Biblical passages used to justify antisemitism

[DavidJoseph]

I have a casual friend who is extremely antisemitic (although he would never identify himself as such). I kid you not, he refers to Jews as “anti-Christs,” “children of the devil,” “enemies of the human race,” etc. and believes in all these Jewish conspiracies (he even admires Hitler to a certain degree). At any rate, in an e-mail exchange with me during which I called him out for calling Jews “anti-Christs” and for criticizing the Holy Father for having visited a synagogue, he cited scripture to justify his positions. Here’s what he said and his comments (also note how he doesn’t capitalize words like “Jew,” “Judaism,” etc.):

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that Antichrist cometh, even now there are become many Antichrists: whereby we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have remained with us; but that they may be manifest, that they are not all of us. But you have the unction from the Holy One, and know all things. I have not written to you as to them that know not the truth, but as to them that know it: and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar, but he who denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is Antichrist, who denieth the Father, and the Son. (1 John 2:18-22)
Certainly the jews deny the Father and the Son, and St. John rightly calls them antichrist for doing so. I do not sin by calling these children of the Devil antichrists. jews are, by and large, atheists and worship no god whatsoever. Those that do believe in a god do not worship the same God that we worship. judaism is a false religion, period.
Which brings me to my second point. The jews of to-day are not God’s chosen people. Again, the Christian Scriptures might be a good place to start. Who are chosen? Let St. Paul tell us:
As he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and unspotted in his sight in charity. Who hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ unto himself: according to the purpose of his will. (Ephesians 1:4-5)
The Hebrews of the Old Covenant were indeed God’s chosen people. But when they rejected our Lord, things changed. Recall the words of our Blessed Saviour regarding the children of the Devil:
You serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell? Therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you will put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city: That upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. Amen I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not? Behold, your house shall be left to you, desolate. For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth till you say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.(Matthew 23:33-39)
Notice how the sins of the children of the Devil are recounted against them. Notice how our Lord wanted to gather them under His wings, but they would not allow it. So He rejected them and left their house desolate. A generation later, God would send the armies of Titus utterly to destroy Jerusalem, the temple, and all that surrounded it.
Let us also consider the writings of St. Paul on the children of the Devil:
For you, brethren, are become followers of the churches of God which are in Judæa, in Christ Jesus: for you also have suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they have from the jews, Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, and have persecuted us, and please not God, and are adversaries to all men.(1 Thessalonians 2:14-15)

What is the proper way to interpret the above passages, i.e., the way the Church interprets them? Where is my friend wrong here? I know some of you will be like, “Don’t waste your breath, this guy’s a wacko, it’s not worth it . . . ,” but if someone doesn’t address this, think about the scandal it may cause! You see, this guy is Catholic and claims to be devout . . . need I say more?

 

[Equites_Christi]

It was not only the Jew who “denieth that Jesus is the Christ” but every religion which is not Christianity, even to this day. Why does he single out Jews?

 

[DavidJoseph]

It was not only the Jew who “denieth that Jesus is the Christ” but every religion which is not Christianity, even to this day. Why does he single out Jews?

Probably because he specifically considers the Jews to be guilty of deicide.

 

[Bartolome_Casas]

Well, trust the Catholic Church or don’t trust the Catholic Church. All recent popes and bishops have made it clear that we Catholics aren’t going to be antisemitic, even if some Catholics were in the past. If you want to research and debate whether the current Catholic teachings is contradicted by the Bible, that’s is your right. Go ahead. But where can it possibly lead you, except out of the Catholic Church, or to a state of being less trustful of the Catholic Church?

 

[The_Scott]

Probably because he specifically considers the Jews to be guilty of deicide.

That’s like saying that us Catholics are guilty of the horrors that were committed during the Crusades, the Inquistion, the New World colonization. Does he think that we, as modern Catholics, are responsible for those crimes that happened 500+ years ago?

 

[andreashofer]

Jesus died on the cross not because the “old Israel” rejected him as their Lord and God, but because our creator wanted to show his Love for us, the -new Israel-. Jesus purified Israel and that is why we have the Catholic Church. Therefore “antisemitism” can not be justified, because it doesn’t exist. There are no Semites left.
The “old Israel” is today replaced with the new one, which is the Catholic Church. We are the seed of Abraham and the chosen ones of God. We must distinguish between the old and new. Jews today are just another form of protestantism. For us, they crucify Jesus in the flesh and in the spirit, because they reject him.

