A severe dispute caused by a religious misreading

I just watched "Constantine's Sword' last night, and i highly recommend it to anyone who is concerned or puzzled about religion's double standard. They - the religious people - usually call themselves "holy and spotless,' yet their true actions show their hypocrisy. The movie deals with Christian, and also mostly Catholic antisemitism. This feeling of animosity comes directly from the Bible, especially St. John's Gospel. This Gospel was written about 100 A.D. and there was a very huge controversy, at the time it was written between Christian Jews, which were the original community, and 'greek' christians, which were mostly proselitized by Paul. The 'greek' christians did not have to observe the many different points of Jewish law, while the Jewish christians did. It seems St. John was partial to greek ways, and disgusted with the jewish ways. So, to mark the difference, he started calling Jews to anyone who had opposed Jesus. Nonwithstanding, Jesus was an observant Jew all his life. So here we have this Gospel, rooting for a christian faction, that of the greeks and bad-mouthing another christian faction, that of the jews. Thru the centuries, the Gospel of John was read frequently, along with the other 3 gospels. Actually, John's Gospel could be said to be the most mystical, and the other 3 are known as synoptical. Well, because of this faction issue, the Jews come out as the bad guys in the picture, and have for millenia. It seems the Catholic Church never took it to itself to explain the origins of the term Jew for John.  So out of a factional dispute, as there could be nowadays between evangelicals and Catholics, a deep seated hatred for the Jews became ingrained in Christians, and also in fanatics of any and every stripe. If any jews were responsible for Jesus's crucifixion, it was the high jewish religious echelon, which saw him as a threat. But over the course of millenia, this Gospel, upholding a factional dispute, became the stomping ground for killing untold millions of Jews. Won't we ever learn that intolerant religious view are not religious ? I recommend the movie again to anyone who's interested in the topic. Nowadays, moslems kill out of a fanatic conviction that infidels should be done away with. That's not the teaching of the Koran. And we, here at home, are besieged by the different denominations vyieng for power by declaring their particular creeds "the absolute and holy truth.' As long as we hold to these tenets we are no better than cro-magnon man. How many of you see this clearly ? 


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1283 helpful answers

To say nothing, especially when speaking, is half the art of diplomacy.

Very well said. It's too bad more people from all walks of life don't share your view. The world would be so much better off.

Posted 2009-11-23T13:37:03Z
 
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Be careful about learning about the Bible from movies.  The Gospel of John is in no way anti-Semitic.  John was an observant and faithful Jew, as was Christ.  All of the early Christians were Jews.  All of the apostles were Jews, including Paul.  In fact, Paul was the greatest student of Rabbi Gamaliel, considered one of the greatest rabbis of all time.  Most Christians are not anti-Semitic and realize that salvation is from the Jews.  Most Christians don't call themselves "holy and spotless", although we are called to strive for that.  Actually, I don't know a single Christian who would have the arrogance to make that claim about himself or herself, and I know a lot of Christians.  That's not to say that there aren't hypocritical people who are also Christians.  Hypocrisy is everywhere.  The Bible warns people - believers - to beware of this fault, so Jesus anticipated that we would fall in that way (and in many other ways).  So we pray daily to become more holy and more faithful and more loving to our brothers and sisters on this earth.

As for the atrocities committed by Hitler and those like him, remember that Hitler tried to outlaw all religions.  And he killed Jews and Catholics.  60,000 Catholics, mostly priests and nuns who spoke out against him, were killed in the concentration camps along with the Jews.  Hitler was not a Christian, but an atheist.  That also describes the other mass murderers of the 20th century (Stalin, Mao, Mussolini). 

As for who is responsible for the killing of Christ, we all are.  It was pre-ordained that He would die in that way.  The leading Jews of the time, who were corrupt, instigated the crucifixion.  The mobs were controlled by the leaders.  The Romans went along to avoid a riot.  And all sinners throughout the ages bear the guilt because of our sins, which is why Jesus died on the cross. 

The factions that exist between religious groups, especially between Christians, are unfortunate.  Through some people's zeal, they separate themselves from brothers and sisters in Christ.  The Apostle Paul did this before he became a Christian (see Acts of the Apostles).  I pray that people will open their hearts to God and move away from divisions.  That isn't to say that we should accept things that are sinful, but that we should speak with love towards others, and with a focus on bringing people together in Christ.

One last comment.  You called the Jews "another Christian faction".  Jews are not Christians, as a Christian is one who believes in Christ as the Messiah.  Jews do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah.  They continue to wait for their Messiah.

Posted 2009-11-23T16:03:14Z
BikerCCO was invited by Yedda to answer this question.

 
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Logan Pearsall Smith once wrote: "Denunciation . . . is a necessary part of the hygiene of older people, and greatly assists in the circulation of their blood." I am also reminded of a somewhat related thought by Eric Hoffer: " To have a grievance is to have a purpose in life."

Which is to say a couple of things. First, it is one of the stripes of the human animal to seek and to enjoy "drama." The more vivid the drama, the better. And nothing quite heightens one's sense of purpose-filled entertainment in life like hatred.

Second, it is right for Christians to hate sin. But trying to love the sinner at the same time is very hard, because sin is invisible, whereas the sinner is very tangible. Many seriously religious people throughout history have gotten these two "entities" mixed up, thereby muddying the waters of human holiness.

Finally, what a religious culture (Christian or otherwise) did in past times or in other places should not point to us as its cause, and should not dominate our own heart and life. Some people are simply good for being a bad example.

Posted 2009-11-25T12:58:43Z
pilgrimwb was invited by Yedda to answer this question.

 
2051 helpful answers

Joel


Happy Thankgiving Enjoy the day and thank God for your blessings
Animated cartoon of a pilrim hunting a turkey, Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted 2009-11-25T22:37:20Z
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