Andrew35
Puritan Board Sophomore
Interesting! That reminds me, I was once talking to this friendly black guy, a doctor of all things, about some of the problems in the US. Abruptly, he loudly proclaimed, "Well, you know, it's all the Jews!" and then began to detail how all the problems in our society could be traced back to... the Jews.While everything you say is true from my own personal perspective there is more to it. My father was a non observant Baptist from Mississippi, my mother a non observant Jew from NY ... I was confused.
I don't look Jewish, nor do I have a Jewish surname. I was in a position to interact with Gentiles who felt no reluctance to denigrate Jews. My mother was very sympathetic to the civil rights movement, and I was as well. I had great admiration for the Reverend Dr King.
I was about 12, on a city bus in Miami Beach. As we were going down Washington Ave two teenage black girls sitting in the seat in front of mine began talking about the Jews. At that time Miami Beach was largely a Jewish community and the area had a large population of elderly Jews walking along which is probably what stimulated the girls.
So it was 'the Jews this, and the Jews that,' coming out of the mouth of one of the girls. I was quite taken aback. Any Jewish people I knew were unquestionably civil rights advocates. In the ensuing years I can't count the times I've been in the presence of white, and black people, referring to Jews in a negative way, that they probably wouldn't have if they had known of my ancestry. At least not in my presence.
What does this have to do with your post ? Well ... I know racism up close and personal. Not as an abstract concept, or something I've seen on the evening news or in a documentary.
My ancestors slavery was not in this country, or in recent history, but 6 million Jews gassed in Germany happened just a few years before I was born, and I do know something about feelings of being among a group singled out because of their ethnicity.
At 13 years old, in a car driving from Florida to NY I saw a billboard in front of a roadside Inn that read, "NO (N-word), Dogs, of Jews Allowed." I know what it is to burn inside due to bigotry and racism. I get it.
They still spray paint swastikas on Synagogues, and murder people because they are Jewish. Not only in the Middle East, but around the world.
I abhor racism, and I have no personal guilt on that score. Nor will I allow any to be forced upon me because of the sins of our fathers.
Revelation 7:9
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
On 'that day' the issue of racism will be solved.
I mumbled something and slowly, cautiously, disengaged.