Christian Persecution of Jews

[davidlevin]

Antisemitism has many parents. Scholars of ancient civilizations have revealed the presence of a cultural antipathy towards Jews and their religion in Greco-Roman society. There is little question that some of the early Gentile converts to Christianity shared in this cultural bias. As Gentiles they also were not well acquainted with the internal life of the Jewish community at the time of Jesus. Hence they read many of the New Testament texts as condemnations of Judaism as such rather than internal quarrels which were commonplace within the Jewish community of the period.

Competition for converts and other factors led to an intensification of Jewish-Christian conflict towards the end of the first century even though there is evidence of continued Jewish-Christian interaction, including Christian participation in Sabbath worship, in some areas well beyond that. These conflicts had a negative impact on the writers of certain parts of the New Testament especially the author of the gospel of John which was compiled about this time. In several places John' s gospel associates "the Jews" with darkness and with the devil. This laid the groundwork for centuries of Christian characterization of Jews as agents of the devil, a characterization which found its way into medieval popular religion and eventually into passion plays.

Fathers of the Church began to write of Jews as a "rejected people" who were doomed to a life of marginality and misery. Jews were to wander the world as a "despised people." This image persisted in Christian preaching, art and popular teaching for centuries to come. In certain countries it often led to civil and political discrimination against Jews and in some instances to physical attacks on Jews which resulted in death.

- usmm.org

 

[dignitized]

John 19:38
And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
John 20:19
Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Acts 7:59
And they [the Jews] stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.


Not that persecution in any form is correct, but lets not forget that the Jewish people persecuted and attacked Christians. Sadly, when the tables turned - history repeated itself. But lets look at history and notice now Christians protected and sheltered Jews especially during the holocaust.

 

[Suzannah]

Hello to both of you. Interesting that I ran across this thread, even if its old, because I recently have had my eyes opened to a more recent form of persecution of the Jews, in a quite insidious form. I'm certian that this is not "news" to Jewish people, but it really hit me hard and I am disgusted by it. Here is a synopsis:

Current New Age philosophies, particularly that of Wicca and "earth goddess" movements, teach that basically the God of the Hebrews is a blood and fire God, demanding blood sacrifice and all manner of horrible things. and that therefore, the "gentle Earth Mother" religions are all wonderful, and all embracing to the lost. This lie is so prevalent in New Age teaching and books, and various "systems" of New Age thought. When I was a Wiccan, the anti-semitism of this idea never occurred to me. It flew right over my head. Now that I am a "revert" back to Christianity, the absolute Satanic attack on God's people is so clear to me. Anyway, I thank you for letting me share this.

 

[Moros]

Jews are not special. Every group, race, ethnicity, idea has been persecuted over the ages. Nobody has more inalienable rights than others.

Christians are persecuted in Israel. Jews are persecuted in the arab world. arabs are persecuted to an extent in America. Blue eyed greeks were burned by the turks. Irish are persecuted by British. Move on.

 

[Sephania]

God choose them and they are not special? They are persecuted because he has called them his people. Maybe you should step back and re-evaluate.

 

[SolomonVII]

The point about Wiccans being anti-semitic when the call Yaweh, the God depicted in the Old Testament as a monster,(as has been said by a Wiccan here on CF) is an interesting one. Even if these statements are more often than not meant to be more anti-Christian than anti-semitic, from a Jewish perspective, the implied anti-semitism in such a statement must be equally jolting, if not even moreso.
In spite of the millenia of anti-semitism by Christian nations, anyone that respects the Bible as the word of God must realize that the Hebrew tribes have maintained a special relationship with God. In a symbolic sense, the relationship between Jesus and the Jews can be compared to that between Jacob and Israel. The contempt that the world showed for the man Jesus at his crucifixion has echoed throughout the millenia in the contempt that the world has held against the people of Israel. Just as Jesus was resurrected in three days, the nation of Israel itself sprang back from the grave of the Holocaust in the three years that followed the ending of the Second World War.

As the current pope has clearly implied, there is no Biblical reason for Christians to believe that the Jews are a cursed race, any more than we can truly believe that Jesus remains under God's curse for being hanged from a tree. Indeed, in the person of Jesus Christ, Isaiah's prophecy of the Jews "being a light unto the nations" found its ultimate fulfillment.
Can Jesus Himself be distinguished from the Hebrew people anymore than Jacob can be distinguished from the people that bears his name? It is from the people of Israel that Jesus derived his humanity, and it is from the God of Israel that Jesus derives His Divinity.

Whatsoever we do to the least of our brothers, that we do unto Jesus Himself. It is indeed a good time for us, as Christians to re-evaluate our relationship with the the people chosen by God to deliver His Word to the world.

 

[Suzannah]

The point about Wiccans being anti-semitic when the call Yaweh, the God depicted in the Old Testament as a monster,(as has been said by a Wiccan here on CF) is an interesting one. Even if these statements are more often than not meant to be more anti-Christian than anti-semitic, from a Jewish perspective, the implied anti-semitism in such a statement must be equally jolting, if not even moreso.
In spite of the millenia of anti-semitism by Christian nations, anyone that respects the Bible as the word of God must realize that the Hebrew tribes have maintained a special relationship with God. In a symbolic sense, the relationship between Jesus and the Jews can be compared to that between Jacob and Israel. The contempt that the world showed for the man Jesus at his crucifixion has echoed throughout the millenia in the contempt that the world has held against the people of Israel. Just as Jesus was resurrected in three days, the nation of Israel itself sprang back from the grave of the Holocaust in the three years that followed the ending of the Second World War.

