Ed note–an excellent piece of writing from my good friend Bill over at the Alaska Intel Report
As the grandson of European immigrants, I can tell you without hesitation my grandparents made no bones about how they felt about ‘the jews’ when I was a youngster growing up.
Most of what they said, the opinions, stories, etc. were not spoken out of malice or hatred, but were presented in a ‘matter of fact’ way as a result of what they had experienced at the hands of jewish bankers, landlords, shop keepers etc in Europe, and was merely presented as ‘facts of life’.
This was not some hate filled ravings about ‘They killed Jesus’ (a subject for another time) but rather as a warning about what we should expect from ‘the tribe’ should we have the occasion to do business with them.
My parents’ (generation) were less outspoken as they had just fought a war and were trying to recover from it and were trying to start families and build lives here in America. Another factor which took place at that time was the ‘sheep dipping’ of a great deal of the more powerful z/js (Zionist Jews) changing their names which resulted in Marvin Goldberg becoming Mike Smith and Hieme Silverstein becoming Harry Simpson etc.
As this process evolved it became less obvious who was doing what to whom.
And of course my generation was pounded over and over with the ‘poor jews who were exterminated and hounded all over the world’ .. propaganda ..ad infinitum until it was pretty much accepted as fact after awhile.
Frankly I was not particularly interested in all this as I had learned what I felt I needed to know as a result of having been employed by, and done business with the zj’s and almost without exception, had always come away from it needing to eat standing up for several days.
It was not until many years later, when I became a Christian, that I even considered what Jesus Christ had to say about the ‘Pharisees’ and their evil spawn the Zionist Jews.
As a new ‘baby’ Christian I must admit that I was totally confused by the Bible and had a great deal of trouble trying to make sense of it all until a friend of mine said, ” Forget about Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul and all the rest .. If you want to know what it’s all about just read the part in red.” (Those words attributed to Jesus Christ Himself) and it was then that I began to understand what he was saying.
The more I read, the more I liked this guy ! (God forgive my irreverence) and it became more and more obvious to me that HIS words were about love, and compassion, and forgiveness and truth.
HE did however have a great deal to say about the Jewish leadership at that time, and HE minced no words in describing both their spiritual condition and their hypocrisy .. statements that would later bring down the wrath of those same people resulting in HIS crucifixion and death.
Matthew 23 (New Living Translation) represents a good example–
4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.
5 Everything they do is for show
13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.[e]
15 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell[f] you yourselves are!
23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens,[g] but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith.
27 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity”
28 “Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness”
34 “Therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers of religious law. But you will kill some by crucifixion, and you will flog others with whips in your synagogues, chasing them from city to city.
35 As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time!
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.
38 And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate.[j] 39 For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’[k]”
And John 8:44–
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
47He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
These are by no means all inclusive of HIS words on the matter, but I believe that His message was clear (not to mention driving the money changers (bankers) out of the temple with a whip!)
Well !! … God’s chosen people huh ? I don’t think so !
Over the years I’ve come to enjoy reading the words of The Prophet (PBUH) in the Koran, and Jesus’ words in the Bible, and have found remarkable insight and truth from both since God’s message never changes.
“Love God with all your heart and love you neighbor as you love yourself !
On these two commandments hangs all of the rest of the law !”
So you may call me an anti-semite if you like, it’s a label I will proudly wear, but I will accept the words of the Prophet (PBUH) and Jesus Christ .. They have stood the test of time.
If telling the truth makes me an anti-semite then I am in great company!
