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With all due respect to Gretchen Carlson, I had to cringe at the headline when I saw it (Skimming the article made me cringe more.). If she didn't know that the world considers Christianity to be criminal, I don't know what Bible she's reading. The Bible that I've read unequivocally states that the world will hate Christians, especially Jewish Christians. e.g.:
"9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."
"16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."
(From Matthew 24 and 10, New King James Version, respectively)
Now, are there exceptions among those of the world? Yes:
" I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person."
(From 1 Corinthians 5)
Gamali'el was an exception; and despite that a myth that he became a Jewish Christian persists, he was tolerant of Jewish Christians (Sadly, the myth comes from a misinterpretation of his tolerance.):
"33 When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them. 34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them: “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. 38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”"
(From Acts 5)
By the way, one of the blessings of finding about my Jewish heritage is that I've had my eyes open to just how much the world really does hate Christianity, and that hate stems back to when Pilate maliciously blamed the murder of Jesus on Jews—read the Jewish Virtual Library article on Pontius Pilate to see what Pontius Pilate's talk about Jesus being innocent really meant, and you will find that Pilate was sarcastic and Anti Semitic. What should have been obvious to me and others a long time ago, by the way, is that Pilate would not have crucified a man whom he really believed to be innocent. Besides, his reaction after "Ein lanu melekh aval Qeisar [We have no king but Caesar]" was a way of saying, "Oh, ****. I can't get them riled up enough. Besides, they're reminding me that Caesar is my boss. ****; I wanted to cause a riot and make those Jews look bad, though (****) they outsmarted me."^
Remember, too, that we did not know. We thought that Jesus fit Deuteronomy 13, and Paul told Timothy as much for his part in his first letter to him:
"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus."
(From 1 Timothy 1)
My point being, Christianity has been criminal since the time that Pilate scapegoated Jews—and really, ever since Anti Semitism has existed.
^Incidentally, "murder" is a mistranslation in Acts 5:30 in the New King James Version.
"9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."
"16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."
(From Matthew 24 and 10, New King James Version, respectively)
Now, are there exceptions among those of the world? Yes:
" I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person."
(From 1 Corinthians 5)
Gamali'el was an exception; and despite that a myth that he became a Jewish Christian persists, he was tolerant of Jewish Christians (Sadly, the myth comes from a misinterpretation of his tolerance.):
"33 When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them. 34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them: “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. 38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”"
(From Acts 5)
By the way, one of the blessings of finding about my Jewish heritage is that I've had my eyes open to just how much the world really does hate Christianity, and that hate stems back to when Pilate maliciously blamed the murder of Jesus on Jews—read the Jewish Virtual Library article on Pontius Pilate to see what Pontius Pilate's talk about Jesus being innocent really meant, and you will find that Pilate was sarcastic and Anti Semitic. What should have been obvious to me and others a long time ago, by the way, is that Pilate would not have crucified a man whom he really believed to be innocent. Besides, his reaction after "Ein lanu melekh aval Qeisar [We have no king but Caesar]" was a way of saying, "Oh, ****. I can't get them riled up enough. Besides, they're reminding me that Caesar is my boss. ****; I wanted to cause a riot and make those Jews look bad, though (****) they outsmarted me."^
Remember, too, that we did not know. We thought that Jesus fit Deuteronomy 13, and Paul told Timothy as much for his part in his first letter to him:
"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus."
(From 1 Timothy 1)
My point being, Christianity has been criminal since the time that Pilate scapegoated Jews—and really, ever since Anti Semitism has existed.
^Incidentally, "murder" is a mistranslation in Acts 5:30 in the New King James Version.