The crucifixion of Jesus in the flesh among his own people took place through his passion.
The crucifixion of Jesus in the flesh today takes place through eucharistic sacrilege and the sacrilege of souls. When we don’t love someone, we crucify Jesus.

When we draw all this parallels, we can easier distinguish “antisemitism” from hating the chosen people of God. Otherwise it’s all a bit confusing.

 

[meltzerboy]

Jesus died on the cross not because the “old Israel” rejected him as their Lord and God, but because our creator wanted to show his Love for us, the -new Israel-. Jesus purified Israel and that is why we have the Catholic Church. Therefore “antisemitism” can not be justified, because it doesn’t exist. There are no Semites left.
The “old Israel” is today replaced with the new one, which is the Catholic Church. We are the seed of Abraham and the chosen ones of God. We must distinguish between the old and new. Jews today are just another form of protestantism. For us, they crucify Jesus in the flesh and in the spirit, because they reject him.

The crucifixion of Jesus in the flesh among his own people took place through his passion.
The crucifixion of Jesus in the flesh today takes place through eucharistic sacrilege and the sacrilege of souls. When we don’t love someone, we crucify Jesus.

When we draw all this parallels, we can easier distinguish “antisemitism” from hating the chosen people of God. Otherwise it’s all a bit confusing.

Well, from my own perspective, I don’t agree; but yours is nonetheless a fascinating interpretation, which I had to read twice to fully appreciate.

 

[Bartolome_Casas]

The “old Israel” is today replaced with the new one, which is the Catholic Church. .

Well, no disrespect to what this honorable poster wrote above, but here’s a Cardinal of the Catholic Church explaining, with many quotations from Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, in the year 2005, that the “replacement theory” is not accepted by the Catholic Church. See: firstthings.com/article/2008/08/the-covenant-with-israel—42

 

[Jehannette]

Well, no disrespect to what this honorable poster wrote above, but here’s a Cardinal of the Catholic Church explaining, with many quotations from Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, in the year 2005, that the “replacement theory” is not accepted by the Catholic Church. See: firstthings.com/article/2008/08/the-covenant-with-israel—42

The true teaching of the Church can be found in her Catechism:

1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them. Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are “reborn of water and the Spirit.” God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.

 

[nagyszakall]

What is the proper way to interpret the above passages, i.e., the way the Church interprets them? Where is my friend wrong here?

Your friend (in a very protestant manner) made up his mind about the issue and then looked for passages with which he can support his view. The Church doesn’t read the Bible that way. You always have to consider a passage in the context of the whole.
Another problem your friend (and most people holding up anti-Semitic stereotypes) has is that he hasn’t defined what he means by Jew and Jewish (whether religion or ethnicity) and uses it as it befits his point. (e.g. when he says they deny the Father and the Son, he includes Jews faithful to the Jewish religion, Jews who are atheists, but no Jews who believe in Christ, who are also Jews in their own estimation, according to Hitler’s standards, but apparently not according to your friend’s.)

The vast majority of the first Christians were Jews, and they did not have a notion that they ceased to be Jews by coming to believe in Christ.

In any case, it is totally contrary to the Gospel to single out a group of people as some kind of culprit. We are called to love even those who hate us. Tell your friend to read Nostrae Aetate (vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_nostra-aetate_en.html)

 

[CopticChristian]

I have a casual friend who is extremely antisemitic (although he would never identify himself as such). I kid you not, he refers to Jews as “anti-Christs,” “children of the devil,” “enemies of the human race,” etc. and believes in all these Jewish conspiracies (he even admires Hitler to a certain degree). At any rate, in an e-mail exchange with me during which I called him out for calling Jews “anti-Christs” and for criticizing the Holy Father for having visited a synagogue, he cited scripture to justify his positions. Here’s what he said and his comments (also note how he doesn’t capitalize words like “Jew,” “Judaism,” etc.):

What is the proper way to interpret the above passages, i.e., the way the Church interprets them? Where is my friend wrong here? I know some of you will be like, “Don’t waste your breath, this guy’s a wacko, it’s not worth it . . . ,” but if someone doesn’t address this, think about the scandal it may cause! You see, this guy is Catholic and claims to be devout . . . need I say more?

