Hey, that’s about double the number that voted Republican in the Clinton years! I’d say we’re making progress.

I don’t want Christians reading Burt’s protest to get the wrong idea about us Jews, even the ones he’s talking about. I protest I am not one of those Jews who want Christmas dead, and I don’t really think that’s what most liberal-voting, ACLU supportive Jews are about. I don’t celebrate Christmas, but I’d feel a whole lot better seeing more gentiles having some kind of positive faith. Jews too. I was very fond of caroling and the unjaded spirit of Christmas people used to have in this country; and got as teary-eyed and happy watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” as any Christian.

But, I know what you mean, Burt. Most Jews support the church-state division and a lot of other rubbish as though it were the best idea since liberty. Many of them honestly believe they are protecting liberty by it, and have bought that tripe about “too much” religion being a root of evil. Even purportedly ‘religious’ Jews are suspect of Christians who talk of faith, miracles, or creationism as though charlatans (and mock pious Jews to boot). It is as if to say: our religion is valid and benign, but yours is pagan superstition and not to be trusted. Behind them, are the real anti-religionists (atheists) goading them on and chastising them if they show the least compassion. Many Jews act as though their religion were an embarrassment for which they’d readily apologize. What they don’t seem to get is that once these anti-religious bigots get done with the Christian religion, ours is next.

I am hardly what you’d call deeply religious or observant. Yet, you either have faith in G-d’s existence or don’t. There is no middle-ground or neutral stance. That’s what many Jews and Christians appear to be doing: staking out a nice, safe, neutral position of deniability (e.g., I believe in G-d, but not all that hocus-pocus). Well, faith is not one of those things you can blend to get just the right mix; it’s a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. You have it or you don’t; and, if you don’t and say you do, its just for show.

Assuming you do have faith and you know our common heritage, how can you deny the same respect for faith we demand and expect from Christians. Christians have sometimes acted in cruel ways toward us, but those are not these Christians. Today’s Christians are mindful by their past and taught by their religion to tolerate others. They are tolerant, charitable, and the best friends Jews have had at any time. Much more so than the supposed tolerance of Muslims. The bigotry of the past was rarely the product of their churches and was, more often, the outburst of the ignorant, vindictive or manipulative. Overall, Christians have shown Jews greater tolerance and even respect than any other religion with which we’ve had close contact. Islam tolerates us only in a debased state and only until we can be pressured to convert. The Romans tolerated us as one more religion among contending religions, but were otherwise indifferent to us and, ultimately, dispersed us as troublesome. Pre-Muslim Egyptians, Persians and Assyrians tolerated us not much differently than did Greeks, and often worse. In Hindu, Buddhist and Confusian countries, we are sometimes tolerated and sometimes driven out; in any case we never flourished there in any great numbers as we did in the West. In Nazi Germany and communist Russia, it was not Christians who butchered us with such dispassionate methodicalism, it was Christ-denying atheists and secularists. Almost exclusively, it was Christians who risked themselves to hide or get us out.

Like you, I wish all my Christian friends a “very merry Christmas”, not least because I trust in Christian charity and tolerance as a better deal than other religions wish us.

I am sure some strangers will be upset that I wish them “Happy Holidays” this year. It is sad during this season of joy and peace, people must fight over what is said and lose what is meant.

During the holiday season this is what I do. I wish my Jewish friends a Happy Chanukah. I wish my Christian friends Merry Christmas. I wish my Pagan friends a Blessed and Joyous Yule. My Buddhist friends are wished a Blessed Bodhi. I wish complete strangers and those who’s faith I do not know a heart felt Happy Holidays.

I respect the traditions and faith of others, but I am not a mind reader. I don’t get upset when someone wishes me a holiday greeting that is not of my faith, because I know that it is the thought that counts.

So to the people who’s faith I do not know I wish you a very Happy Holidays, I wish you health and well being and peace. Politely tell me your faith and I will wish the greeting that is appropriate. If that is not good enough for you, if I have to defend myself from the attacks of those insulted by my well wishes, next year I will not make the effort. All strangers will be greeted with a Blessed and Joyous Yule, reflecting the holiday I celebrate at this time.

Happy Chanukah,

Journey

But, having made the observation, there is the more relevant question, Why?

One thing you have noted as a factual observation seems to me to get at the why. The Jews who are trying to destroy the Christian nature of this country have the same animus to their own religion, at least if it is the traditional commandment observing version (i.e., what has come to be known as Orthodox). Certainly, the Conservative-Reform-Reconstructionist-Humanitarian version embracing homosexuals, feminism, and the like, is far more palatable to this crowd.

So, the question remains with us. Why are secular Jews driven to lead the world’s Elites?

By the by, you could make the argument that Catholics who leave the Church behind tend to embrace radicalism in much the way Jews do but there does appear to be a disproportionate leadership role acquired with some zeal by the Jews.

While there is much to be said about this, I thought I would just applaud a Jew who took a good stand on behalf of this nation.

Well done.

David Yerushalmi