On misrepresentations by the American Interfaith Institute

On misrepresentations by the American Interfaith Institute
by Wm. Robert Johnston
August 2003

The recent letter on behalf of the American Interfaith Institute seems to seek to replace one religious discrimination with another. In criticizing anti-Semitism, the author manages to display an anti-Christian bias. Both attitudes are to be condemned.

The author claims that Jews in the U.S. military in World War II "had the highest rate of casualties." This is misleading at best. While the total casualty rate among Jews in the service was 18% higher than the overall rate, Jews suffered fatalities at a rate 16% lower than average.

These slight differences reflect differences in areass of service. This is no criticism of Jewish, or non-Jewish, military veterans. The lesson is that Americans of all races and religions served nobly in World War II.

He makes several false claims about Christianity. He points out that Jesus was crucified by the Romans, not the Jews. This overlooks the fact that the Romans were accommodating the desires of the Jewish leadership, who had previously attempted to stone Jesus on more than one occasion.

In ignoring these facts the author not only dismisses the Christian New Testament but also non-Christian historical records, including some by Jews. Despite his claims, Christians see the crucifixion of Jesus not as an attack by Jews against Christians, but as an attack by people against God--and as a tragic act turned by God into the salvation of mankind.

The author claims that the Holocaust was conducted by "people raised in Christian homes who were never taught about the Jewishness of Christianity." The Nazis did not learn Christianity, period, much less its origins. True Christianity did and does oppose anti-Semitism. It is no accident that evangelical Christians have been oppressed or killed alongside Jews by many regimes, notably the Nazis and the Soviets.

The author hails on behalf of the American Interfaith Institute. Belying its name, this group has at its agenda promotion of vicious misrepresentations of the origins, history, and teachings of true Christianity. In failing to distinguish between Christianity and those that falsely fly its colors, they exhibit the very hideous bias that they claim to oppose.