mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) (11/15/84)
In article <44@cmu-cs-k.ARPA> tim@cmu-cs-k.ARPA (Tim Maroney) writes: >One point on which I completely support Yiri, though, is this crap about >"You Jews are being so paranoid about Christian anti-semitism." That's like >telling a black he's paranoid for disliking the Confederate flag. Jews have >every reason to be paranoid about Christian anti-semitism; there is a long >history of Catholic and Protestant (and minor Christian sect such as the >Jehovah's Witnesses) persecution of Jews. Nor is it long stale history -- >it has been a strong force for repression in this century. I have two problems with this argument: (1) The correct analogy is "That's like telling a black he's paranoid for disliking the american flag." The Confederacy stood for repression of blacks as a matter of stated principle; while some christian sects at various times have persecuted jews, there is no truth to the implication that *all* christians are anti-semetic. To make such a claim is to be prejudiced against christians. (2) What I keep seeing on this net is "You disagreed with my Jewish viewpoint; therefore you are anti-semetic." If thinking that a position is wrong means hopeless prejudice against those who hold it, then we are all hopelessly prejudiced and there is nothing to be done about it. Obviously I think this is silly; the fact that I have disagreements with my friends does not make them cease to be my friends. Yiri's position is that no christian can understand Judaism as well as he does; if I were to maintain a similar position concerning myself and christianity, would that be considered anti-semetic? (I do not believe such a position, by the way.) Charley Wingate umcp-cs!mangoe Ubi caritas et amor, deus ibi est.