Anti-Semitism and Christians

Bl. Edith Stein

In the late nineteen eighties while attending classes at the Catholic Blessed Edith Stein Institute an unnamed student was overheard making a  anti-Semitic remark about a picture on the classroom wall. It  displayed a figure standing around a large and obvious Jewish symbol of the Star of David.  “What is that awful picture of a Jew doing in these Catholic halls” he questioned. What our accuser did not realize, at the time, that it happened to be the image of one Edith Stein herself – one of the most famous Jewish converts to Catholicism in the twentieth century.

Anti-Semitic remarks such as these have had a long and lasting history in Catholic and later other Christian denominations.  Paul until   thrown from his horse on his way to Damascus from Jerusalem, (between 31-25 CE) with the intent of persecuting Hellenist ‘followers of the Way’ eventually became the persecutor of Jews himself.  Nor is the New Testament exempt from several anti-Semitic comments.  For example, the Gospel of John (8. 44-47) accuses Jews of being children of the devil and the like.  Such remarks according to Christian apologist, including Martin Luther CE 1483-1546) were justly warranted because many Jews refused to accept Jesus as the rightful Messiah.  Anti-Semitism in popular European Christian culture escalated beginning in the 13th century. Accusations of deiocide, Blood libels  and host desecration drew popular attention and led to many cases of persecution against Jews.  

The intent of this brief essay is not to enter into a long history of anti-Semitism but to question as to why or how anti-Semitism remained so virulently alive that ultimately more than five million Jewish men, women and children were ruthlessly persecuted, tortured and violently killed by citizens raised in  Europe’s finest Christian tradition or nations. How did the anti-Semitism atmosphere remain such a  powerful source of hatred in the minds of Christians for so long.  What elements of this hatred finally lead to the holocaust during WWII?  How was the involvement or lack thereof by the church responsible for such a dramatic conclusion by the end of the war?     

Wikipedia tell us that Brown University historian David Kertzer, working from the Vatican archive, has argued in his book The Popes Against the Jews that in the 19th century and early 20th century the Roman Catholic Church adhered to a distinction between "good anti-Semitism" and "bad anti-Semitism". The "bad" kind promoted hatred of Jews because of their descent. This was considered un-Christian because the Christian message was intended for all of humanity regardless of ethnicity; anyone could become a Christian. The "good" kind criticized alleged Jewish conspiracies  to control newspapers, banks, and other institutions, to care only about accumulation of wealth, etc. Many Catholic bishops wrote articles criticizing Jews on such grounds, and, when accused of promoting hatred of Jews, would remind people that they condemned the "bad" kind of anti-Semitism.  Kertzer's work is not without critics. Scholar of Jewish-Christian relations Rabbi David G, Dalin, for example, criticized Kertzer in the Weekly Standard for using evidence selectively.   Dalin’s book ‘The Myth of Hitler’s Pope’  is an attempt to protect Pius XII from accusations that he didn’t do enough to save Jews during WWII.  At the same time the books admits that a historically damaging form of anti-Semitism already existed among many Christian institutions. For that reason there is little point in defending Pius XII but rather to look at the culture that promoted anti-Semitism for the last two thousand years. David G. Dalin is an ordained rabbi and professor of History and Political Science at the highly traditional  Catholic Ave Maria University in Naples , Florida.  What a rabbi is doing teaching at a such an ultra conservative Catholic university remains unanswered.  

On March 16, 1998  Catholic officials finally responded to the long awaited question of what responsibility, if any, the Church bore for the slaughter of millions of European Jews during WWII.  In the document  “We Remember: A reflection on the Shoah” the Church admitted that while it had fostered negative “religious” views of the Jews it had not been responsible for any negative  images of their harmful social, economic, cultural, and political effects – the latter identified with modern anti-Semitism.   Author David I. Kertzer continues. . . . The anti-Semitism/anti-Judaism distinction soon became an article of faith that relieved the Church of any responsibility for what happened.  Before long, millions of people came to assume its historical reality.

