THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 5, 1995 TAG: 9505050011
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A18 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
I am grateful for the courageous article by your religion writer on April 29. I have long felt ashamed of the anti-Semitism in my own Catholic church and in the larger Christian church.
Centuries of reproaching the Jews ``for killing Jesus'' has always struck me as irrational since the church itself teaches that it was Christ's destiny to die on the cross. Christ (a Jew, remember?) accepted this destiny.
Consider the passage from Scripture in which the Apostle Peter (also a Jew) drew his sword and lopped off the ear of a Roman soldier in an attempt to save Jesus from being taken into custody. Jesus stopped Peter from defending him, even though he knew he faced a horrible death. But if he did not fulfill his destiny, how could mankind have then been ``saved''? There would be no Christian church without the tradition of the Crucifixion and Resurrection.
Romans seized Jesus for political rabble-rousing, and Romans crucifiedhim. Since it was also Romans who subsequently embraced Christianity, it's obvious where the scapegoating began: Someone had to take the blame.
But there is no logic in any of this, only a perverse excuse for prejudice against Jews for (among other things) not embracing Christianity. So many Christians apparently believe that God turned away form his chosen people, the Jews. He turns away from no one. That is a basic tenet of our faith. I have no doubt that Jesus weeps.
PATRICIA ELLER
Norfolk, May 1, 1995 by CNB