The observer | FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2023 | ndsmcobserver.com
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Why you should be concerned about Christian nationalism Blake Ziegler News with Zig
Fol low i ng Pope Urba n I I’s c a l l to w a ge w a r on Mu sl i m s, member s of t he Fi r st C r u s ade took up a r m s a nd depa r te d Eu rope to c onquer t he Hol y L a nd . Before t he y a r r ive d, t houg h, C r u s ader s fou nd t hem selve s pi l la g i ng Je w i sh v i l la ge s a long t hei r jou r ne y. T he most not a ble of t he se i nc ident s w a s t he R h i nela nd Ma s s ac re s of 10 9 6, w h ich i s c on sidere d t he f i r st la r ge-sc a le ac t of a nt i sem it ic v iolenc e i n me d ie v a l Eu rope. Je w i sh tow n s i n c ent r a l a nd we ster n G er m a ny were at t acke d a nd plu ndere d . S ome Je w i sh re sident s f le d w h i le ot her s fou nd by t he C r u s ader s u nder went forc e d c onver sion or were k i l le d . A s we a l l k now, t he R h i nela nd Ma s s ac re s weren’t t he end of Je w i sh per se c ut ion i n Eu rope. T he a nt i sem it ic at t it ude s t hat prompte d t hem, e spe c ia l l y c a l l s for venge a nc e a ga i n st “t he mu rderer s of C h r i st,” c ont i nue d wel l be yond t he 11t h c ent u r y w it h it s cl i m a x of t he Holoc au st (a lt houg h a nt isem it i sm i s st i l l ver y much a l ive i n Eu rope today). T he Di sput at ion of Pa r i s i n 124 0 i nvolve d Pope Gre gor y I X’s ef for t s to c en sor t he Ta l mud, a c ol le c t ion of r a bbi n ic c om ment a r y i n Juda i sm, t h roug h t he c ou r t of K i ng L ou i s I X of Fr a nc e. I n a broader ef for t to c onver t t he Je w s to C h r i st ia n it y, ne a rl y 10,0 0 0 ha ndw r it ten Je w i sh hol y tex t s were bu r ne d on t he cha r ge of bla sphemy. I n 189 4, C apt a i n A l f re d Dre y f u s, a French Je w, w a s a r re ste d on t he cha r ge of spy i ng for t he P r u s sia n s fol low i ng Fr a nc e’s los s i n t he Fr a nc o-P r u s sia n Wa r. A m id st ac c u s at ion s a bout h i s loy a lt y to Fr a nc e, Dre y f u s w a s exi le d to De v i l’s Isla nd on ac c ou nt of a c olonel’s te st i mony. W hen later e v idenc e showe d t hat te st i mony w a s f a l si f ie d, t he French a r my attempte d to c over up t hei r m i st a ke. Dre y f u s w a s ret r ie d a nd ac qu it te d fol low i ng pre s su re on t he a r my a f ter t he i n for m at ion w a s le a ke d . St i l l, he w a s fou nd g u i lt y a nd on l y f re e d a fter a pre sident ia l pa rdon . Globa l Je w r y w a s shocke d t hat such blat a nt a nt i sem it i sm c ou ld oc c u r i n a nat ion t hat procla i me d l ib er t y, e qua l it y a nd f r ater n it y. S chola r s v ie w t he Dre y f u s A f f a i r a s emblem at ic of t he tension bet we en C at hol ic a nd Republ ic a n forc e s i n Fr a nc e. C hu rch suppor ter s, i nclud i ng t he Vat ic a n’s of f ic ia l ne w spaper, v ic iou sl y
c ondem ne d Dre y f u s a nd c a l le d for at t ack s a ga i n st Je w s for t re a son . I sha re t he se h i stor ic epi sode s to showc a se t he ma r g i na l i z at ion a nd oppre s sion t hat Je w s have ex per ienc e d t h roug hout h i stor y. I e spe c ia l l y w a nt to note t hat t he se ac t s were c omm it te d by gover n ment s of ten ha nd-i n-ha nd w it h t he C hu rch or were u se d by rel ig iou s g roups for nef a r iou s pu r pose s. T he se e vent s i n Je w i sh h i stor y d rove ma ny Je w s out of Eu rope, a sig n i f ic a nt nu mber of w hom fou nd t hem selve s i n t he U. S. T h i s i nclude s my f a mi l y, w ho f le d t he pog rom s i n L it hua n ia i n t he late 19t h c ent u r y. Today, 69 % of A mer ic a n Je w s ident i f y a s A sh kena z i or S epha rd ic, de sc end i ng f rom t he Je w s of C ent r a l/E a ster n Eu rope a nd Spa i n, re spe c t ivel y. A lt houg h we may have lef t Eu rope, we c a r r y ou r a nc e stor s’ ex per ienc e s w it h u s. T he i ntergener at iona l t r au ma of w it ne s si ng s y stemat ic a nt i sem it i sm, of ten per pet r ate d by rel ig iou s forc e s t h roug h t he st ate, ha s lef t a n i ndel ible ma rk on A mer ic a n Je w r y. Un for t u natel y, e ven Je w s w hose f a m i l ie s c a me f rom plac e s ot her t ha n Eu rope a l so f ac