Division, Hate and the Search for God
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According to a report on National Public
Radio, “the detectives who investigated the killing reported that the gunman,
once in custody, told officers that he ‘wanted all Jews to die.’" The
report called this “anti-Semitism in its rawest form."
Conspiratorial Thinking
“Jeffrey Herf,
a historian at the University of Maryland who has written widely on the anatomy
of anti-Semitism, argues that particular arguments and habits of thinking
underlie its power. Most important, he says, is a willingness to buy into
conspiratorial thinking.
"The core
of every conspiracy theory," Herf notes, "is the basic notion that
the world is governed by small groups of people who operate behind the scenes
and are enormously powerful and enormously evil. A leader who promotes a
conspiracy theory, Herf argues, is necessarily implying that, ‘thousands of
people are liars and hiding the truth and that he is the heroic one who is
revealing the secret of what they're trying to conceal.’"
How should a
person searching for God view these events and their interpretation?
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Martin Niemoller
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First, note
that belief in God and religion doesn’t preclude a buy-in to conspiracy
theories. Conspiracies exist, after all. But seeing a conspiracy behind events
and ethnic groups, without evidence, and the similar assignment of evil to
individuals or groups of people based on their religion or ethnic background is
a barrier in the search for the God of Christians and Jews.
And if you’re
pursuing the Christian God, even more is expected.
“You have heard
that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy,’” says
Jesus in Mathew’s gospel. “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father who is in
heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on
the just and the unjust.”
Every major
faith encourages love and unity and condemns hate. People who call themselves
Christian and hate others, for instance, are ignoring the most basic teachings
of Christianity.
Jesus Was a Jew
As for
Christians’ attitude toward Jews, it’s good to remember that Jesus himself was
a lifelong devout Jew and that Christianity began as a Jewish sect. Jews are
the religious cousins of Christians and Christians should honor them and
respect their faith.
It’s true that
historically, Christians have been among the most responsible for anti-Semitism. But it’s
also true that anti-Semitism is inimical to authentic Christian tradition and
the New Testament. And anti-Semitism and the search for God are incompatible.
But more is required than just
agreeing with these ideas. Consider the famous poem by German Lutheran Pastor Martin
Niemoller (1892-1984). “It is
about the cowardice of German intellectuals following the Nazis' rise to power and subsequent purging of their chosen targets, group after group,” says
Wikipedia.
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak
out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
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