That is the Western Christian approach which, I might say, often lacked two main components of what Jesus taught -- mercy and compassion. The Eastern Orthodox do not issue such threats -- we say "do this so you can be with God." Maybe you should study that side of Christianity as well.
Many a prominent Christian (Augustine, Chrysostom, Luther, Calvin, etc.) were not kind towards the Jews. Even if Jesus were not the Son of God, killing Him in exchange for Barabbas, a criminal, was offensive enough. The Babylonians wree not kind to the Jews and neither wre the Egyptians, and neither wree Romans. Did they contribute to anti-Semtism? If so, the whole world has, at one time or another.
What people do with religion and how they corrupt is is best exemplified by the various indecent events that took place and hundreds of thousands of people who died in the name of God, by people "defending" God (as if He needs us to defend Him!).
Christianity is the NT. What people do in its name is not Christianity but acts of individuals who hide behind it. Condemn the individuals but don't confuse Christianity with individual Christians any more than confusing what American ideals with individula acts of Americans that violate them.
Thank you very much for biblical references in the previous post. I will have to study how the early Church (not Constantine) reconciled them, and that is very important.)
RE: "That is the Western Christian approach which, I might say, often lacked two main components of what Jesus taught -- mercy and compassion. The Eastern Orthodox do not issue such threats -- we say "do this so you can be with God." Maybe you should study that side of Christianity as well."
I recognize that not everyone is a rabid fundamentalist condemning outsiders to eternal hell. That attitude, though it repells me, isn’t what causes me to reject Constantinian Christianity. I reject it, simply, because I no longer believe what the church teaches. I do not see Jesus as the fulfillment of OT prophesy. I no longer believe in the doctrines of the church. As I said earlier, Jesus the devout Jew, did not come to start a brand new religion totally anathema to the one he practiced. The church, on the other hand, did. (IMO)
RE: "If so, the whole world has [contributed to anti-Semitism], at one time or another. "
While that may be true, it does not justify turning a blind eye toward the church’s (major) roll in this arena. As stated earlier, the Pope didn’t apologize for nothing. Check out the following link “ A Catholic Timeline of Events Relating to Jews, Anti-Judaism, Antisemitism, and the Holocaust From the 3rd Century to the Beginning of the Third Millennium”
http://www.sullivan-county.com/news/mine/timeline.htm
and more…:
http://www.sullivan-county.com/identity/jew_haters.htm
These links do not refer to “individual acts” so much as they do institutionalized anti-semitism , most if it by the largest, wealthiest, most powerful Christian organization on Earth. History speaks for itself. Talk about skeletons in the closet...yikes!