She makes a good point – millions of Christians in Egypt, Syria, and Iraq would love to flee but have no where to go.
by Evelyn Gordon
In recent months, a new consensus has emerged: For the first time in millennia, Judaism has lost its title as the world’s most persecuted religion; today, that dubious honor goes to Christianity. “Christians are targeted more than any other body of believers,” wrote Rupert Shortt in a 54-page report for the London-based Civitas institute in December, which meticulously documented their persecution on a country-by-country basis. Even politicians have begun grasping this fact: German Chancellor Angela Merkel publicly deemed Christianity “the most persecuted religion in the world” in November. In short, as one commentator put it last week, Christians have become the new Jews.
There are two reasons why Christianity has displaced Judaism as the world’s most persecuted religion. One, obviously, is increased persecution of Christians, which stems largely from the rise of radical Islam: Though non-Islamic countries like China also repress Christians, only radical Islamists kill them wholesale. The other is that today, Jews face less persecution than ever before in history. And that is entirely due to the existence of the State of Israel.
Were hundreds of thousands of Jews still scattered throughout the Islamic world, as was true a century ago, they would assuredly face persecution no less severe than Christians do. But they aren’t, because most have relocated to Israel. [......]
Many Christians, too, might like to leave places like Egypt or Iraq. But unlike the Jews, they have nowhere to go: No country on earth will automatically open its doors for them–with no questions asked and no numerical limitations–the way Israel does for Jews. And still less would any country do so for Jews if Israel didn’t exist.
A decade ago, at the height of the intifada, a fellow Israeli complained to me that Israel had failed in its mission to be a safe haven for Jews. [.....]
Technically, she’s correct: A Jew in Israel is far more likely to be killed just because he is Jewish than a Jew in Europe or North America. What she failed to grasp is that this is precisely the measure of Israel’s success: Israel today is the most dangerous place to be a Jew because any Jew living someplace more dangerous can relocate to Israel instead–and almost all of them have. In short, the fact that almost no Jews today live someplace more dangerous than Israel is proof positive of Israel’s success as a haven.
[......] If Israel didn’t exist, Judaism would still top the list of the world’s most persecuted religions, and Jews would be slaughtered throughout the Islamic world just as their Christian brethren are today. And nobody who cares about the Jewish people–or about saving human lives in general–could truly think that alternative is preferable.
Read the rest - Religious persecution and safe havens
Tags: Evelyn Gordon
Good morning. This article makes a strong point, Christians
are good targets of opportunity for Muslims.
Clinton set a real bad precedent siding with Muslims against the
Christian Serbs.
It’s not just Islam that is targeting Christianity. It’s also the secular leftists in the western world. Where else can you read diatribes against Christians in the press, have religious symbols taken down as an “offense” to one group or another, and their beliefs mocked on a regular basis. Now in the western world they aren’t physically persecuted like in other places, so far. All the verbal abuse they are receiving though does tend to drain them of energy and drive.
@ RIX:
I was against the war on Serbia when it happened, though that was more a matter of I was against it because Clinton was for it. Clinton was an abyssmal President who was fortunate enough to be Preident during relatively good economic times (courtesy of Ronald Reagan and a stock market bubble). His foreign policy sucked, and his domestic policy was capstoned by the Waco Massacre. He only won re-election because the Republicans chose the weakest candidate to run against him. Dole was awful, though not wquite as bad maybe as McCain. The Republicans are good at picking losers. This does not bode well for 2016, though we have a stable full of star power, it is all Tea PArty related, so you know the Party MAndarins will be against them from the get go.
In our own country, anti-Semites still tends to hide themselves in a certain amount of shame since overt Jew hared is still stigmatic. Anti-Christians, on the other hand, revel in their “enlightenment”, much of it centered around the “entertainment” industry. Never in history have Jews and Christians shared so much common cause.
@ MacDuff:
Anti-Zionists are anti-Semites. Anti-Zionism is just the “respectable” cloak that they wear. You don’t see many of them where I live, but you see them in spades in the Northeast and Left Coast. They are popular on University campuses, too.
@ Iron Fist:
Clinton went to war in the Balkans because he had a chubby
intern problem.
Funny how anti-war Bill & Hillary got into it.
RIX wrote:
It was a cynical move on Horndog Bill’s part.
Iron Fist wrote:
True. In The Middle East, Zionists and Jews are interchangeable.
@ RIX:
Yep Wag the Dog, and the Republicans let him get away with it. Though I don’t know how much they could have done to stop it. Too, there is a reflexive move on the part of Republicans to support the military no matter what, and Clinton was able to play on that. While I understand the sentiment (and never disrespect the troops), we have to hold reign over the executive branch. That is what the War Powers Act is supposed to do, but Obama showed us in Libya how much the War Powers Act is worth against a Democrat President.
