I had assumed -- hoped -- that the Jewish critics of The Passion were exaggerating. The critics, after all, have a habit of assuming the worst of Christianity, and of underestimating the positive changes in Christian attitudes toward Jews. They turned the Pope's beatification of Edith Stein into a nefarious Catholic plot to "Christianize" the Holocaust, and transformed a debate among historians over the role of Pius XII into a campaign against the church headed by John Paul II, who has devoted himself to Christian atonement for anti-Semitism.
But this time the critics weren't exaggerating. Mel Gibson has produced a medieval passion play, reviving the whiff of deicide at the most vulnerable Jewish moment since the 1940s. In the film, hysterical Jewish mobs repeatedly call for Jesus's blood as Pontius Pilate agonizes over his fate. Worse, the film undermines one of the seminal accomplishments of the Christian-Jewish dialogue: restoring the Jewishness of Jesus.
While the elders of the Sanhedrin look like hassidim from Brooklyn, Jesus looks like a Renaissance Italian.
It's hardly surprising that Gibson is a "traditionalist" Catholic contemptuous of Vatican II. His film, after all, undermines a key historical achievement of Vatican II: beginning the process of the Church's reconciliation with its Jewish roots. Given the damage he's done to Christian-Jewish relations, I wouldn't want to be Mel Gibson on Judgment Day.
I'm currently visiting Colorado Springs, which many call the evangelical capital of America. The powerful evangelical group Focus of the Family is headquartered here; on a Sunday morning, as many as 10,000 people fill its main church. One local bumper sticker reads, "In case of the Rapture, this car will be driverless." (The counter-sticker goes: "In case of Rapture, can I have your car?") This is as good a place as any to contemplate the effects of The Passion.
On a weeknight, the theater I attended was nearly full.
People emerged from the screening in what seemed like stunned silence. Clearly, many had just experienced a profound religious encounter. Yet I felt alone and vulnerable in that crowd, no longer trusting its benign instincts.
Still, those same Christians are almost certainly passionate supporters of Israel. Earlier that day I'd spoken about the Middle East to cadets at the Air Force Academy, here in Colorado Springs. Many of the cadets are devout Christians. When I arrived, the guard at the gate was talking to a young woman about the Rapture. Not surprisingly, my audience was deeply sympathetic to Israel. As I spoke about Israel's dilemmas and the necessity of the security fence, there were vigorous nods around the room. "You're not alone," one cadet said to me afterwards. And that's precisely how an Israeli feels among religious American conservatives: embraced, appreciated, understood.
Are we, then, supposed to ignore the irony that, in our war with genocidal Islamism, our strongest allies are now promoting a film that resurrects the charge of deicide? A few days ago, a leading conservative Jewish critic appeared on an evangelical TV show to express his outrage at Jewish criticism of the film. It was an appalling display of obsequiousness: Instead of explaining why Jews feel threatened by The Passion, he denounced its Jewish critics for supposedly trying to dictate to Christians what to believe.
Yet those Jewish leaders who have led the public campaign against The Passion have also behaved shabbily. In fact, they bear no small responsibility for turning the film into a media sensation. Instead of quietly encouraging an internal Christian debate over the film, they have created the worst possible outcome -- a growing Christian defensiveness over a perceived Jewish assault on their faith.
The crucial question, after all, is what Christians, not Jews, think about The Passion. Where a Jew sees blood, kitsch, and menace, a Christian sees sacrifice, suffering, and love.
I sat in on a discussion about The Passion among a group of Colorado Springs college students, most of them Evangelicals and Catholics. They'd just come from a screening, and were so overwhelmed by emotion that it took them a while to be able to speak. When they finally did, they raised crucial questions -- about emphasizing the crucifixion and all but ignoring the resurrection, about the historical veracity of the film, about the religious uses of Jesus's suffering.
"And what about how the Jews were portrayed?" a young man asked tentatively. "The Romans did most of the beating," one student replied. "There were some Jews in the film who tried to defend Jesus," another added.
The Passion can have a devastating effect abroad, for example in Eastern Europe, where Vatican II still hasn't taken deep root.
I don't know how typical those young people are. I suspect that most American Christians will react in similar ways. The two Christian communities that are responding most deeply to The Passion -- Catholics and Evangelicals -- are each in their way immunized by their own theologies against anti-Semitism. Vatican II has uprooted the deicide charge from normative Catholic thinking, at least in America. And evangelical support for Israel is based largely on the verse in Genesis in which God promises to bless those who bless the progeny of Abraham and curse those who harm them.
