I am not a Christian myself.

However, I have long thought that there is something in American culture that seems to inspire and bring out the best in the practice of Christianity, and something in Christianity that seems to inspire and bring out the best in American culture.

So the world’s Jews are facing something new and much to be appreciated in American Christianity. And I think that this is most particularly true of the culturally conservative and evangelical churches. These people seem to genuinely care about maintaining a humane and civilized relation with Jews and with the Israeli nation.

Yes, those people who you always hear denigrated by the media corporations and the liberal left. Those people have achieved something rare, meaningful and substantial on the spiritual side of life, and are ready to make good on it in real world actions.

You will note that the people who denigrate the “Christian right”, are the same people who have nothing but rosy, friendly, sympathetic and optimistic words for Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran — not to mention Venezuela’s
Chavez, Castro and a whole lineup of assorted other Jew hating and America hating villains.

Time to put two and two together.

It is long since past time for the thinking Jew to look over the long expanse of Jewish history, and consider his present circumstances, in detail, from a broad historical perspective.

And American Christianity, most particularly American evangelical (or “born-again”) Christianity needs to be understood for the astounding and promising achievement that it is. And it’s positive potential for the quality of Jewish life, both in America and Israel must be realistically appreciated.

It is foolish, not to mention offensive, and ultimately self-destructive for any civilized person, Jewish or otherwise, to look at the modern American conservative Christian and imagine that they are seeing the backwoods primitives that conducted the pogroms of prior years and other nations.

Those yokels are still walking around today. But for the most part they are dressed in mufti. Oh, them and the grandchildren of WWII Western Europe. Plenty of them seem to be reverting to the old ways again, even the British!

But the evangelicals? These, my friends are something new.

There’s no use in inventing problems you don’t even have. And when the almighty extends a smile, the appropriate response is “Thank You”.

I enjoyed this article, well, all your articles. – I think you are very informed, experienced, thoughtful, and very very wise woman. What a life!!!

I am in an age bracket similar to yours. Irish Catholic background from the Midwest, worked my way through college or would not have gone. Honor degree in Mathematics, later an MBA. Retired banker. Began life as a good Catholic liberal, now am a realist. Call me a libertarian, call m a conservative, but really I am a liberal who wants everyone to have the chances I have had to reach for the stars. Unfortunately my views are sneered at by the current liberal establishment, who have sliced and diced the country & the world into victim groups – very dangerous – I thought we were all fellow humans in the world – and Americans at home, didn’t you?

Have lived in the southern US for 30 years, where my husband and I raised two children, unfortunately allowing them to attend deteriorating city public schools. Mistake I regret deeply – but that’s another tale.

Here in southern Virginia nearly all my friends are protestant Christians and, like me, are supporters of Israel. The people I know are fair-minded. For many I was the first Catholic they had ever met. Besides a little curiosity, I was accepted on my character and that was that. Patriotism and love of country, while sneered at by some “big city” types, are respected here. I think I am speaking truth when I tell you that U.S. southerners, who lived in desperate poverty for 100 years after the Civil War, pulled themselves up by their bootstraps in every way – have great admiration for what the entrepreneurial & enterprising Israelis have done. In fact, Israeli attitudes would fit right in this hard working self-sufficient place of the U.S. Here people say get out of my way and I will get things done.

I am going to present you with a philosophical point of view which you probably won’t agree with – but I think it is a little tragic. In my understanding (and reading) of the history of the 20th century, American Jews helped the entire country take a different look at minority status. Certainly Martin Luther King’s movement benefited from the help of American Jews and other white Christians. But did the Jewish point of view – emphasizing ill will of the majority, the weakness of any minority, and successfully getting federal law to interfere – merely set the stage for the Islamists and other groups to come in and claim “minority rights of the aggrieved”. I have wondered this for many years.

I actually lived in Brooklyn from 2006 to 2008 (my adult son needed medical care in NY), and the neighborhood was Arab, mostly Muslim. Believe me, they hate the Jews. Unfortunately, they are following in the tracks of Jewish pioneers to declare themselves minorities & using the special status of minorities to protect them while they launch their hatred. Ironic, isn’t it?

Today, perhaps because of overzealous “civil rights” attorneys & activists, there is often very little common sense. It seems that hate speech is protected as long as the speaker is non-white or non-native. It is so sad. I think we should all have civility towards one another, respect. Here in the south, there is some resentment at the finger-wagging of “Yankees” and “guv-ment” attorneys There is not much patience with intellectuals on soapboxes. Here, show me what you do, how you raise your family, do you help your religious community, or civic community or the little league – this is what matters.

Last year I read the Amazon book reviews on one of Alan Dershowitz’s books in which he compared Evangelical Christians to Islamists & asserted they were just as dangerous. Is he serious? My experience is that Evangelical Christians are ordinary working people, often of modest educational attainments – the bulwark of yeoman/working man citizenry. Not everyone wants to be a Harvard MBA. Good people. They are conservative regarding the Ten Commandments. They realize now that it is good to tell their elected officials what they value. Why is Alan Dershowitz attacking what is basically good citizenship? There are no better friends of Israel than these people Prof. Dershowitz sarcastically derided. It is very tempting to throw Prof Dershowitz and his values under the bus – he is essentially a radical socialist in my view, but of course, he proclaims his ardent6support of Israel while lambasting Israel’s few friends in the world.

Sigh. Can you explain this to me? If Israel goes down, Prof Dershowitz and his ilk will be helping Israel’s enemies to deliver the blows.

Barbara Martinet
Roanoke, VA

Several people stood up and identified themselves as Christians. They were received appreciatively. What I would hope is that the larger community here will experience a check on its tilt toward fashionable “Anti-Zionism,” and that those who are prepared to resist this degeneracy will begin to learn how to stand together.

Elsewhere? Not so hot. The “Spectator” of London has a frightening article by Melanie Phillips on the unholy alliance between
(alleged) Christian evangelicals and Islamicists.

In addition to the usual calls for the destruction of Israel, they demand prosecution of Christian Zionists and hint at the “liquidation” of all Jews.

AND THEY DO SO WITH THE BLESSINGS OF BOTH THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND THE UK GOVERNMENT!

England has effectively outlawed self-defense against even common criminals. As the inevitable result, terrorists get privileged sanctuary.

AS a class, Jews in America are not noted for being great supporters of the Second Amendment. Perhaps they should rethink their position.

And what England apparently needs is a good stiff dose of vigilante justice. Lynch Law has its drawbacks but it is infinitely preferable to no law at all.