From: billg@bony1.bony.com (Bill Gripp)
Subject: Re: Jews killing Jesus
Organization: LA&W RR
Distribution: alt
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 92 03:02:03 GMT

In article <LJMORLY.92Dec15150950@polaris.utu.fi> ljmorly@polaris.utu.fi (Laura Johanna Manninen) writes:
>              @@@ Submitted on behalf of Tord Ivarsson @@@
>
>Edward A Shnekendorf writes:
>
>> I have always been curious as to why Christians have persecuted Jews for
>> centuries on the pretense that the Jews killed Jesus.  Assuming that this
>> was true, should not the Jews be thanked?  Jesus could only have brought
>> deliverance to the world through his death.  His purpose was to die because,
>> according to the New Testament, redemption would be brought about by his blood.
>> If this is all true, then the alleged murderers of Christ (the Jews) would
>> be fulfilling scripture.  Had the Jews not "killed" Jesus, no one would have 
>> been saved.  To put it bluntly, Jesus was only good dead.  What then was the
>> Church's rationale for condeming the death of Christ?

>I like your question Edward.
>This is exactly what I have asked myself a lot of times.

As have I.

 
>The fact that you describe actually proves what these
>people were or rather what they were NOT.
>It proves that the "church" and the people who took part
>in persecution of various kind agains Jews in various times,
>were something else then personal Christians with a real
>contact with the living G-d and a true interest for what
>the bible says and teaches. Shortly, they were NOT the
>diciples of Christ. 
>So sad then that they carried the christian name and led
>others to believe what they lived and practiced was
>Christianity. 

Mt 7:21-23 (KJV)

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, who is in
heaven.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in
thy name?  And in thy name have cast out demons?  And in thy name done
many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye
that work iniquity.


>Biblical Christianity is when I myself die and is resurrected
>with Christ, and living by the power of Christ in my own life. 
>This IS a miracle and it produces an immensly great
>gratitude towards the one that accomplished it all for us.

Agreed.

The question can just as validly be asked:  Why did A persecute B?  Pick
your favorite two groups.  I think at least part of it comes from
xenophobia.  A says, B is different they are not like us so they must be
evil, trouble makers who we should eliminate.  Once this is decided, A
just looks for "good excuses" to justify their actions against B.  In
the case where A="Christianity" (I use that term VERY loosely here) and
B=The Jewish people, the term Christ killer was just a way for those in
authority to justify their actions and mobilze the common people behind
them.

I feel that anyone who is a true disciple of Jesus will feel a certain
sense of solidarity with the Jewish people.

Romans 11:17

And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive
tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root
and fatness of the olive tree,