A similar argument is used today by the Roman Catholic Church to explain  homosexuality. The Roman Catholic Catechism clearly states that “the acts of homosexuals are intrinsically disordered and are considered to be of grave depravity”.  At the same time the Catechism insists that . . . . "homosexuals must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity and that every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided” . . .  Is this form of 'double speak' not like having your best friend accuse you of being a sexual deviate who is going to make this fact public; but somehow still required to love you?  This begs the obvious question: which of these two remarks by your friend is likely to affect you  most?  How is the rest of the world now going to remember you?   Could some aspects of your accusers behaviour not be equally or more abhorrent to the rest of the world? Some Christians  referring to ‘homophobia’ stated that this was not a form of hatred but merely a positive means of identifying a person’s sin.  When we lose or deny our own sins and pin them on someone else we may have lost the true meaning of what it means to follow Christ.  

As for the eradication of anti-Semitism it is noted that since Vatican II Catholic-Jewish relations improved significantly.  However in 2007 Pope Benedict’s decree allowing for wider us of the Tridentine Mass once again includes a Good Friday prayer calling for the conversion of the Jewish people.  A further setback in these relations occurred in January 2009 when Pope Benedict lifted excommunication of four bishops of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX).  The society was reported to have perpetuated the Jewish deicide and Jewish world domination plot canards in its official newsletters and on several of its websites internationally (although the offending websites have been removed since the controversy surrounding the bishops' reinstatement).  One of the bishops who was readmitted into the Catholic Church was Richard Williamson, a bishop who believes that there were no gas chambers used in any concentration camp. As such much anger has arisen from Jewish communities, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Yad Vashem, Elie Wiesel (Nobel prize laureate and holocaust survivor) and Germany’s Central Council of Jews have all condemned the decision to lift the excommunication and the chief Rabbinate of Israel decided to cut the ties with Vatican. The controversy also attracted attention from outside the Jewish community with German Chancellor Angela Merkel calling on Benedict to issue a "very clear" rejection of Holocaust denial. Surely God intended that we should all be ONE and not separate from each other.  

CHRISTIAN STATEMENT AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM

The ad below was paid for by members of Canadian Friends of the International Christian Embassy, Jerusalem

The Province, British Columbia, Friday, June 3, 1983

AS CHRISTIANS IN THIS COMMUNITY:

WE AFFIRM our faith in the Hebrew-Christian Scriptures and their command that we love God and our neighbour; that we pray for our leaders, our nation (I Timothy 2:1-3), and more particularly for our Jewish friends here and in Israel (Psalm 122:6), that they will be better understood, appreciated and defended.

WE APPRECIATE their presence in, and their contribution to this nation, and we are prepared to defend and protect their individual and collective rights especially against the forces of anti-Semitism (Genesis 12:3).

WE GIVE THANKS to God for the Jewish people who recorded and preserved the Word of God, and through whom God gave us the Bible and our Saviour.

WE APOLOGIZE for "Christian" anti-Semites, and for our country's anti-Semitic immigration policy before, during, and after World War II; and the double standards applied against Israel in international affairs.

WE APPEAL to all Canadians, especially those professing to be Christians, to join with us in combating and eliminating this expression of racial hatred.

      

Jesus did not found the Church

Jesus did not found the Catholic Church! In many ways this is an old story. But I think it has to be told again, and again. Jesus did not found the Catholic Church or any other religion! Jesus simply offered 'the way' to live in perfect peace and harmony. Had Jesus intended to form a new religion he would have had to denounce his Jewish faith, the synagogue, Temple and perhaps his own mother. Jesus was born to Jewish parents, was raised as a Jew and circumcised in the tradition of his Jewish faith. Jesus attended and took part with other Jewish believers in the life of the synagogue and Temple. He therefore typically observed and celebrated all regular Jewish festivals. He frequently engaged in dialogue with the Jewish populace including its hierarchy such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes etc. His Jewish disciples called him Rabbi – not Father (Mat 23:9), Your Holiness, or Pastor. Jesus’ message was truly universal and inclusive of all humankind – something that often provoked anger from his own Jewish religious leaders. When Jesus spoke to the crowds, he frequently employed the use of parables, to make a religious point. Teaching in parables was characteristic of the historical Jesus, especially in his proclamation of the kingdom of God. This literary style was already well known and used throughout the Jewish world especially the Jewish scriptures or Old Testament.




