It could, but it doesn’t have to be. My main point was that people are quick to jump on any excuse to label Israel as undemocratic or a rogue state, but they never complain about far worse actions from other governments/societies. I just think often Israel is held to a higher standard and is faulted for not meeting that standard–and part of me thinks some of this stems from anti-Semitic attitudes.
Exactly. Same as the comments of Ilhan Omar. We are called to give people the benefit of the doubt, to not assume a negative because that is judgmental.
I guess the question to ask here is "How does God feel toward Jewish people as a whole, does He find them lacking in some way? The Catholic believer’s answer to this is likely going to effect his or her own feelings toward Jewish people. It may seem a bit innocuous, but if in the future a Jewish person wrongs someone in some way, the image may lead to the rationale for some sort of negative action or condemnation toward a Jewish person or toward Jews in general.
Yes, initially. But when you have repeatedly been told that, as in Ilhan Omar’s case, you are engaging in anti-Semitism or at least what looks like anti-Semitism and she apologizes but then says more things that sound anti-Semitc then it becomes clear that you are not dealing with someone who cares about gaining understanding or forgiveness. You are dealing with someone who actually believes what she’s saying and is therefore not a person who you can dialogue with in good faith.
No, they don’t. And if you believe that, then you don’t understand human nature.
Hmmm. But when you are saying “sounds antisemitic” are you giving her the benefit of the doubt? Did you know that Jewish people got on her case about some of the apologies? They said she was telling the truth about AIPAC, and not to stand down or make it sound like AIPAC was not the big influence that it is. My understanding is that most American Jews do not support AIPAC’s policies.
Even Hitler meant well. He perceived an evil, and sought to destroy what he saw as a threat. He was blinded by hate and prejudice, but he meant well. He thought he was doing something good.
You get the benefit of the doubt when you make a mistake or act in ignorance or express yourself inarticulately one time. You don’t get the benefit of the doubt when you keep stepping into the same controversy over and over again. Ilhan Omar has been made aware numerous times that the way she talks about Israel and the pro-Israeli support in the US sounds anti-Semitic and makes use of anti-Semitic references. Multiple times is not a mistake, and it’s not ignorance. It’s probably just who she is.
OK. What does that have to do with Ilhan Omar being or not being anti-Semitic. You can criticize AIPAC without using anti-Semitic slurs.
No, he didn’t.
He was the evil. He murdered millions of human beings who were created in the image of God all because he wanted to use them as scapegoats to elevate himself into a savior figure.
I agree he was blinded by hate and prejudice. But he had to know what he was doing was wrong. Even pagans have a conscience, and he was born in a Christian environment with access to Christian teaching. He was not ignorant of what God required of us–to love others.
Yes, the attempt to couch anti-Semitism as simply “asking questions” that some posters (not you) have done.
Hatred blinds people. When we seek to punish someone, we are blinded of their humanity; it happens without our realizing it, it is not deliberate. Jesus saw this when He said “forgive them, for they know not what they do”.
Hitler had the illusion that what he was destroying had no value or negative value. Yes, he was wrong. The people who hung Jesus had the same illusion. (Note: we are all capable of the same illusion)
I guess that basically urges the question ‘so what?’.
She’s “stepping into the controversy” because she sees injustice. She is seeing the same injustice that Christians in Palestine and our Catholic Bishops also see. Does stepping into a controversy make her antisemitic?
Well, the JDL condemns her comments as antisemitic, but JVP is applauding her remarks.
This is according to some media outlets, but not others. When Ilhan said “Benjamin’s baby” I thought she was referring to Benjamin Netanyahu, and many others thought the same. The mistake was in that the “trope” is also used by people who promote hatred of Jews and the idea of a global Jewish conspiracy. The journalist she tweeted those words to, Glenn Greenwald, put in his own comments here:
Yes, she needs to watch her words. Unfortunately, some words she uses seem fine, but they have been used differently in the past.
When we point at any human and say “he is evil” we do the same as those who hung Jesus. (edit: we do not do the same, it is the same thing happening in our minds as those who hung Him). Dehumanization is a blindness. It is a natural blindness, but it does not represent truth. Jesus made reference to “the post in our own eye”. When we condemn others as “evil”, we have the post in our eye. Condemnation is the opposite of forgiveness.
I’m glad we agree on something!
The “good intent” there (note the scare quotes because the poster most probably has an illusion/blindness) is that they believe that they are promoting justice by calling attention to what they believe is injustice. It is well-intended, but coming from a position of blindness.
The controversy she keeps stepping into is saying anti-Semitic stuff. It’s one thing if she thoughtfully critiques Israel’s policies with facts and reasons. What people of good will don’t like is when she uses anti-Semitic slurs again and again after being called out again and again. That is the controversy she keeps stepping into.
No, we don’t. There is objective evil in this world, and humans are not immune from it. As free moral agents, we can choose to let it devour us or we can turn from it and towards the good, with the help of God.
Calling someone whose actions are objectively evil (like committing genocide) an evil person is not dehumanization. What is dehumanizing is the killing of millions of people for the stated reason that they are subhuman. That’s dehumanization and it is evil. Hitler was evil.
Jesus also said, “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16).
It is not my place to forgive Hitler. Forgiveness is something we must receive from God and those we have wronged.
OneSheep is right and I am surprised that anyone is arguing about it. Hitler and the German people correctly perceived evil in the way Germany was punished after World War I (Treaty of Versailles).