The Jews of the OT that are being addressed are not all Jews. The Jews were divided into many different types…the number escapes me…however what was said was to that population that was being addressed…it does not transmit time to today…

Your friend has some issues that do not make sense.

OT Judaism is not Rabinnical Judaism of today. The Rabinnical Jews are descendants of the OT Judaism…but it is different, ie no temple, no animal sacrifices, no levitical priesthood…therefore those that the OT speaks of are those that had these things…

Certainly the jews deny the Father and the Son, and St. John rightly calls them antichrist for doing so. I do not sin by calling these children of the Devil antichrists. jews are, by and large, atheists and worship no god whatsoever. Those that do believe in a god do not worship the same God that we worship. judaism is a false religion, period.

Which brings me to my second point. The jews of to-day are not God’s chosen people. Again, the Christian Scriptures might be a good place to start. Who are chosen?
Notice how the sins of the children of the Devil are recounted against them. Notice how our Lord wanted to gather them under His wings, but they would not allow it. So He rejected them and left their house desolate. A generation later, God would send the armies of Titus utterly to destroy Jerusalem, the temple, and all that surrounded it.

Cetainly the Jews cannot deny what they do not know and accept…there may be some that come to the recognition of this and deny however it isn’t just Jews…so what…

Jews are not athiests…I imagine there may be a few Jewish athiests around and there are lots of other athiests as well, so what…

Paul in the letter to the Romans says that God is God of all Greek, Jew, for God is impartial…take this issue up with Paul…

Your friend has some issues…he should be referred to his parish priest…you should start with the letter to the Romans first and foremost…

9There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11For there is no partiality with God.

You may want to remind your friend that Peter was a Jew, Jesus was a Jew, Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin, Mary was a Jew…David was a Jew…and he needs an attitude adjustment…

Next if Protestantism is heresy and Protestants of today that are not associated with the likes of Calvin, etc are not heretics…then generations have passed and those of today that are called Jew…have nothing to do with what happened in the NT…

 

[Neofight]

The only way to interpret these or any other scripture is with love. So clearly these,or any other, passages cannot in anyway be uncharitable to any of our neighbors. The evil one, not God, would be the one leading anyone to even consider such a thing!

 

[AbideWithMe]

Probably because he specifically considers the Jews to be guilty of deicide.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Does this guy think Jesus didn’t mean these words from the cross, or that His prayer was ignored by God the Father?

 

[CopticChristian]

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Does this guy think Jesus didn’t mean these words from the cross, or that His prayer was ignored by God the Father?

Good point…and if this guy is Catholic…he might ask WWJD…could solve lots of problems for him…

 

[meltzerboy]

I have a casual friend who is extremely antisemitic (although he would never identify himself as such). I kid you not, he refers to Jews as “anti-Christs,” “children of the devil,” “enemies of the human race,” etc. and believes in all these Jewish conspiracies (he even admires Hitler to a certain degree). At any rate, in an e-mail exchange with me during which I called him out for calling Jews “anti-Christs” and for criticizing the Holy Father for having visited a synagogue, he cited scripture to justify his positions. Here’s what he said and his comments (also note how he doesn’t capitalize words like “Jew,” “Judaism,” etc.):

What is the proper way to interpret the above passages, i.e., the way the Church interprets them? Where is my friend wrong here? I know some of you will be like, “Don’t waste your breath, this guy’s a wacko, it’s not worth it . . . ,” but if someone doesn’t address this, think about the scandal it may cause! You see, this guy is Catholic and claims to be devout . . . need I say more?

Your friend is evidently not so knowledgeable about his own faith or about Judaism. He should talk to a good priest and study the official teaching of the Church. Even the most virulent antisemitic people sometimes have a change of heart after acquiring more knowledge, if they are willing or persuaded to make the effort. I know of some people in this situation who actually have converted to Judaism! Of course, prayer for your friend is also something you can do.

 

[Jehannette]

Your friend is evidently not so knowledgeable about his own faith or about Judaism. He should talk to a good priest and study the official teaching of the Church. Even the most virulent antisemitic people sometimes have a change of heart after acquiring more knowledge, if they are willing or persuaded to make the effort. I know of some people in this situation who actually have converted to Judaism! Of course, prayer for your friend is also something you can do.

