Jews Who Speak Up for Christmas
By Sharon Hughes (12/12/07)
Once terribly divided, Jews and Christians are finding a new unity as the walls between them are coming down. Why is this happening? Primarily for two reasons.
Number one because Christians seem to be the only ones standing with Israel these days. As Avi Lipkin says, "Jews are finding that Christians are our only friends."
Number two because of the mutually held concern over the violation of religious freedom that is increasing in America, Jews are standing with Christians over the assault against Christmas, and the rise of discrimination against Christianity -- something they understand well.
Rabbi Aryeh Spero of Caucus for America has talked on our show about what's at stake in the battle over Christmas, and why Jews need to speak up for Christmas. His articles on the subject are worthy reads, such as This Christmas Don't Let Them Turn Off the Lights,
Once Upon a Time When Americans Had Christmas and Our Battle for the Soul of America. Ted Belman, Editor of Israpundit, is another Jew who is speaking up for Christmas.
Barry Farber's article Jews for Christmas had a surprising effect on me. He is so bold in his advocacy for "a vigorous movement of American Jews rising up to make sure nobody pushes around those Christians whose ancestors decided, for the first time in history, to make a unique wonderland like America, where nobody gets pushed around..." and it made me realize, that not only has it become open season on Christians, but that we have been standing alone...until recently.
Farber goes on to write, "Never in history, not until America, did a people overwhelmingly of one religion ever conquer a continent and then turn around and invite the world to 'Come on over and help us make this place great!' And while they were at it, they made sure every newcomer was free to worship God in his chosen way. If the emcee at a brotherhood banquet said that and then said, 'Let’s hear it for those Christians who started this particular America!' would you fail to applaud?"
That's a powerful question.
In a growing supposedly 'tolerance-led' society, people are concerned about offending everyone from homosexuals to illegal aliens. But how many are concerned about offending Christians? And for those who aren't, why not? Increasingly, Americans and Christians are portrayed as the cause of much of the world's ills, both here at home and abroad.
Happily, Christians have found an ally in a growing number of Jews, such as Don Feder, President of Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation, who said, "We understand that Christians are the last remaining obstacle to the moral deconstruction of America. Christians are under assault because of the values they embrace. But the morality of Christianity is also the morality of Judaism. By maintaining their loyalty to the eternal values revealed at Sinai, Christians have become pariahs in the eyes of the establishment, but heroes in our eyes."
Heroes? Wow. When was the last time you read or heard something like that?
Christmas for Christians is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, "who has broken down every wall" so that peace on earth and goodwill to all men may become a reality.
Now, what can be so offensive about that?
© Sharon Hughes 2007
http://changingworldviews.blogspot.com/
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