MacDuff wrote:
The paradox, though, is that the conservative Jews and Christians who hold their faith quite literally are incapable of an ecumenical attitude, because each believe they are in possession of Truth. The alliance requires a lot of doublethink to keep it going.
Speranza wrote:
Except for a smattering of extreme lefty anti-Zionists in the universities and a few anti-Zionist haredim.
Speranza wrote:
I remember watching a interview with a paleosimian terrorist discussing why he tried to commit mass murder, and what he hoped to accomplish. I don’t know a-rab-ick, but I could pick out the word yahuda which the translator “helpfully” translated as Israeli.
@ Speranza:
@ Moe Katz:
Given the contexts I usually hear the word Zionist, I understand it as code for Jew. They may be primarily referring to Jews in Israel, but I understand secondarily they often mean all Jews. The codeword Zionist is cover in the unlikely event they are ever called out on their Jew hatred.
I don’t think this is limited to the middle east either.
Just my opinion.
It was nothing but a diversion.
@ Iron Fist:
Yeah, Clinton knew that he could count on good will
toward the troops.
The irony is that as a young man, Clinton had disdain.
@ citizen_q:
Sure. Antisemites conflate the two, though they sometimes point to rare, extremely deviant anti-Zionist Jews like the Neturei Karta as examples of ‘good Jews,’ in order to absolve themselves of their antisemitism.
RIX wrote:
Monica had disdain, it was on her dress.
MacDuff wrote:
The sad part is most Conservatives many of whom claim to be Christians do not care about their co-religionists in the Middle East.
@ Iron Fist:
Yup, he bombed the Serbs and gave China military technology.
That was quite an episode.
@ Speranza:
Itw as worse than that. He did it to please Saudi Arabia and make nice with Iran. The Serbs in 95 had AL-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the Bosnians on the verge of defeat. Then the US armed the Neo-Utashe Croats and bombed Serb positions in Bosnia.
To me that was a national disgrace and a shame on American honor.
Rodan wrote:
Some of that may be ignorance as much as indifference. The story of the Christian minorities in the Middle East is largely unknown in the west. Who is to blame? Liberal media, perhaps.
@ Rodan:
The fact that the Serbs were on the verge of victory is what
did them in.
Clinton needed to pick a side & he calulated that he could get
sympathy for the losing underdog.
Rodan wrote:
That’s a rather board brush to use. Most conservative Christians have no power to do anything about it. Are you talking politicians or are you grouping everyone together? How do you come up with this “most” part?
My conservative evangelical Baptist Church has sponsored three Copt families from Egypt! There are other efforts being made. Although they don’t seek headlines in the news for their mission!
@ Moe Katz:
It’s fault of the Conservative media as well.
@ Tanker:
I am talking about politicians. They claim to stand for Christian values rail about abortion and gays, but say nothing about real Christian persecution. They were silent on Lebanon in the 80′s, turned a blind eye to what happened to the Serbs and say nothing about Christian persecution in the Mideast today.
That is why when I hear a politician call themselves a Christian Conservative and say nothing on the plight of Christians in the Mideast, I do not take them serious. eespecially when they want to go to war for Muslims.
Moe Katz wrote:
BOOOOOOOOOOOO, eh!
Moe Katz wrote:
The problem is not a lack of ecumenism among people of faith (excepting of course, Muslims, who I don’t really consider “people of faith”), it’s persecution of the “faithful” by the “faithless”.
A belief that one possesses a certain amount of “Truth” is the stuff of “faith”. Personally, I hold my Catholicism “quite literally” as you say, but I don’t see where it requires any “doublethink” to have respect for those who hold non-Catholic beliefs…I feel no conflict within myself, whatsoever.
@ MacDuff:
That’s how I view it.
@ MacDuff:
Well said!
@ Macker:
By the way, you CAN spell it “ra-a-acist” with the hyphens. Try Googling it inside quotation marks. I do it that style because it’s a conventional way of representing an elongated vowel.
MacDuff wrote:
I see the doublethink right there. If you take your religion literally, there is no dual covenant. And what happens to Jewish people when they die?
My own spirituality is closer to mysticism, and I don’t believe any tradition has a monopoly on truth.
Moe Katz wrote:
Actually, I believe there to be an “Old Covenant” and a “New Covenant”. Where is it written that Jesus forsook his Judaism?
@ MacDuff:
I’m wading out of my depth here, but I don’t think that is the authoritative Catholic position. The orthodox Catholic position AFAIK, is replacement theology; the new covenant invalidates the old one, including for Jews.