As the current pope has clearly implied, there is no Biblical reason for Christians to believe that the Jews are a cursed race, any more than we can truly believe that Jesus remains under God's curse for being hanged from a tree. Indeed, in the person of Jesus Christ, Isaiah's prophecy of the Jews "being a light unto the nations" found its ultimate fulfillment.
Can Jesus Himself be distinguished from the Hebrew people anymore than Jacob can be distinguished from the people that bears his name? It is from the people of Israel that Jesus derived his humanity, and it is from the God of Israel that Jesus derives His Divinity.

Whatsoever we do to the least of our brothers, that we do unto Jesus Himself. It is indeed a good time for us, as Christians to re-evaluate our relationship with the the people chosen by God to deliver His Word to the world.

I completely agree. Thank you so much for validating what I said! I've waited a couple months for that!
I am in complete agreement with you.

 

[robl]

The evangelical churches are currently the biggest supporters of the Jewish nation. There are quite a few of us the take very seriously the exhortation to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" [Psalm 122:6] and the fact that God said He would bless those that bless you (the Jews) and curse those that curse you (the Jews) [Genesis 12:3]. The christian community at large is also the largest tourist base that Isreal has, and the only real presence when there is turmoil in the area (which seems to be more frequent as of late... beginning of birth pangs? [Matthew 24:8]). There are many of us that love the Jews and pray for them often. We are grafted into the tree that was theirs to begin with and if we think ourselves to be better than them, we are in danger of being broken off [Romans 11:17].
In His love,
Rob

 

[SolomonVII]

I completely agree. Thank you so much for validating what I said! I've waited a couple months for that!
I am in complete agreement with you.

I never saw this thread the first time around.
It is heartening to find that this is something that at least some people from several different Christian traditions can agree on. And as RobL has pointed out, I have noticed that many of the evangelical tradition are among Israel's supporters.

 

[Dawn11]

It's sad that throughout history a segment of "Christians" have persecuted the Jewish people...I think Replacement Theology has been an underlying cause of it.

I whole heartedly support them and their right to the land which God gave their forefathers as an everlasting posession.

 

[jeshohaia]

We are a choosen people. The lineage of the Messiah. Is Hebrew. The MEssiah? Hebrew. All the Apostles...Jewish. Yeshua's brothers...Jewish. Hmmm...all the Patriarchs, what are they? Hebrew's. Moses. Jewish. All the Kings of Israel. Jewish (duhhh on that one). Numerous blessings and covenants throughout the Bible and even into Revelation. G-D has said that the Hebrew are a chosen people. Set apart for all ages.

If they were not important would they have lived this long? My ancestors, even though what they did in my eyes, married into western european politicians and lower noble people to escape persecution. But others, they stood the test of G-D and they have lived. That is how we have a modern state of Israel. Look how many Hebrew live there! How many live in the United States?

Only G-Ds blessing has preserved them. To say that they do not mean anything anymore is speaking from Biblical ignorance and anti-semetic undertones.

G-D's blessing is why the United States supports Israel. We have stood by them when no other country would. And we still do. Because they represent stability in that region. They represent G-D and the MEssiah. They represent a true democracy. They represent the symbols of our faith. That is where Yeshua walked and did His ministry. The base of our laws are on what Moses brought down from the mountain.

So maybe you should read the Bible. Check some history books. Etc. Only G-Ds protection could have gotten us through what we have gone through.

Peace...

 

[Sephania]

Amein!

 

[christian-only]

If I may voice my opinion. I know that some Jews say that the movie Passion of the Christ is antisemitic. In my opinion, their opinion that the movie is antisemitic is what is really antisemitic. A historical narrative in either written or movie form will NEVER be able to cause as much antisemitism as the impression (caused by protesting the movie) that the Jews desire to lord over America and censor the press, the movie business, etc. Those who constantly seek to brand others as "bigots" simply prove that themselves are the bigots, and that they cannot see beyond their bigotrous bigotry and steretype that everyone else is a bigot to realize that they are the real bigots. In short, what Job says is true "I feared a fear and it came upon me": if we become paranoid and perceive everyone as "antisemitic" then they will become such, because we will make them that way by telling them that they are.

[PS: I would note that the OP has missed the meaning of the "church fathers" in their statements, at least if I may take Justin Martyr as my example and leave the rest alone since they wrote nothing of any value to me, except for a few whose writings have no bearing on this issue. Justin Martyr in his dialogue with Trypho the Jew constantly refers to the destruction of Jerusalem and their banishment from the said city as punishment for the crucifixion of the Messiah. That banishment upon fear of death had been imposed by Roman (Pagan) Rule and was only able to be enforced because circumcision identified who was a Jew so accurately. Justin constantly pointed out how the circumcision which the Jews prized so highly was in this case working against them, and understood the then present effects of circumcision as having been either foreseen or forordained by God as a result of the crucifixion's having been also foreseen. Now, when we note (1) that the possession of the land and the fruitfullness of the land were conditioned upon obedience to the Law (2) that the Law was broken (3) that the land is not today a "land of milk and honey", we see that Justin Martyr's estimation was correct. Even today when Israel is a state and possesses Jerusalem, that city is not as fruitful as it was before Christ's crucifixon, nor is there peace there, nor are all the Jews there, nay not even the majority, for there are more Jews in the U.S. than in Israel. The observation then that the destruction of Jerusalem, especially of the temple, and the removal of the Jews from Jeruselem in that early time was a punishment for the crucifixion is not in any way offensive or wrong. Those, however, that would attack or mistreat Jews are certainly wrong. The lack of the temple and the unfruitfulness of the land (the only spot in the middle-east without oil) is God's punishment, and none need be added, and if any man think to add any then God will add it to him and not to the Jews.] - Peace.