Being, Or Not Being, Anti-Semitic, As If It Matters

ANTI-SEMITISM, the age old issue thereof, once again raises its ugly head in the wake of the congress lady's remark that strong supporters of Israel possess loyalties to two countries, a remark which seems a bit strange, but, ultimately , harmless enough. (Hell, I love Denmark). When one shows compassion for the people in Gaza, for instance, one is not necessarily expressing an anti-Semitic, pro terrorist, or anti-Israeli point of view. It appears that the supporters of Israel are a bit sensitive these days. This is in itself an amazing concept; that of conservative Christian Americans being sensitive, to anything, other than to the defense of their own prominent but declining status in American society. The term "Semitic" means, literally, the descendants of people who originated in the Arabian peninsula, which reminds us that not only are Jews and Arabs quite closely related, but that all people, and all other animals are as well. Among humans, ethnicity and religiosity are but minor distinctions, in the long run. We are all, after all, primates, closely related to chimpanzees. Anti-Semitic, aka anti-Judism has swept across Europe in waves ever since the Christian faith gained more widespread popularity, political and economic power than it progenitor, and the Christians turned against their own mother, whom they mistakenly accused of murdering Christ who, after all, wanted to be murdered, and resurrected. Convenient scapegoats, those non christian rejectors of Christ, who have the audacity to make money through making interest bearing loans, usury, a noted Catholic sin in a monstrous organized entity noted for sin. Those who accept Christ as their lord and savior are notoriously, conspicuously, historically, and presently quite decided that everyone else should follow suit, at the pain of great negative consequences. Dare we say "intolerant"? We do. I am neither anti-Semitic nor anti Islamic lady congress person who asks why any American would want to be loyal to any other non American country. More generally, I am anti-conservative, anti religion-in general - and somewhat misanthropic, which, in case conservatives require edification, anti human. I tend to prefer animals who do not systematically destroy the ecosystem of the planet they inhabit, all the while doing little or nothing to correct their behavior, and systematically destroy themselves in organized gang violence called "war", and glorify it. Call me crazy, as if you don't already. I am not anti Old Testament, to the extent that it is accepted as a primitive collection of ancient manuscripts written by primitive people which reveals a great deal about their primitive nature and culture. When all this primitivism is repackaged and rebranded as "the word of God" I become anti. I have never read a more violent book, and have never beheld a description of a more petty, angry, vindictive, violent, genocidal deity, revealing itself proudly. Give me the Tao, any day of the week. Give me science, with verifiable, tangible truth and beauty, and none of the crap about killing fifty thousand and seventy philistines, gratuitously. Semitic, anti Semitic, its pretty much all the same to me; petty human beings arguing and fighting about anything they can think of. I recall listening to a young conservative rabbi, with his all black clothing and derby, and long sideburns, rendering his opinion about the nation state of Israel. He pointed out that Judaism is a religion, has always been intended to be a religion, not a country, nor a theocracy, nor a modern militarily armed to the teeth sovereign nation state. "Zionism", in its modern, effectively manifested incarnation, was and is the brainchild of the British and American empires, acting for their own nefarious purposes; namely, to get and keep a foothold of influence in the oil rich middle east. A most ingenious and pragmatic way of exploiting an ancient ideal based on ancient history, one must say. The young scholarly, intellectually honest and courageous rabbi further pointed out that Palestine was fare more peaceful and harmonious, Jews included, before 1947. Before then, folks of differing ethnicities and religiosities in the region...simply ..lived. The young devout Jewish priest made a lot of sense, and I tend to agree with him, so, perhaps I am anti-Israel in the sense that I question the desirability and benefit of theocratic well armed nation states in the twenty first century. In my more perfect world, all countries would be devoted to the one God, the God of science, truth, and beauty, rather than some violent and vindictive deity ranting and murdering between the covers of an ancient collection of manuscripts.