Where Do We Go From Here?

 Yesterday, another act of vandalism occurred at the Jewish Center at Drexel University.  Again, I am perplexed for the reasons.  It is just a prank?  Do some people think it is funny to deface and vandalize?  I realize that Jewish institutions are not the only recipient of these types of behaviors.  Churches and Mosques have also suffered.  What is the point of these actions?  If there is a message, why not reveal it? 

Bret Stephens in his editorial in the New York Times today, "The Appalling Tactics of the 'Free Palestine' Movement", states that these protests clearly reveal their intent--the end of Israel as an independent Jewish state.  As the title states, even though their tactics are appalling, their message is clear.  I don't know what message I am to take from removing letters from the sign at Drexel other than the hatred of Jews.

I like to think of myself as a logical and rational person.  I have been influenced by my education which taught me to look at issues from multiple points of view, and then choose the one that I think makes the most sense.  In retrospect, many decisions did not work out the way I wanted them to.  I don't think it was lack of logic.  It was what I thought to be the right decision for the time.  But, so much of what happens is out of our control.

I try to find the rational for the actions of others.  Jews are hated and condemned for trying to take over the world.  Yet it was the Nazis, not the Jews that brought death and destruction in their attempt.  So if taking over the world is to be condemned, neo-Nazis have no rational to condemn Jews.  Jews are condemned by Capitalists for being Communists, and by Communists for being Capitalists.  

This is clearly expressed in a story that came out of World War II.  In a speech, a Nazi proclaimed that the Jews were responsible for all the problems in the world.  A member of the audience responded, "the Jews and the bicycle riders".  The Nazi asked "why the bicycle riders"?  He was asked, "why the Jews?"  

It is so hard to accept blame.  The first humans in the Bible, Adam and Eve, were trying to be taught by God to confess, yet they refused or were incapable.  Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the snake.  Unfortunately, the snake who was blessed with the power of speech was silenced.  I would love to know what the snake would have responded.

Next, we turn to Cain and one of the most famous quotes from the Bible, "am I my brother's keeper"?  Rashi, the preminent rabbincal commentator from the 11th Century, claims that Cain was an unrepentant murderer.  Even when given the chance to repent, Cain makes light of his murder,"Is my sin too heavy (for you God) to carry?  Cain lacks remorse, the first step in confessing.  The Nazis on trial at Nuremberg showed no remorse, "I was just following orders".  What makes people not feel bad for the wrongs they do?

It is so much easier to blame others for our failures.  According to some of the nationalist religious right, Christianity is under attack.  To preserve it, they are trying to make their religious views become the law of the land.  Election day is now, according to Trump, "Christian Visibility Day".  All Christians must vote for Trump because only he is their savior from the evil forces of liberalism that are trying to destroy Christianity.  The numbers, according to many studies, show that religious observance is declining in America as it is in Europe.  Is it because evil powers are trying to destroy it, or it is because it no longer seems relevant.  Will imposing their will on the non-Christian population of the United States, and those Christians who do not agree with them, save Christianity?  Theocracies around the world limit freedom.  Is that what America wants?