In the name of combating anti-Semitism around the globe, Jewish leaders want warnings put in both the Bible and the Koran to highlight what they deem as anti-Semitic passages:
THE SUN – The European Jewish Congress (EJC), an umbrella body for Jewish groups, has produced a “catalogue of policies to combat antisemitism”.
Several of the recommendations focus on passages in the Bible and Koran that have been used to promote hate against Jews.
They are calling for the sacred scriptures to have warnings added to their introductions and margins.
Some Bible passages, particularly in the Gospel of John, discus Jews in pejorative terms.
Parts of the New Testament and the Koran seem to blame Jews for Jesus’ death, and there are several negative remarks in the Koran about some Jewish people.
Of course the Bible should never be used to promote hatred for the Jewish people. Just because anti-Jewish fringe groups may do that, it doesn’t mean that the Bible contains anti-Semitic passages.
No, the Bible merely tells us how Jews under the old and new covenants responded to God. The fact that Jewish leaders in the time of Jesus chose to have Him crucified on a cross and killed by the Romans isn’t up for debate nor is it anti-Semitic. And it doesn’t need anti-Semitic warnings. It is simply what happened and that’s the bottom line.
The truth is the Jewish leaders of that time hated Christianity and tried to do everything they could to squash it. The crucifixion of Jesus was only the beginning. We know from the scriptures themselves that Jewish leaders of the time had some of the disciples imprisoned and others, like Stephen and James, were killed by the Jewish people.
But none of that is a basis for hating the entire Jewish people. That would be ridiculous. Heck, Christianity itself was started by Jews and propagated around the world by the Apostles, all of which were Jews.
In any event, the notion of having anti-Semitic warnings put in Christian Bibles is highly offensive and should be wholly rejected by the church. The notion shouldn’t even be entertained.
However on the Koran they should probably slap an anti-Semitic warning on the front cover. Also put one for Christians too because it doesn’t speak well of us either…