Something... and Half of Something

Linda Sue, I come as an eager student, even with a nice juicy apple for you.

For starters, I never understood the visceral anger from the Jewish community over Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ." It seemed to me an artful, beautiful, and historically accurate treatment of Jesus's crucifixion - by the Romans, but at the behest of the Sanhedrin. So, yes, the Jew Jesus was executed by Romans, but Jewish judges arranged the hit. That's how this Christian knows the story. How does the Jewish version go? Who killed Jesus?

I stipulate of course that medieval Christians used the event to instill hatred against Jews, but I'd hope that by now, certainly in this country anyway, that all but the dimmest Christian bulbs are aware of the story behind the story, even as flippantly presented as in your Family Guy example. Is that your fear?

Which leads me to another question I've tossed around. IYO, is it this underlying fear, of a reprise, that's been behind Hollywood's, with it's heavy Jewish influence, attacks on Christianity, especially the Catholic church, over the past 30 or so years? Or are they acting not as Jews, but as Marxists who see any strong religious presence as a stumbling block to the statism they overwhelmingly promote.

Well for you, the one and only Real King of Fwance, I will spill a few beans.

Simply, most of us believe that Jesus was a Jew who was born in Bethlehem, raised in Galilee, and killed in Jerusalem. Like other educated Jews in his day, he was faithful to the law of Moses, learned Jewish scriptures and oral law, and like other Jews, was awaitingthe Messiah. He was a learned Jew and known in his day as Rabbi.

Like other religious Jews, Jesus angered the Roman government because the Romans considered the ideas of the Jews, and so, the ideas of Jesus to be dangerous. The louder and more open the Rabbi, the more dangerous. So the Romans arrested Jesus during his Passover trip to Jerusalem, and the Romans, upon the order of the Roman procurator, later executed him.

As for the libel, well, my personal experience is that I fought more than one battle in the schoolyards of Brooklyn for killing Christ. Catholic girls are mean, and vicious, and they travel in packs.

As for Mel Gibson's movie, well. I didn't see it. I have no opinion on it. From Mel Gibson's words and deeds, from his upbringing, I believe he is not on my side, I believe he looks down on me, both as a woman and Jew. But I get that from him and not his movie.

I also cannot understand the "Hate the Jews because they killed Jesus". After all, I'm pretty sure that everybody involved is dead now.

And wasn't Jesus' primary mission to teach, to die, and to be resurrected?

Ah so Linda ... the alternative history deal. I really had no idea that was out there. Thanks. And Catholic school girls? Don't even ask me.

Linda, Rodger - I enjoyed that, and learned something too......

Jesus was referred to as "Son of David", meaning in essence, "King of the Jews". He had a large following, albeit "unarmed", but the Prefect's main duty was to preserve the peace in this backwater piece of the Empire.

Caiaphus was alarmed at the prophecy of the destruction of the Temple, and the outburst of violence with the moneychangers....and turned him in.....maybe to mitigate Roman violence against a growing insurrection?

Jesus was killed because the Roman empire mercilessly put down any possible source of rebellion or riot.

The empire's agents included the Roman prefect Pilate who ordered the execution, and the Jewish high priest Caiaphus and his council who initiated the process.

Assigning responsibility to an entire group of people, whether the Jews or the Romans, is stereotyping, oversimplifying, and false.

Way oversimplified....but that's me ...simple.

Good People, no matter their "superstitions" or religious beliefs, are Good People.

It's the Bad people we have to deal with......

...every Christian I know hates that TV show... Several groups are trying to get it taken off the air. Please don't think that it speaks for Christianity.