The Bible Should Carry Warnings

Some Jewish organizations have adopted a statement urging publications of the Bible and other prominent religious works  include a warning about anti-Semitic content. The new wave of violence against Jews needs to be addressed with some kind of tangible response, the groups say. Vice President Pence has further alarmed Jewish leaders by hosting a prayer by a leader in a group that claims to be Jewish but adheres to a Christian view of Jesus.

The Bible's story of the crucifixion is one of the cruelest and manipulative in literature. The Romans are the problem early in the story. Then, slowly, it becomes not the Romans but the Jews. And, as the Jews are portrayed more and more the enemy, the regional Roman Ruler, Pontius Pilate, is portrayed as a sensitive ruler caught in a dilemma caused by the Jews. These portrayals of Pilate and the Jews is not corroborated with any other source. It appears manufactured for but one purpose, to demonize Jews. That there was a ruler named Pontius Pilate is confirmed through separate sources. That he was present at this routine assassination and would have toyed with leniency does not match other things known about him.

This story and others confirm there is good reason to consider the Bible as anti Jewish propaganda. Those ancients who wrote it wanted to harm Jews.

This moment in history would be a great time for Christian across the spectrum of the faith to endorse a disclaimer about prejudice in the Bible that should be ignored. I know they won't, but it would be a good idea.

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