The Changing Role Of The Jew: From George Washington To Eisenhower

Below is a letter from President George Washington, delivered in 1790, to a Hebrew congregation in Rhode Island. Note the following:

–1) Historians consider this letter one of the principle documents from our Founding Fathers which clarifies the meaning of religious liberty espoused in the Constitution.

–2) G. Washington’s letter was his response to a letter received from the Jewish congregation. That letter follows Washington’s letter.  G. Washington wrote the letter because Jews were denied citizenship in some colonies and early states.

–3) Notice how G. Washington refers to the Jews: … “Children of the Stock of Abraham”.

–4) Notice that he does not make reference to a “Judeo-Christian” heritage.

–5) This isn’t important, but it is somewhat ironic, or is it humerous, given today’s Trumpian environment …. but G. Washington mentions Jews helping make America “great”! (Although he does leave out “again”.)

The link to both documents, here;

https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-06-02-0135

Washington’s letter follows:

“While I receive, with much satisfaction, your Address replete with expressions of affection and esteem; I rejoice in the opportunity of assuring you, that I shall always retain a grateful remembrance of the cordial welcome I experienced in my visit to Newport, from all classes of Citizens.

“The reflection on the days of difficulty and danger which are past is rendered the more sweet, from a consciousness that they are succeeded by days of uncommon prosperity and security. If we have wisdom to make the best use of the advantages with which we are now favored, we cannot fail, under the just administration of a good Government, to become a great and a happy people.

“The Citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.

“It would be inconsistent with the frankness of my character not to avow that I am pleased with your favorable opinion of my Administration, and fervent wishes for my felicity. May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and figtree, and there shall be none to make him afraid. May the father of all mercies scatter light and not darkness in our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in his own due time and way everlastingly happy.”

The letter from the Hebrew Congregation to G Washington follows:

“Permit the children of the Stock of Abraham to approach you with the most cordial affection and esteem for your person & merits—and to join with our fellow Citizens in welcoming you to New Port.

“With pleasure we reflect on those days—those days of difficulty, & danger when the God of Israel, who delivered David from the peril of the sword, shielded your head in the day of battle: and we rejoice to think, that the same Spirit who rested in the Bosom of the greatly beloved Daniel enabling him to preside over the Provinces of the Babylonish Empire, rests and ever will rest upon you, enabling you to discharge the arduous duties of Chief Magistrate in these States.

“Deprived as we heretofore have been of the invaluable rights of free Citizens, we now (with a deep sense of gratitude to the Almighty disposer of all events) behold a Government, erected by the Majesty of the People—a Government, which to bigotry gives no sanction, to persecution no assistance—but generously affording to All liberty of conscience, and immunities of Citizenship: deeming every one, of whatever Nation, tongue, or language, equal parts of the great governmental Machine: This so ample and extensive Federal Union whose basis is Philanthropy, Mutual Confidence and Publick Virtue, we cannot but acknowledge to be the work of the Great God, who ruleth in the Armies Of Heaven and among the Inhabitants of the Earth, doing whatever seemeth him good.

“For all the Blessings of civil and religious liberty which we enjoy under an equal and benign administration, we desire to send up our thanks to the Antient of Days, the great preserver of Men—beseeching him, that the Angel who conducted our forefathers through the wilderness into the promised land, may graciously conduct you through all the difficulties and dangers of this mortal life: and, when like Joshua full of days and full of honour, you are gathered to your Fathers, may you be admitted into the Heavenly Paradise to partake of the water of life, and the tree of immortality”

ANALYSIS

If I were to make this post into a “Stucky QOTD”, I would ask; “Since America’s Founding Father welcomed the Jew with respect and open arms … shouldn’t we do likewise?” However, I don’t want to goad the eevul anti-Joo faction of TBP (Yojimbo, Zara, bb, AWB, etc.) to further heap an epileptic knee-jerk barrage of name calling upon me. So, pretend I didn’t ask.

Let’s now look at G. Washington’s phrase, “Children of the Stock of Abraham” vs the modern idea of our “Judeo-Christian” heritage.

—- –

1) The term ‘Judeo-Christian’, as generally used today, probably originated in the 1930’s by George Orwell to promote religious tolerance and solidarity with the Jews, who were experiencing various tribulations and discriminations in many places around the world.

