Steve,
It may be that I've been fortunate in the people I've had around me. I was raised Presbyterian, and I don't remember hearing anything said there about Jews at all unless we were talking about Old Testament history and things like that. As an evangelical, I've heard that there were individuals, some of whom were Roman and some of whom were Jewish, who brought about the death of Christ, and that only those specific individuals could be held accountable for those actions. I've heard that the Holocaust was about Satan's unending hatred for the people with whom God had made a covenant going back to Abraham. As I said, though, it may be that I've simply been fortunate in the people I've had around me.
As far as the second item goes, nobody should be harassed or marginalized. The action being requested by the plaintiff, though, seems to go beyond righting those wrongs. While the hierarachy of the military certainly present different challenges in this matter than those of us in civillian life face, there should be a way to avoid throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We should be able to find a way, within the constraints of the military hierarchy, to permit conversations that are freely entered into by all parties without jeopardizing the rights of those who do not wish to discuss the subject from being made unwilling participants.
Brad
Steven Jamar wrote:
I'm surprised that you've never heard any evangelical state the Holocaust was revenge for killing Jesus or refer to Jews as Christ killers. I have heard such from Catholics, traditional denominational Christians, and evangelical Christians. At one time it was official Catholic church doctrine, if I recall my religious history correctly, and from there the idea continued on even long after the doctrine was abandoned.
The second item recognizes voluntary/involuntary conversation distinction you are making -- or am I misreading it?
I have also found that what some evangelicals consider mere witnessing comes across to me and even more so to many others as inappropriate, or at least unwanted evangelizing or proselytizing. In a rigid hierarchy like the military where superior rank is based on when your papers were signed giving you your rank, this can be a serious problem in a practical way.
I think the problem did not arise from one or two or even a dozen cadets meeting together, publicizing meetings, or one-on-one witnessing. It arose, as I understand it, from creating a pervasive culture in which the non-evangelical students were harassed and marginalized from officers from the top (or near the top) down. It happened when the majority started to oppress the minority.
Steve
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