Your Feb. 26 issue had an article by Andrew Bernard with the bizarre title “Evangelical Self-Confidence, Anxiety About Wider Culture at Judeo-Christian Zionist Event.” Scholars of American religious history and politics know that the term “Judeo-Christian” is fraught with Christian Conservative values and conversion of the Jews to allegedly “complete” them. The phrase was invented by Christians about 200 years ago. Since then, Christians use it to try to attract Jews while repelling other faith traditions as a wedge against Muslims and Eastern religions. It is not a term that Jews agree with, because there isn’t a whole lot that Christian and Jewish philosophy agree on while simultaneously excluding other philosophies.
Given that “Judeo-Christian” is such a divisive, supercessionist and — ultimately — antisemitic phrase, I was hoping that Mr. Bernard would delve briefly into its use and why a Christian conference would employ this hateful term. But no, there was no discussion or background in the article.
At the very least, the headline should have quotes around the phrase “Judeo-Christian” to show that the term was the exact wording used by the conference, and not one which either Mr. Bernard or the Jewish Exponent supports. Next time, please do better.
Stephen M. Cohen, Ph.D., treasurer of the Midwest Jewish Studies Association, Abington Township
Wow, i didn’t realize how powerful and destructive the phrase Judaeo-Christian is to the fabric of the Jewish population worldwide. Although Mr. Cohen has now explained all this to me, I’m still confused.
Is it the Judaeo-Christian culture that’s spawned the fundamentalist Iranian Muslim State that’s dedicated to wiping out the only Jewish State in the world?
Is it that same culture which has said in it’s bible that it’s inherent s must track down Jews everywhere and murder them as they hide?
Was it the Judaeo-Christian State of Gaza that invaded Israel and barbarically butchered over 1,200 innocent Jewish citizens and promised to repeat this savagery over and over?
The Judaeo-Christian culture, the same one we have lived and still do, has spawned a nation which respects all religions and protects their right to practice them as they see fit.
Mr. Cohen claims that the phrase Judaeo-Christian represents “a divisive, supercessionist and-ultimately-antisemitic- term, but forgive me if in my experience it’s 180 degrees the opposite. Christianity is a religion founded by a Jew who was who was highly influenced by the Torah and whose beliefs were influenced by it’s tenets. For the record as a Jew, Judaeo-Christian is a phrase that I fully support.