Jesus never insisted that anyone should adopt his Jewish background. He never implied to the Roman soldier, the Samaritan woman at the well, or anyone else that they must follow the Jewish tradition. Jesus never wrote anything down, and never proclaimed any particular doctrine or dogma – other than call us to love God, one another (especially our enemies), and most importantly to love ourselves.

Jesus would never have suggested the formation of a hierarchical institution as necessary to follow him or establish a power base from which to evangelize the world after his death. There are no suggestions from Jesus anywhere that there should be a hierarchy or persons appointed beyond the Holy Spirit, or occasions where certain religious truths should be made infallible. Instead Jesus promised his followers that what ever they bound on earth would be bound in heaven*. Even after his death when the number of his apostles is reduced to eleven by the death of Judas, a successor is appointed by drawing lots (Acts 1.15-26). Jesus did however entrust his group of uneducated, doubting and often confused disciples to spread his Kingdom message beyond the boundaries of Israel. This message still applies equally to every daring follower of 'the way' regardless of their background.
< The suggestion that Jesus founded a institutional church is based primarily on one singular passage from Matthew 16:18-19 which reads: And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”



There are several very important questions that any discerning bible reading should now consider. For example:


Matthew is a gospel originally written in Greek for a community which consisted of both Jews and Gentiles. It is estimated, by most scholars today, to have been written sometime A.D. 80-90 and thus well after the death of Jesus.

The word ‘church’ translates from the original Greek ekklesia meaning assembly or community which is completely compatible with Matthew’s audience and Jesus’ intent to establish God’s Kingdom here on earth. A kingdom based on compassion, understanding, equality, etc., as illustrated through his many parables which many of his frequently disciples did not understand. Jesus came to teach us a way to live communally in peace and harmony, to bring healing and forgiveness.


As for Peter’s qualifications as leader among the apostles there is little doubt. However, to interpret Jesus’ comments about Peter being the ‘foundation’ on which he was to build an institutional church, separate from his Jewish tradition cannot be given any serious consideration. There is nothing in Jewish religious history or tradition that is dependent on a hierarchical institution. Had Jesus intended such, it would have been included or promoted throughout his teachings. It simply is not so. While this understanding may arouse some strong negative feelings among many Christian churches and especially the Catholic Church, we can hopefully all agree on the principle that Jesus' primary message was to Love God, your neighbour and yourself with all our strength, heart and soul. These are the real keys to the Kingdom as promised by Jesus.


At various times in history we forgot to observe Jesus’ simple message to love one another. As a result we allowed the gates of hell to be opened again and again. Millions upon millions have suffered much pain and suffering by ignoring the key to peace and compassion. At the same time we frequently opted to blindly follow others when we needed to take responsibility for the oppression of our fellow human beings.

Jesus died as a Jew. He was nailed to a cross below a sign posted by the Roman soldiers identifying him as ‘King of the Jews’ - a title which he would have clearly denied in favour of his call for Oneness with ALL humankind. The burial preparations were conducted following strict Jewish customs, including the washing of his body, and final entombment.


Metaphorically speaking, I would like readers to see Christ’s resurrection as an awakening of and identification with God who moves beyond time and space, religious identification or membership. We have been given the KEYS to freely to embrace ALL humankind, regardless of their religious beliefs, as One. We are all equally but uniquely endowed with God's divine indwelling to be living examples of his Kingdom on earth. As such we are Holy Temples or churches (communities) of God. Anything less will keep us forever tied to the earth and our egos.

* The doctrine of Apostolic Succession historically allowed the Church to claim exclusive authority to determine and claim (here on earth) what is wrong and what is right. Heaven sets the standard and earth follows heavens’ lead. Because God empowers his people with his divine indwelling it also means that he empowers everyone with the ability, by means of prayer and the Holy Spirit, to discern right from wrong. Through this inclusive model we will come to experience the direct relationship with our Creator.