Still, The Passion can have a devastating effect abroad, for example in Eastern Europe, where Vatican II still hasn't taken deep root.
Clearly, those Colorado Springs students had very different perceptions than Jews about the main issues raised by the film -- which is, after all, not about what Christians believe about the Jews as much as what Christians believe about Christianity.
And so the dilemma remains: How strongly do we challenge and invalidate a faith experience for Christians and impose a Jewish agenda on what should be an internal Christian debate over the meaning of their faith?
The dilemma is compounded by mutual insecurity. For Jews, a wildly popular film evoking deicide only strengthens our growing sense that the bad days are returning.
For Christians, especially Catholics, who feel under assault because of the Church's sex scandal, the Jewish attack on a positive artistic depiction of their faith intensifies their sense of cultural siege.
Emerging from The Passion, I wanted to weep -- for the inadequacy of the good against the passions of the malevolent, for all the efforts at reconciliation between Christians and Jews that are so easily obscured by a media event. It was, of course, too much to expect that centuries of contempt would be erased by several decades of goodwill. But how is it that those of us who work for Christian-Jewish rapprochement can't manage better damage control when the demons of the past resurface?
This article originally appeared in the Jerusalem Post.
For more on "The Passion" see:
Why Jews Don't Believe in Jesus
(33) Beverly Kurtin, December 24, 2010 9:48 PM
What a Crock
Since the release of the movie, I've not heard even ONE negative response from any Christian I know. Most of them were disgusted with the gore and blood that the movie showed. Several said that they walked out in the middle of the showing as they were angered by the way Gibson was banging the drum of Jew-hate and were insulted by what he was doing. I've not seen it, I will not see it. I do not watch anything with which Gibson is involved.
(32) Bob Hunt, October 11, 2005 12:00 AM
Impact of "The Passion"
I'm curious to know what impact "The Passion" has had on Jewish-Christian relations and on Christian attitudes and behavoir toward Jews. Many Jewish critics said that there would be violence against Jews because of the movie. Has this happened? I've not heard anything in the news about it (though I heard a great deal about the critics of the movie beforehand). Are the news networks not reporting acts of violence against Jews by committed Christians in response to the movie? Or has there been no violence? The Catholic League says that there has been no violence against Jews as a response to the movie. Is this true? Thank you.
(31) richard, April 8, 2004 12:00 AM
I think that we can safely say that flim is not only a powerful medium but also a great mind changer(for the masses at least) on that basis are we really short of: flim producers,writers ,thinkers wealthy and commtited jews that we can not use the same medium for masse awarness and peace or maybe we think its not our resposibilty any more?
(30) Fais Nasir, March 22, 2004 12:00 AM
My Sympathies
Rabbi Halevi: You, along with the rest of the Jewish community, have my sympathies and support. I am Muslim myself, but I know exactly how it feels to be marginalized, targeted and persecuted. No human being should be subjected to such things and I urge my Jewish friends to have patience and to vocalize the truth in an intelligent manner such as you have done. It pains me to think that so many individuals will see this film and in their sheer ignorance deem it to be, ''the truth". I have not seen the movie, but your statement that the end result is to instill hatred towards Jews by way of strong imagery and the dispensing of untruths is enough reason for me to avoid it altogether. There is, after all, enough hatred and anti-semetic sentiment in the world today -- I don't need exposure to any more of it. Shame on Mr. Gibson for spreading it to the [generally] unthinking masses. My dear Rabbi, not all people believe what they see. I realize that you may not find solace in that statement, but hopefully this post is living testament to the fact that you don't have to be Jewish to find offense in what is quite clearly hate propaganda. I am not overtly religious, but I do believe that in the end, God will decide. I do not think, however, that toleratingthe spread of hatred towards any of his creations will be part of His agenda. Thank-you.
(29) Anonymous, March 19, 2004 12:00 AM
let's hope Steven Spielberg's new documentary will also invite some attention. If it took only one man's death to save the world,then for what reason did did 6million Jews die for? I think that film reminds me of how quickly mankind can destroy and display horrific evils, given the opportunity.
(28) al puglisi, March 18, 2004 12:00 AM
wake up adam
Adam you are so blind. I spent all my adult life as a Fundamentalist Christian.That is 26 years. I know whereof I speak. Your information is second hand at best. Wake up, my friend.
