Re: Fwd: Re: Passion Plays and Jewish Music

[Fred Blumenthal <xd2fabl...>]

I'm embarassed to live in the city where the Baptists recently met and
denounced Islam, including accusing Mohammed of pedophelia.  My view is
that world peace can only evolve when we think of all humans as being from
the same group, and think less of ourselves as being made up of smaller
groups.  That doesn't qualify my Jewish identity, but my Jewish identity
shouldn't prevent my sympathizing with Christians, Muslims et al.  And
using holier-than-thou Christianity as an excuse to preach hatred of
another ethnic group is anti-Christian.

The point about Nazis not being Christians is well made, but leaves open
the question of whether those who perpetrated the Inquisition, including
conversion "by the sword," were practicing Christians.  In fact, there are
many more examples of Christianity being used as an excuse to oppress
non-Europeans: the enslaving of Africans, giving Native Americans blankets
infected with smallpox, conquering "colonies," etc.  Not correctly an
expression of Christianity, even when it's an Inquisition ordered by a
pope.

But again, we risk not being able to see the forest because of the trees.
Christianity teaches that all humans are guilty, per "original sin."  Not
only did "we" all sin in eating the wrong fruit in Gan Eden, "we"
(including Christians) also share responsibility for the crucifixion.
Blaming the Jews for the crucifixion isn't accurately based on Christian
doctrine - it's based on the anti-Semitism of Europeans.  That's how the
story about Pontius Pilate and Barrabas is used as an excuse to vent
anti-Semitism in the passion plays.  And, in turn, that's why Ms. Winkler
didn't want to give a Jewish "blessing" to an art form traditionally used
as an expression of anti-Semitism.

Fred Blumenthal
xd2fabl (at) us(dot)ibm(dot)com



                                                                                
                                 
                      Eliott Kahn                                               
                                 
                      <Elkahn (at) JTSA(dot)EDU>          To:       World music 
from a Jewish slant                       
                      Sent by:                    <jewish-music (at) 
shamash(dot)org>                                     
                      owner-jewish-music@        cc:                            
                                 
                      shamash.org                Subject:  Re: Fwd: Re: Passion 
Plays and Jewish Music           
                                                                                
                                 
                                                                                
                                 
                      06/19/2002 09:23 AM                                       
                                 
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>
>
>The centrality of the crucifixion itself  in Christian theology, while not
"anti-semitic", is opposed at its core to the Jewish way of being and
relating to divinity. By focusing on that part of the story, Christianity
became a cult of death, violence, and innate depravity, and Judaism became
the perfect foil, the "negative other" that served murderers in the name of
God very well for two thousand years, and counting.
>
>Allen
>adavis (at) softwarejobs(dot)com
>

Don't you think this really a bit much? You're basically saying that one of
the great religions of the world, responsible for atrocities against Jews
but nevertheless also for the civilization of countless people, is "a cult
of death, violence, and innate depravity..."

I couldn't help but wonder what the Jewish reaction would be if someone
said that about our religion.

Christians focus on the crucifixion usually as a prelude to resurrection.
That's why there is a Good Friday (crucifixion) and Easter Sunday
(resurrection). Just because we Jews appear to have little interest in the
afterlife, it gives us no reason to criticize another religion that does.

And just to set the record straight: the Nazis were not Christians. They
successfully eliminated any Lutheran opposition ca. 1937-38. I am aware
that the Catholic Church and Pope Pius' toleration of the Nazis was
despicable and cost many Jewish lives. But, perhaps, we can build on the
recent overtures to us made by Pope John Paul. Sure, it's still very late
in the game, but why not try to establish peace and dialogue if we can?

We should never forget the injustices of the past, but it's utter
foolishness to try and sabotage a potential for peace and good will in the
future.

Eliott Kahn








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