e d t h i s rel ig iou sl y-f uele d v iolenc e f rom t he st ate. A s a re su lt of t he se ex per ienc e s, A mer ic a n Je w s have a u n ique at t ach ment to t he sepa r at ion of chu rch a nd st ate. We’re r a i se d w it h t he u nder st a nd i ng t hat t he lack of c od i f ie d prote c t ion for rel ig iou s l iber t y le ave s u s at r i sk . We’re we a r y of rel ig iou s i nje c t ion s i nto pol it ic s, a nd t hat sent i ment rema i n s today. A 2020 su r ve y by Pe w Re se a rch C enter fou nd t hat 6 3 % of A mer ic a n Je w s bel ie ve t hat hou se s of wor sh ip shou ld st ay out of pol it ic s. I n f ac t, A mer ic a n Je w s’ at t ach ment to a st r ic t w a l l of sepa r at ion bet we en chu rch a nd st ate i s often a n ex pla nat ion for ou r vot i ng pat ter n s. S chola r Ken net h D. Wa ld ha s a r g ue d t hat t he Democ r at ic Pa r t y ’s h i stor ic empha si s on re l ig iou s l iber t y a nd t he sepa r at ion of chu rch a nd st ate i s one of t he pr i ma r y c ont r ibutor s to Je w s’ suppor t for t he pa r t y. T he e v idenc e i s cle a r t hat we Je w s t a ke t he sepa r at ion of chu rch a nd st ate ser iou sl y. For t hat re a son, I r a i se a c onc er n a bout t he deter ior at ion of t he w a l l bet we en chu rch a nd st ate i n ou r c ou nt r y today. T he r i se of t he Rel ig iou s R ig ht si nc e t he 198 0 s ha s le d to c a nd idate s w ho f uel pol it ic a l d iv i sion, promote d i si n for mat ion a nd u nder m i ne de moc r ac y t h roug h rel ig iou s rhetor ic. Ju st la st ye a r, t he Supreme C ou r t t u r ne d it s back on
de c ade s-old pre c e dent to rei nt roduc e pr ayer i n publ ic school s. A s I’ve w r it ten before, t he C ou r t ’s de c i sion to over t u r n Roe v. Wade a l so employe d rel ig iou s t heme s, ig nor i ng t he f ac t t hat some rel ig ion s a l low a bor t ion i n some c i rc u m st a nc e s, i nclud i ng Juda i sm . T he Dobbs de c i sion i mpose d t he rel ig iou s v ie w s of some on a l l A mer ic a n s, erod i ng t he sepa r at ion of chu rch a nd st ate f u r t her. My wor r ie s don’t end t here. S ome member s of t h i s movement la bel t hem selve s C h r i st ia n nat iona l i st s, se ek i ng to ex pl ic it l y embe d a C h r i st ia n ident it y i n ou r democ r at ic i n st it ut ion s. Be yond bre a k i ng dow n t he sepa r at ion of chu rch a nd st ate, we c a n se e a nt i sem it i sm a nd ot her a nt i-democ r at ic ef for t s i n t he se g roups. For i n st a nc e, a long side t he Tr u mp f la g s a nd c ros se s at t he Ja n . 6 i n su rre c t ion, we a l so s aw a nt i sem it ic me s s a g i ng. Re se a rcher s at T he Wa sh i ng ton Post fou nd a st rong l i n k bet we en ident i f ic at ion a s a C h r i st ia n nat iona l i st w it h a nt i sem it ic v ie w s a nd QA non bel ief s. Ide olog ie s l i ke t he se c a n lend t hem selve s to ac t ua l v iolenc e w h ich we’ve a l re ad y se en before. For i n st a nc e, t he shooter f rom t he 2019 Pow ay s y na gog ue shoot i ng e spou se d C h r i st ia n bel ief s a s t he ba si s for h i s ac t ion s. L et me be cle a r : My c r it ic i sm i s not a ga i n st C h r i st ia n it y or a ny ot her f a it h . Rel ig ion i s a be aut i f u l ex per ienc e a s one se ek s a spi r it ua l c on ne c t ion . My c r it ique i s a ga i n st t he m i norit y w ho m i su se rel ig ion for u lter ior mot ive s. Pa r t of t he re a son I c a me to Not re Da me w a s for i nter rel ig iou s d ia log ue ; for w h ich I’m g r atef u l for a l l t he f r iend sh ips I’ve m ade. T here i s a re a son for c onc er n a bout t he pol it ic i z at ion of rel ig ion a nd t he t h re at s we f ac e i n ou r c ou nt r y today. I fe a r t hat h i stor y w i l l repe at it sel f. For t he s a ke of a l l ou r rel ig ion s a nd ou r democ r ac y, we have a n obl igat ion to st a nd a ga i n st t h i s hat re d .
Blake Ziegler is a senior at Notre Dame studying political science, philosophy and constitutional studies. He enjoys writing about Judaism, the good life, pressing political issues and more. Outside of The Observer, Blake serves as president of the Jewish Club and a teaching assistant for God and the Good Life. He can be reached at @NewsWithZig on Twitter or bziegler@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.