2) In the 1940’s, the National Conference of Christians and Jews adopted the term.

3) Around 1940, the very influential theologian Reinhold Niebuhr adopted the term into mainstream theology. He believed Christianity owed it’s roots more to “Hebraic” than from “Hellenic” influences.

4) In 1952, in a speech before the Freedoms Foundation, President-Elect Dwight D. Eisenhower declared, —  “Our form of government has no sense unless it is founded in a deeply felt religious faith, and I don’t care what it is. With us, of course, it is the Judeo-Christian concept but it must be a religion that all men are created equal.” — Judeo-Christianity is now politically mainstream.

See below for reference to the above four points.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/legal-and-political-magazines/judeo-christian-tradition

5) In 1983 the Supreme Court ruled (Marsh v. Chambers) that it was constitutional for state legislatures to have a paid chaplain conduct prayers “in the Judeo-Christian tradition” … which a circuit court subsequently used  to deny a Wiccan priestess the right to pray because her faith was not “Judeo-Christian.” 

6) You would think that Jews would welcome this designation as it incorporates their very small minority position into the vastly greater Christian majority, thus giving them much needed credibility. You would be wrong. Jews don’t like the phrase because it is loathsome to even consider that Judaism evolves into Christianity. According to the link below, Jews believe that — “the phrase does little more than paper over the long history of Jewish-Christian animosity, subordinating Jewish distinctiveness to ecumenical public relations.”

www.religionnews.com/2011/01/23/hating_on_the_judeo-christian_tradition/

—– –

Well, history is always beneficial in understanding “how we got here”. However, it must first answer the question, “What does it MEAN?” Let’s try to do so now.

1) At first glance, the term ‘Judeo-Christian’ seems to make perfect sense since the Old Testament is the very source of Christianity, and Christ himself was a Jew … in addition to many other shared Biblical stories/narratives. However, hidden in plain sight is the fact that the phrase attempts to combine two very disparate things. Without getting into a heated theological debate, I hope we can all agree that both faiths have a fundamentally opposing claim to ‘truth’ — such as, the divinity of Christ — which makes the two faiths irreconcilable. So, why combine the terms? It makes about as much sense as saying we have a “Muslim-Christian” tradition. Jewish theologian Eliezer Berkovitz states the issue quite succinctly when he wrote —  “Judaism is Judaism because it rejects Christianity, and Christianity is Christianity because it rejects Judaism.”

2) “Judeo-Christian” was initially coined to highlight American religious pluralism. This attempt failed because one must not only consider which group(s) are included, but also those who are excluded. Clearly, the term excludes Muslims, and other religions. George Washington was much more “progressive” and inclusive by referring to the Rhode Island congregation as “Children of the Stock of Abraham” — which encompasses all three major monotheistic religions.

3) Perhaps the term is simply used to generally mean “Western values”. But, that only leads to more ambiguity. Stamped on our coins is the phrase “In God We Trust”. But, whose God? The Jewish one? The Christian one? Both? The Muslim one?  And what about the masses of non-religious … are they included, or excluded? Or, perhaps the phrase is most often used by Christians as ammunition in their battle against “secular humanism”?

CONCLUSION

Although the phrase “Judeo-Christian” has been in the American lexicon for almost a century, as you can see from the above, we are still on a slippery slope as to its true meaning, or intent.

Nevertheless, I submit that initially the general meaning was theological, combined with historical overtones. In fact, the greater population probably still views it in those terms.

However, I further submit that The Powers That Be — from Eisenhower to the Supreme Court — have altered the meaning as a purely political one … possibly for their own nefarious reasons (which I leave to your imagination as to what they might be).

As such, I submit that if one desires to remove the Jewish Influence (if it exists) from American society that we remove “Judeo-Christian” from our consciousness and vocabulary … and simply replace it with “Christian”. (Or, for the non-religious, nothing at all.)

This solution removes much ambiguity. Instead of mindlessly parroting a well known phrase, and by replacing it with something true and good which True Patriots can rally around  — other than the ambiguous ‘Making America Great Again’ — perhaps, at last, it can even help heal this nation.

Lastly, to those good folk who disagree with the myth (another word for ‘story’) of a “Judeo-Christian” society, please consider the words from George Orwell;

Shalom

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Author: Stucky

I'm right, you're wrong. Deal with it. View all posts by Stucky