(27) Andrew Gelbman, March 17, 2004 12:00 AM
So they hate us...
It's nothing new, the Church hates the Jews. SHOCK! GASP! After 2000 blood-soaked years this is a surprise?
In Bratislava, the papal nuncio told the Chief Rabbi of Slovakia that the Jews had to be murdered to the last infant because the Church would not tolerate the "murderers of Christ" under the same skies. The only real question is why Jews believed that anything had changed with Vatican II? Vatican II never repudiated Catholic Jew-hatred. Instead in affirmed Catholic admiration for Islam and of Judaism it merely said "we deny nothing true in that religion"... well thank you and your grand-children!
It remains canon law that Jews belong in the ghetto and their wealth (and their children) belong to the Church. That has never been withdrawn. Mel's movie is 100% in keeping with Catholic doctrine, and of course it's hostile to Jews and Judaism.
The church, and every other institution that denies the Truth of G-d's Torah will ALWAYS hate His people. It's a simple equation.
It is not important what Mel Gibson or the Catholic Church or any other bunch of gentiles think. We do not need or even particularly want their approval. All that matters is our relationship with G-d. The psalms tell us that if we would return to Him and pursue His ways, He Himself will take up our grievance and by His strength will destroy our enemies. So why do we persist in trying everything BUT His ways?
(26) Aminidav Polonski, March 17, 2004 12:00 AM
this flick stinks
I think this film stinks, I my self am not going to wach it and when someone asks me my opinion on the matter I will simply say no comment. I belive that if we show no attention to this film it will dissapear in popularity just like everything else main stream medea shoots out because if it's not generating cash they don't want nothing to do with it so lets all try to put this behind us and wait it out if anyone is realy concerned don't express your self to people express your self to our God the one and only true god of Israel
(25) Anonymous, March 15, 2004 12:00 AM
I always enjoy the articles from this site. This is not one of them!
How ironic that the author is writing about an anti-semitic move. The author himself sounds like an anti-semite, or at least a self hating jew. He criticizes the jews in every other sentence.
Besides the other things he says, he actually has the nerve to say that the jewish activists who rightly! protested this movie are resposible for making it such a sensational movie. The enourmous success has nothing at all to do with the little the jews protested.
I wonder what this person would have to say about the situation with the Jews and arabs
(24) Mark F. Karns, March 15, 2004 12:00 AM
The passion will probably promote anti-semetism
I have not read a better comment, except maybe Schmuley Boteach's brief comment on US Television, than yaanidrucker, 3/11/2004. Christians have many different beliefs, including the one that Jesus is God. If this were so Satan could destroy the world by killing Jesus. Any fool knows that no man can resurrect himself even if he prophesizes his own resurrection. There are so many misunderstandings by Christions about God, Jesus, Son of Man, Satan and etc. that a thinking man may not even want to read the Bible. Many people, except most children, do not want to believe that God, their creator, knows their every thought. He knows all their thoughts and decisions from creation to judgement. Their decisions come from their own free will, however.
(23) yaanidrucker, March 11, 2004 12:00 AM
to overcome antisemitism, we need to start asking the right questions
I would like to respond to your comments on The Passion. I was raised Christian, and am married to a wonderful Jewish man. The Jews have been unjustly accused of killing Christ for over 2000 years and this insanity keeps resurfacing and being inflamed. We need to ask some obvious questions, so the whole ridiculous idea of blaming anyone for Jesus’ death be seen as preposterous – questions like:
1. If Jesus is God, how can he be murdered?
2. If Jesus can be killed, doesn’t that make him vulnerable?
3. Is it reasonable to seek revenge today for a crime that was committed 2000 years ago?
4. If there’s to be punishment for Jesus’ death, wouldn’t that be God’s business? Wouldn’t God, who is all powerful, be able to handle that one, dole out justice where appropriate…?
5. There are those who believe that God willed Jesus’ death. If that were so, what are they blaming the Jews for?
6. There are those who believe that because of Jesus death they are saved. If you follow that (il)logic, shouldn’t they be thanking those who put him up on the cross?
