The Left's War Against the Values of the Bible

A secular left protest against the new government in Israel (JTA)

Does the world hate us?  Until about the mid 20^th century, the answer might have been an unequivocal yes. And with good reason. Our people have been persecuted throughout history by a variety of nations and cultures.  Nations whose culture reflected the most right wing religious doctrines like the Catholic Church of the Crusades and the Inquisition - and nations whose culture reflected almost pure hedonism like those of ancient Greece and Rome.  

Historically antisemitism was manifested by extreme violence against us and death. The culmination of which was the Holocaust.

Not all antisemitism is violent. That was mostly the case in the US prior to the Holocaust. Then antisemitism manifested itself in the form of barring Jews from top universities and exclusive clubs. As well as a lot of negative stereotyping. There were not many cases of lynching Jews. 

But still that kind of antisemitism is why -  back in the 40s - a lot of Americans just shrugged their shoulders when news of Nazi atrocities started filtering into the news media. Most Americans did not want to send American soldiers to fight Nazis in occupied Europe.  

Today, there is another type of antisemitism that is a lot more subtle. Aside from the overt antisemitism of neo Nazi fringe groups of the far right, it is the much larger far left whose antisemitism is disguised as anti Zionism to the point of calling Israel a racist  ‘Apartheid’ country that consistently tortures its indigenous Palestinian population. A view that permeates the highest echelons of Academia. Much of which has resulted in some university student government organizations to endorse BDS. 

The question arises. What is it about the Jews that is so objectionable? Why have we been so persecuted over the years?  And why is it still going on today – in the most enlightened nation in the world – the United States of America? The fact is that there has been a startling increase in antisemitism here over the last few years. What gives?

There is no simple answer to that question. There are a variety of reasons for that. Some having to do with a holdover of pre Holocaust Christian animus against us for ‘killing their god. Which is mostly behind the neo Nazi fringe hatred. But they are indeed a very small fringe - albeit increasingly active and more violent than they have been since the Holocaust.

Thankfully Vatican II changed the Catholic Church view of us from one of blame to one of brotherhood. A view adopted by Protestants as well. Now most devout Catholics and Evangelical Christians seem to have genuinely jettisoned all antisemitic feelings - replacing them with acceptance.  One can quibble about their motives, but the fact remains that the devout among them tend to favor us and are growing while the less devout mainline Christians denominations tend towards the left and do not favor us  Instead increasingy favoring BDS type boyotts.

So, what is the real motivation behind the antisemitism in the world? With the exception the fringe extremist Christian fringe of the Evangelical right and if Islam, I think what is really going on is not a was against the Jews, But a war against the biblical values of mans interface with God. An attitude that finds a friendly home on the left.

This can be seen in how the left views sin versus how the right views it. To the left, morality is not defined by man's interface with God. Only the interface between man and man is considered. Teh former should in no way define the character of the nation. When there is conflict the morality of the left wins.  

It is this approach that I believe is the source of modern day antisemitism. Which is not limited to non Jews. The secular Jewish left is just as guilty. When for example the government of Israel wants to assert some values that reflect man's obligation to God as part of its national ethos, the left sees that as immoral – impinging on man’s freedom to do as he pleases. In this sense the recent protests in Israel led by leftist Jewish organizations like J-Street and the New Israel Fund is a case in point. Their values are entirely ‘man’ oriented - seeing that as that as the only real value.  Anything else is considered anti democratic.

I believe this is true in the US as well. The right wing that places value on sins between man and God consists mostly of Evangelical Christians and Orthodox Jews. But when they contradict man's inteface with man, they are dismissed as immoral by the left.

It is true that the antisemitic fringe on the right has man to God biblical values, too.  But  their motivation is a throwback to pre Vatican II - when Jews were considered Christ killers. They have retained that older theology which was and is the basis of past and current rabid antisemtism.  Thankfully they are a minuscule segment of the population albeit a very dangerous one that  is mostly responsible for the increase in violence against us.

That leaves devout Islam. The most antisemitic among them being Iran. They see the rise of Israel  (i.e. the Jews) as anathema to their theology which must be eliminated.

In my opinion the greater threat to the Jewish people is a left wing that sees a just society reflecting only the rights of man. Biblical values that are directed to man's interface with God are to be rejected when they conflict. Secular Jews that are generally bereft of a religious education and are mostly on the political left are of a similar mindset.  Heterodox rabbis seem to focus almost exclusively on Tikun Olam -  man’s interface with man.  paying little attention if any to man’s interface with God.  

Europe tends toward a similar leftist worldview  - ignoring man's interface with God.  Hence they see Israel as an Apartheid state, and the Israel's religious right as anti democratic.. 

The US and the State of Israel are both suffering the fallout of this battle. Most of the mainstream right wants to see more biblical values defining their nationhood while those on the left do not want to see any of those biblical values defining them. 

Despite many of my friends belief that Evangelical Christians are not out friends - that they share many values with Orthodox Jews is not a insignificant fact. Nor is the fact that both are experiencing growing numbers.  Meanwhile mainline protestants and secular Jews - both on the left politically - are shrinking (Not  that the shrinking of the American Jewish population is a good thing. Far from it. But is a fact nonetheless.) 

That being said, I still believe that since the Holocaust (leaving out the hard right and hard left) the vast majority of Americans on both the right and the left are not antisemitic. If anything they are philosemitic. 

In the US it the fight is really between religious Americans on the right who believe that our national values should include the interface between man and God as as well as between man and man - as outlined in the bible – and those on the left who place little value - if any - on the interface between man and God.  And even consider it immoral when it impinges upon man’s freedom to do as he pleases