It’s a non sequitur; as “anyone whatsoever” (Lateran IV, Canon 1) can sacramentally baptize, demonstrate, prove, etc. that any particular “Jew” was not sacramentally baptized at some point in his/her infancy.

 

[Not_Sure_1]

I have a casual friend who is extremely antisemitic (although he would never identify himself as such). I kid you not, he refers to Jews as “anti-Christs,” “children of the devil,” “enemies of the human race,” etc. and believes in all these Jewish conspiracies (he even admires Hitler to a certain degree). At any rate, in an e-mail exchange with me during which I called him out for calling Jews “anti-Christs” and for criticizing the Holy Father for having visited a synagogue, he cited scripture to justify his positions. Here’s what he said and his comments (also note how he doesn’t capitalize words like “Jew,” “Judaism,” etc.):

What is the proper way to interpret the above passages, i.e., the way the Church interprets them? Where is my friend wrong here? I know some of you will be like, “Don’t waste your breath, this guy’s a wacko, it’s not worth it . . . ,” but if someone doesn’t address this, think about the scandal it may cause! You see, this guy is Catholic and claims to be devout . . . need I say more?

Anyone who denies Jesus is the Christ is antichrist, by St. John’s definition, so Jews (the religion, not the race) are antichrist (not the antichrist).

the Old Covenant is fulfilled by the New. Jews must accept Jesus to be saved. They don’t have a special privilege for being of a specific race. Their privilege was that all peoples would be blessed through one of their own (Jesus Christ), they have rejected him and so the Jews today (religion, not race) are not a member of the remnant who will be saved (the Old Testament always had a remnant of faithful Jews (God promised them, but they had to be faithful). The Jews who accept the Church are saved.(Paul, Mary, etc).

Jesus did predict the Fall of Jerusalem, and it was a punishment for their unfaithfulness and their killing of the prophets from Abel to Zechariah, and for killing the saints of the early Christian church (St. Stephen)

Jesus (God) is saying that he loves the Jews, but they manage to fall every time into unfaithfulness (story of the Old Testament). Israel was the bride of Christ, and the Catholic Church is the new Israel (the promise is fulfilled in us).

 

[Not_Sure_1]

The Jews of the OT that are being addressed are not all Jews. The Jews were divided into many different types…the number escapes me…however what was said was to that population that was being addressed…it does not transmit time to today…

Your friend has some issues that do not make sense.

OT Judaism is not Rabinnical Judaism of today. The Rabinnical Jews are descendants of the OT Judaism…but it is different, ie no temple, no animal sacrifices, no levitical priesthood…therefore those that the OT speaks of are those that had these things…

Cetainly the Jews cannot deny what they do not know and accept…there may be some that come to the recognition of this and deny however it isn’t just Jews…so what…

Jews are not athiests…I imagine there may be a few Jewish athiests around and there are lots of other athiests as well, so what…

Paul in the letter to the Romans says that God is God of all Greek, Jew, for God is impartial…take this issue up with Paul…

Your friend has some issues…he should be referred to his parish priest…you should start with the letter to the Romans first and foremost…

You may want to remind your friend that Peter was a Jew, Jesus was a Jew, Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin, Mary was a Jew…David was a Jew…and he needs an attitude adjustment…

Next if Protestantism is heresy and Protestants of today that are not associated with the likes of Calvin, etc are not heretics…then generations have passed and those of today that are called Jew…have nothing to do with what happened in the NT…

In the context of theology, Jew is not a race. Jesus was a jew in the racial sense, but in Christ there is no Jew nor Greek (therefore, Mary, Paul, Jesus are not Jews in the theological sense of the word because they accept Jesus Christ as saviour).

We are working with a confusion of terms when we call Jesus, Peter, Mary a Jew.
Yes, in one sense they are.
But Judaism now is a religion characterized by the belief that Jesus Christ is not a saviour.

A Christian is not a Jew.

 

[patrick457]

I have a casual friend who is extremely antisemitic (although he would never identify himself as such).

That should really send off the warning signals. People like to deny that they are prejudiced (“I’m not blahblahblah], but…”), but they’re just ignoring the reality: we all have our own biases. We may not like to think it, but that’s true. The first step in eliminating a problem is to recognize that the problem exists. I mean, you could never be properly cured if you keep denying you are ill (when you actually are).