I have written a book entitled “Not Guilty” It’s about how we all thought we were guilty for crimes we never committed. We all hired the wrong attorney. Ego wants us guilty so it can survive at our expense. Part of it’s strategy is to project that guilt outside by blaming someone else so you are off the hook. Christians who feel guilty for any reason, (it does not even have to be for Jesus’ death; it can be for being unfaithful to one’s spouse, or for corruption in the workplace…)project that guilt out onto their Jewish brother and make them Christ killers. In that act they think their guilt is assuaged and someone else is going to suffer the consequences for their actions. The fact is, projecting guilt is how you keep it. Nothing has changed in 2000 years because by blaming the Jews, the problem has not been solved, but rather has been exacerbated. The solution of course is to lead a life of purity so you don’t feel guilty and subsequently feel the need to accuse someone else falsely to assuage your guilty. Ego survives by coercing us into acting in ways that make us feel guilty and then keeping that guilt by seeing someone else as the guilty party. Ego is a vampire that feeds on guilt. As long as anyone is guilty, it doesn’t matter whether falsely accused or not, ego survives.
Ego is the root cause of all anti-Semitism as well as all conflict in the world throughout history. Brother has been fighting brother since the beginning of time because ego has fooled us into believing that our brothers are our enemies. Thus the Christians hate the Jews, the Protestants hate the Catholics, the Muslims hate the Hindus, etc, etc, etc. We are all children of God, created to love each other and enhance each other’s joy.
The only hope we have against ego is to turn to God and acknowledge him as our creator and source. Only God knows how to subvert ego and reveal it’s nothingness to us so that we can be free of it. Once enough minds have become enlightened to the truth about ego, its nothingness will be obvious to all humanity, and the plug will be pulled on ego. In other words, we need a critical mass, then like the hundredth monkey, ego will be undermined for everyone. Only when every one is free are you free, for we are all one.
(22) Dr M Chong, March 10, 2004 12:00 AM
The Problem is Precisely It Is Just A Movie!
Most intelligent people are mindful of how the movie medium can affect their perception of reality. Combine the right score with the right flick and you can do almost anything, make a person cry, shout or even laugh. But there will be a few (look closely) who are aware what is going on and these people will not be affected. These will be the 2% of the population, the ppl who decide how the rest of the 98% live, work and play. It is these people who trully realize it's just a movie, the rest of us may realize this reality too late!
(21) Anonymous, March 10, 2004 12:00 AM
They (the Christians) should be thankful to those who killed J. because "now they are saved" -it is what they believe. Let them be saved and happy. But, let all Jewish say to the world that the God of Israel is ONE and ONLY and he does not alow to make "from a man a god". The world should know that. So, many souls can be really saved. Kol tuv
(20) Shirley, March 10, 2004 12:00 AM
Why is Christian Bashing acceptable
I am grateful that at least your article does not call Christians anti-
semitic,and equate the Passion film to a sado-masochistic snuff film as one of the other rabbis did. I was so insulted, as I feel most Christians who take their beliefs seriously would be.As Christians, we do not like to be falsely accused of being Anti-semitic just because of our beliefs. Were the shoe on your foot, the screams of prejudice would be deafening.
(19) Jozie, March 9, 2004 12:00 AM
Its a movie
Cool it. Its just a movie. Its a history lesson. I know its not this easy to some people, and I'm sorry about that. But it is just a movie that has been made time and time again.
(18) Adam, March 9, 2004 12:00 AM
SYD and NOT YOUR FFRIENDS
I am sorry but what they are say in not true for most people that are true Christains. I am Jewish and I have many friends that are pentacostals and other types of Christains that want to have good faith with us and stand with us in the hard time. I think that people that write such things as the above commentors have had a bad test left by someone and are out to get them all. I know that our hope is in Hashem alone yet it is good to have friends. I for one am glad that not all people are like these...seeing only doom and gloom.
(17) Michelle Cohen, March 9, 2004 12:00 AM
This was a very amusing way to conter the movie. I refuse to see it knowing that Mel's father is a Holocaust denyer!
(16) Corry, March 8, 2004 12:00 AM
Clear and balanced
Yossi, I found your commentary to be fair and balanced with deep concerns that we all share as Jews. I, too, saw the movie and have concerns. One of them, however, is not deicide. I did not see this portrayed in the film. I have many Christian friends who are slowly but surely becoming educated about the evils of early church history. They are repenting and changing their own infrastructure at the local level. We, as a community, need to continue to hold our heads high with our faith and trust in G-d.
(15) Evy, March 8, 2004 12:00 AM
Thank you, Yossi!
I couldn't have said it better myself.
(14) Stan, March 8, 2004 12:00 AM
We are all guilty for Christ's death!