Rodan wrote:
Conservatives or liberals Christians in both camps are willfully ignorant of what is going on. It hasn’t been just recently either this has been going on for a while the killing of Christians..Middle East and Africa are the top two that come to mind. But I am also seeing anti-Christian propaganda even here in the United States that is coming through Hollywood and our own press and even from the White House.
Tanker wrote:
There is the kicker no one knows the good stuff Christians are doing..because it isn’t being reported. One person offended because of a cross all over the news…thousands of Christians doing charity..*crickets*
@ MacDuff:
That is my view.
MacDuff wrote:
Hear, hear. I feel no conflict either. Although I am supposed to feel some Catholic guilt..I don’t.
Lily wrote:
Obama isthe most anti-Catholic President we have ever had. Period. He is agains t other Christians as well, but he really has a hard-on for th eCatholic Church. That is just the beginning of the persecution that we will see if we keep going down this path. I don’t expect America will get to be like Africa (except in places like Dearbornistan and Detroit), but it will get bad.
Rodan wrote:
He never did.
@ Rodan:
That is the way it is taught in the Southern Baptist Church as well. There is no double-think needed. There are two covenants.
@ Lily:
My beef are with Politicians.
Iron Fist wrote:
Yes it is going to get bad…I already see it in the press and hopefully by some miracle we get off this path. But it will take a miracle.
Iron Fist wrote:
Correct, that’s what I was taught in Catholic School. Jews are our elder spiritual brothers.
Hey the Pope and Cardinals wear Yarmulkes. That says it all where Catholicism all of Christianity originated.
Here’s what is interesting, Ethipoian Christians are very Judiac. They can’t eat pork, follow diet laws and go to Church on Saturday and Sunday.
Iron Fist wrote:
Wading with trepidation into Christian theology, but the New Testament is replete with claims by Jesus to being the only way or path to salvation.
@ Lily:
@ Iron Fist:
My Roman ancestors crucified Jesus as Kings of the Jews.
Lily wrote:
One of the main problems is that we have no power to really help in getting them out of the ME other than monetary means. We can help them here, but even if there was a political will to do something on the international level, our secular society/UN would stop anything from being done!
Most Christian mission efforts neither look for or want the headlines or attention that comes from such media!
@ Rodan:
Posted before I saw that response. But you aren’t too off the mark with some Christians who even demeaning other Christians..I have seen this….and not about Catholic vs…whichever other Christian religion…more like Christians in name only because they actually take the side of the government over the tenets of their own religion!
Because if this were not so obama would never have been re-elected.
@ Tanker:
You are right. Our Immigration laws favor Mideast Muslims over Christians.
Moe Katz wrote:
Jesus was Jewish nothing said about Jewish people not going to heaven. Just saying. Not to mention later in the Bible in the end times the Jewish people are still around. Just saying.
Lily wrote:
I think that’s implied by the many claims Jesus makes to exclusivity. As far at the end times is concerned, I’m pretty fuzzy on Christian eschatology, but isn’t it only the Jews who convert to Christianity that are saved?
Tanker wrote:
No they don’t want the media..that is true because then it would hinder them with helping people..for sure. But if you are Christian you get the word of how people are helping other people through Christian newsletters or through Church itself.
bbl
@ Moe Katz:
Jesus also said that He didn’t come to destroy the Law. Nothing He said invalidated the First Covenant with the Jews.
@ Lily:
I’ll give you a perfect example, George W. Bush. He never ordered the US Army to protect Chaldean nor Assyriasn Christians in Iraq. He did nothing as Al-Qaeda and the Shia militias ethnically cleansed Christians. He did nothing nor cared.
Bush recognized the Islamic terror state of Kossovo. He spat on Christian Serbians who are the legitimate owners of that land.
He did nothing about Hizballah’s takeover of Lebanon.
That is why I have no respect for Bush. What kind of Christian goes out of his way to help Muslims, but shitted on Christians.
That is why I have no respect for Bush. Do not claim to be Christian and do nothing about your co-religionists.
Moe Katz wrote:
Not to my knowledge and that is depending on where you are getting your information concerning that. But Christians aren’t your enemy.
Christians see Jewish people as the Chosen people and aren’t for where I am sitting trying to convert Jewish people to Christianity.
@ Rodan:
I can understand your point there.
And now for some thoughtful theological perspective by a leading koranimal cleric.
Egyptian Cleric Abu Islam: Christianity Emerged from Penis Worship
@ huckfunn:
Good grief!
Iron Fist wrote:
Yeah He came to fulfill the scriptures.
huckfunn wrote:
I thought they were tolerant of other faiths?
