Posted by
Acrobat on Saturday, August 05, 2006 11:19:50 AM
As we watch the conflict in the Middle East and consider the players (Iran, Hezbollah, Syria, Israel, the United States) it is hard not to see the underpinnings of a great struggle over the fate of Jews AND Christians.
While Europe lurches toward it's habitual stereotypes toward Jews disguised as politics, America is divided along the lines of the morally religious vs the morally conflicted. The same conflict fought in Lebanon and Iraq today with bullets is being fought in the US with ballots.
To put a fine point on it: The conflict is not about Democracy, freedom, choice but instead a simple thing: hatred of the chosen.
Indeed the prime motivation, I believe for the hatred of the Jews is their exclusivity as defined by God: that they are the Chosen people. And who are their primary backers now? Bible-believing Christians who accept that the Jews are Chosen because they understand "election" as an issue of grace. Chosen-ness does not exclude the favor of God for anyone else, but instead merely separates one group for a purpose. In this world of "Freedom and Equality" (wrought by the French Revolution) there is no room for groups that claim grace from God
BTW: Arab hatred of Jews goes back to Isaac, the 2nd son, being chosen over Ishmael, the first
So as the Middle East churns towards a "political" anti-Semitism consider this: exclusivity of any religion which claims "grace" or "chosen-ness" is next on the hit-list.
Christians stand ready. For if the world embraces this "political" anti-Semitism, just waiting in the wings is the next target: evangelical, fundamental Christianity.