I am not Jewish but an Evangelical Christian. I sympathise with my Jewish brethren and understand the threat "The Passion" would seem to represent. Among my circles however, I can assure you that there is no feeling whatsoever, that the Jewish people are responsible for Christ's suffering and death. All humanity is. The Bible is very clear on this. Anything short of this is unbiblical and ought to be condemned.
Some people might wish to use "The Passion" for their own selfish, divisive and ulterior motives. There is no doubt to my mind that every serious Christian will discern this and put those people in their right place. I am proud of my Judeo-Christian heritage and I am aware I'm not the only one.
Israel, you're not alone. There will be no finger pointing from us. On the contrary, we'll stick with you through thick and thin. And that's a promise! And you can count on it!
(13) David M. Frost, March 8, 2004 12:00 AM
Thanks for a great review
The controversy surrounding Mr. Gibson's movie has generated, alas, more heat than light. Kudos to Mr. Halevi for writing an article that was able to reflect the honesty and good will of most Jews and Christians on both sides of the discussion.
(12) Bonnie, March 8, 2004 12:00 AM
I felt hope....
...when you said a cadet from the AF Academy told you that you were not alone--that you felt embraced, appreciated and understood.
For almost two years, I have been seriously questioning and searching, wanting to understand the Judeo-Christian roots. I have purposely not seen this film that Mel Gibson produced. One reason is that I am coming to Israel this month and don't want any interferance with "meeting" her. Another reason--I don't want the graphic images. The images of the Holocaust are real. My beliefs don't need one man's imaginings to reinforce it.
An observation through my reading shows a wide spectrum of beliefs in both Judiasm and Christianity. It's fascinating, but it leaves me with a greater desire to know G-d, to know where man has put his own words into the text or taken others out, to know what is pure and true: to know G-d
When I examine the people I have known during my life, the most gentle, the most talented, the most giving, and perhaps even most colorful, have been Jewish. My step-father is Jewish.
It is my hope that you will continue to find Christians who make you and others of Jewish faith feel embraced, appreciated and understood. These are the ones that I believe know the love of the Father who is the G-d of Israel. These are the ones who will tell you that is was not the Jews who killed Jesus....it was the evil intent in humanity (which was probably Gibson's intent of satan appearing in a hopefully mixed crowd). These are the ones who bless Israel, not just because it should go well for them, but because they feel the love of G-d for you.
For anyone reading this, please, please do not think that everyone who calls themselves a Christian espouses the same belief. There is such a wide range between the demoninations--and this is not just Catholic and Protestant--there are ranges within those ranks.
Personally I feel that there is a lot of ignorance in the world when it comes to knowing about G-d. In my pursuit of knowledge, I find that I am looking to the Jewish knowing because since I was a child, I believed G-d gave them Truth.....and I want to know more.
(11) mel haft, March 8, 2004 12:00 AM
the Passion re-visited
as a Jew, i was interested enough to view the film.[the passion] i didn't think to much of the film; but i was primarily interested in whether it was a true representation of the Gospels.
most Jews don't realize that many Christians believe the new testament to be absolute truth as we Jews believe the Torah to be the word of G_d.
i believe that some who have seen the film and cry anti-sematism haven't read the new testament which clearly shows some Jews did desire the death of Jesus.
instead of accepting this [which they ignore] they protest that the Jews did not crucify Jesus; so they win by default.
i don't accept the new testament as the word of G_d, but that's one man's opinion.
i allow christians their belief,because
if you destroy a man's belief you destroy the man.
(10) Anonymous, March 8, 2004 12:00 AM
I couldn't agree more.
Yes, I couldn't agree more with what is said in this comment. I really believe many Jews have made more of this then is needed. But lets all remember that Gibson is an anti-semiti with little feelings for Jews. He loves the Jews; yah sure just like Hitler did.
Who heard the interview with Gibson's father, it was one anti Jewish slur after another.
(9) al puglisi, March 8, 2004 12:00 AM
not your friends
This is what I have been trying to say for two years now, ever since I walked away from Fundamentalist Evangelical Christianity. These people are not your friends. Their interest in Israel is that it gives validity to their eschatology and the hopes that the second coming of Jesus is at hand. THIS IS THEIR ONLY INTEREST IN ISRAEL OR IN THE JEWISH PEOPLE. ISRAEL EXISTS TO JUSTIFY THEIR THEOLOGY, AND NO OTHER REASON.Jewish people, wake up to this if you have not already.