@ Rodan:
Link
@ huckfunn:
Christian women have dogs to serve a substitute husbands gave me a good chuckle.
Work time, bbl.
Marking time here…
@ Lily:
That is my real reason for not liking Bush. Do not go claiming you are Christian and kiss the ass of people killing your people. Say what you want about Putin but I respect him. He stands up for Russian Christians and defends the Orthodox Church.
I have more respect for someone who would go to war to defend Christians than a clown like Santorum who rants about Condoms.
@ Calo:
Yup!
Jesus did or said nothing in conflict with Jewish religious law or tradition. In fact, he was celebrating Passover the night before his death.
As an aside, no one on this board, Catholic, Orthodox, Jew or Protestant necessary prosthelytizes, so I wonder why our beliefs are called into question by someone who, admittedly, does not subscribe to any of those faiths? This “justify your existence” thing gets annoying. I can’t recall anyone, at any time, claiming the exclusivity of TRUTH for their own faith, be they Christian or Jew; we meld extraordinarily well around here.
Personally, my faith and my Catholicism is between me, my God and my Church and my mere mention of it isn’t an invitation to every manner critique, and I’d like to think I speak for everyone, regardless of faith. Christians and/or Jews harm no one and haven’t declared war on anyone and until we do, we should be left to worship as we see fit.
@ MacDuff:
Well said.
@ Lily:
That is why I respect Lebanese Maronites, Serbs and South Sudanese. They fought to defend their faith against Islam. They got no support form Christian politicians in America nad in the case of Serbia and the Maronites, our so called Christian leaders backed the Muslims.
That is why when I hear these politicians talking about standing up for Christian values, I have no respect for them. Where are they when Christians are really dying? They are more worried about Contraceptives than Coptic Christians.
@ Iron Fist:
Sent you an email!
Here we go again.
AP sources: US weighs direct aid to Syrian rebels
Will Republcians speak out on this? Nope, they will go along with this in the name of Democracy.
One more thing one of ms tfk’s contacts sent her and I pass it on under direct orders.
http://www.cfact.org/donate/support-cfacts-billboard-campaign/
For a highway, byway or Interstate near any of U.S..
@ MacDuff:
Who said otherwise? Live and let live, I say.
@ Rodan:
Replied.
Rodan wrote:
Correct.
Rodan wrote:
Actually Jesus (Joshua) never founded a new religion. Born, lived, and died a Jew.
Iron Fist wrote:
Those two were the absolute pits.
Moe Katz wrote:
Good one!
MacDuff wrote:
It isn’t written any where.
Mike C. wrote:
Agreed. I guess that I was getting a little tired of Moe Katz insinuating that holding one’s faith simultaneously with respect for the faith of others is, somehow, incompatible. It’s not.
@ MacDuff:
I agree with you, says this Jew.
I don’t know why, for some reason my comment was a rhyme.
@ citizen_q:
Too much Dr. Seuss…
Mike C. wrote:
That’s a relief! I was thinking drain bamage.
OTOH, not mutually exclusive.
citizen_q wrote:
As my father was wont to say, “you’re a poet and don’t know it”
Moe Katz wrote:
Look, people! It doesn’t ******* matter. Jews, on the whole, are civil, honorable people who add value to society. Christians, on the whole, are civil, honorable people who add value to society. Muslims, barring a few notable exceptions, not so much, especially their leadership.
Don’t get hung up in silly Lilliputian matters of doctrine.
huckfunn wrote:
Double heh! I seem to remember reading an article that claimed the Black Stone in the kaaba was in fact the penis off an older idol.
Alberta Oil Peon wrote:
I have not heard that, but google up some pictures of it, looks to me like its housed in a vagina.
@ Alberta Oil Peon:
The problem, as I see it, is that the people playing up the divisions between Christians and Jews are neither Christian, nor Jew.
The Heresy of Dual-Covenant Theology
Moe Katz wrote:
I don’t understand.
@ Moe Katz:
I KNEW I should have kept open all my links this morning on the subject.
Yes, there is a bit of controversy as to a new interpretation on the matter as of 2009. However, modern Catholic doctrine specifically includes not trying to convert Jews to Christianity.
Calo wrote:
This has been the doctrine since Vatican II.
MacDuff wrote:
Quite concur!
Do Jews go to heaven?
Moe Katz wrote:
Nobody has sent a postcard from there.
Actually heaven for Jews is the Catskills.
Or a shopping day at Macy’s.
Maybe a pastrami sandwich on rye at Katz’s Delicatessen.
There is a reactionary element (Mel Gibson and father) which rejects Vatican II.
citizen_q wrote:
penis, penis, penis
Iron Fist wrote:
Recip Tayyip Erdogan is exhibit number 1.