18 November, 2008

The SMH reports:
A BAPTIST pastor has admitted telling Jewish leaders that Jews were "going to hell" and faced a fate "worse than the Holocaust" because they had not accepted Jesus as their saviour.

I thought the Jews were all going to convert to Christianity after they'd fought Armageddon.

But seriously, although it's fun to get on one's high horse and condemn Christian bigotry, I don't think this attitude is an appropriate target. People need to get over the fact that Christians believe that non-Christians are going to hell. It's just one of their basic beliefs about what makes their religion the right one. If they didn't believe that, they'd still be Jews!

It doesn't offend me in the slightest that they believe I'm going to hell; it's just a bit irritating when they try to do something to stop it.

The only problem then is that it was a bit insensitive to mention the Holocaust. Apparently he, 'admitted using the word "holocaust" but said it was Biblical language.' He's right. Until recently, the word "holocaust" was not reserved for the Nazi atrocities but was used more generally. (E.g. Winston Churchill described the Armenian Genocide as an holocaust well before the Nazis even came to power. Some Armenians want to reclaim the word but I don't think they'll have much luck.) So basically this Baptist minister is guilty of insensitivity but nothing more.

1 Comments:

At 21 Nov 2008, 6:34:00 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

It doesn't offend me in the slightest that they believe I'm going to hell; it's just a bit irritating when they try to do something to stop it.

Typical Nick. Makes me smile.

 

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