(8) Len, March 8, 2004 12:00 AM
"The crucial question, after all, is what Christians, not Jews, think about The Passion. Where a Jew sees blood, kitsch, and menace, a Christian sees sacrifice, suffering, and love."
A very wise comment. I have read in comments in response to a very good Jewish defense of your reasons for not accepting Jesus as Messiah that Jesus was a sorceror, a fraud and a evil deceiver. The article was fair, well reasoned,excellent in every way but the response was disturbing. Do Jewish people see this movie as horrendous because it is about a figure they detest?
I hope you would denounce the attitudes that would justify crucifixion even as you should expect Christians to denounce the attitudes that led to the persecution of your forefathers.
(7) Paul Bovis, March 8, 2004 12:00 AM
Thankyou
What a breath of fresh air by Yossi. Yossi has eloquently put what I tried to say in those articles. I was born into a Christian Faith, but have always had my doubts about its authenticity. I have experienced some wonderful spiritual moments and horror's and searched many faiths for an answer. I am hungry for thruth but all I saw coming from these articles over the passion was mans abilty to cut himself down and forgo the commandment of LOVE one another.
Thankyou Yossi for an exremely well balanced commentary.
For those not understanding what I am saying I suggest you read Yossi's article again with an open mind and lay aside your bias's for a moment.
(L)light (O)of (V)vision (E)evermore
(6) Anonymous, March 7, 2004 12:00 AM
Children think their parents know it all when they are small.
The Readers Digest says Mel Gibson`s dad, who Mel loves a lot, doubted the holocaust. To what degree? If that is what he grew up listening to, would that influence him about Jews? One would think so. Does that kind of talk make a child have sympathy or dislike for these people?
(5) Syd, March 7, 2004 12:00 AM
Why the Christians favor Israel.
Israel and the Jews are supported by the Christian fundamentalists because
they believe that Israel's existence will bring about the second coming of Christ and their redemption. Once this happens Israel and the Jews will be damned with the rest of the non-believers while all believers will be
"saved".
In summary Israel and the Jews are being used and will be discarded after serving a specific purpose.
(4) Johan Broos, March 7, 2004 12:00 AM
For we knew not what we did....
As a Christian, I am totally against "The Passion" movie.
Why? Because I can only wholeheartly agree with the words of Pope John XXIII shortly before his death:
"We now acknowledge that for many, many centuries we were blind to the beauty of Thy Chosen People and in his face did not recognize the features of our elder brother. We acknowledge that the mark of Cain is upon our brows. For centuries Abel has lain in blood and tears because we forgot Thy love. Forgive us the curse which we unjustly pronounced upon the name of the Jews. Forgive us that we crucified Thee for the second time in cursing them. For we knew not what we did..."
(3) Judy, March 7, 2004 12:00 AM
It's very strange to me .. that every Christian who watched this movie, says they don't see guilt reflected on Jews.
But every Jewish person seemed to have focused on the scene with Pilot.
People who love the G-d of Abraham do not hate or cast blame .. and a movie cannot make them.
These are His sheep. The rest are goats
Even in Christian scripture .. where is
it written to avenge this execution?
To whom would vengence be given?
(2) Anonymous, March 7, 2004 12:00 AM
Jewish Agenda?!?!?!?!?
Wait, so now this whole thing is supposedly about some secret "Jewish Agenda" -- a Kabal of nefarious people, bent on destroying Hot Dogs, Baseball, Jesus, Apple Pie, and Chevrolette?
So, how are we going to get the goyim to go along with our "Jewish agenda"? Oh yeah, I forgot: We are in control of everything, so they have to do what we say. Never mind the Holocaust, the Intifada, the Jews of Europe not being able to walk safely down the street in 2004. That's obviously all happening because we're not putting enough mind-control serum into the sweet little christians' water supply.
As to the alleged good relations with our supposedly non-antisemetic New Testament "bretheren",I wonder if German Jews in the fall of 1939 had the same attitude: Never mind the big burly guys in the brown shirts, kinderlach. If we plug our ears, close our eyes, and click our ruby red slippers they'll all just go away, and the nice Germans will be friendly again and hand out lollipops and candy canes and christmas presents and...
I'd love to ask one of them, but there don't seem to be that many left.
(1) Leonard Mansky, March 7, 2004 12:00 AM
My views on Passion per follwing article:
March 05, 2004, 9:33 a.m.
The Jews Who Cried Wolf
Hubbub over The Passion.
By Julia Gorin
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/gorin200403050933.asp