really Jews out there who sincerely believe that this country is full of people whose reading of Genesis and Joshua has made them into monsters who are just rarin’ to unleash a second Holocaust? That is not only prejudice, it is stupid prejudice.”
Well as Jeff Foxworthy might say, they cannot seem to keep the most ignorant among them off of the television set. I’m sure that you are aware that modern media does not always portray an accurate picture of any group of people. The TEA Party members would be a good example of that distortion. I don’t speak for every Jew. If you think that I spoke out of prejudice - you are wrong. Every single day there are posts about Israel on this forum, and every single day people post about how the Jews put Obama in the WH. I’m addressing those attitudes and trying to explain why so many Jews are afraid of fundamentalist Christians. I find it interesting that you are so defensive about the subject.
“Did you know that I used to be a Fundamentalist chr*stian? Do you honestly think I was attracted to Noachism because I was an ultra-modern sophisticate who disdained the Bible? I’m sorry. Not only to liberals not become Noachides, for the most part neither do non-Fundamentalist chr*stians.”
No, I did not know that you used to be a Fundamentalist Christian - I don’t know you at all. I don’t know about your attraction to anything - I don’t know you.
“The reason the vast majority of American Jews (who are liberal and non-Orthodox) are allergic to American Fundamentalist Protestants is that those Fundamentalist Protestants remind them that their own ancestors were rustic Theocratic warrior-shepherds with names like “Jedidiah,” “Caleb,” and “Jethro.” Liberal Jews like to think that Jewish history consists of nothing but Nobel Physics Prizes and Weimar Republic intellectuals. What modern Jewish liberal isn’t ashamed of Yehoshu`a Bin Nun and Likkud Ha’Aretz? It is for this reason that people like Abe Foxman actually try to make anti-Semites of Fundamentalist chr*stians, so they can tell themselves that their ancestors were as liberal as they themselves are.”
Just wow - I’ll let your attitude speak for itself - and it does so quite clearly.
“I have lived my entire life among Fundamentalist chr*stians. My sister is a Southern Baptist and she has never so much as even tried to convert me (she’s probably less uncomfortable with my being a Noachide than she was with my being Roman Catholic for six years!). The vast majority of American Fundamentalist Protestants are the nicest, most decent, and most pro-Jewish people you could ever hope to meet.”
I do not believe that I ever accused ALL Fundamentalist Christians of doing or saying anything. I don’t have a problem with you or anyone else pursuing whatever spiritual path you choose - as long as your spiritual path doesn’t require murder and mayhem - it is fine with me. I think you read what I wrote in a much harsher tone than I intended.
“And by the way—they’re probably the only segment of the American population that knows about Judaea!”
Take a deep breath - your “righteous indignation” has gotten the best of you. Eyes - see, Ears - hear....
“Why do Jews seem to be afraid of fundamentalist Christians?”
I’m not.
But I’ll jump into this. I think the reason is multi-fold.
1. Ignorance of different kinds of Christians. I have never studied Christianity and my knowledge comes from reading FreeRepublic and reading really angry threads by-and-between Roman Catholic Christians, Protestant Christians, and Mormons, who may, or may not, be Christian. From the outside, it’s pretty ugly.
2. The media portrays evangelical Christains poorly.
3. History. Face it, the Christian church (as a group) has not treated Jewish people well. (Yes, I know Jewish people did not do any better when we had the upper hand. I don’t defend that, either.)
4. Really annoying evangelical Christians who show up at shul and demand that we accept Jesus, generally loudly, or outside, pushing papers into people’s hands.
5. Really sneaky evangelical Christians who show up at shul, dressed as Haredi, speaking great Hebrew with an Israeli accent, who slowly start sneaking in “the Gospel” after about six months.
6. Current Roman Catholics who defend the Inquisition, the Papal States, and forced conversion (a minority I know, but a loud one).
7. Religious insecurity on the part of Reform. Many Reform Jewish people have no real concept of Judiasm. Christians are most often very decent people and very certain of themselves. “Hell” sounds very scary. Ergo, they get scared and this makes them mad.
Except for most Jews, Christianity is Christianity. All those different sects of Christianity are about as well known to Jews as the different strains of Judaism are known to Christians.
So to trot out ‘Fundamentalist’ Christianity... is to just trot out Christianity to many Jews.