Op-ed:
Fueling the Fires of Catholic and Jewish Hatred
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor /
Right Side Patriots / Right Side Patriots Radio
The article posted here is the authors opinion alone, and does not
necessarily represent the views of blogspot.com
or Google
“I am for freedom of religion, & against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendancy of one sect over another.” - Thomas Jefferson's words in a letter to Elbridge Gerry, dated January 26, 1799
Wise words indeed for the great Thomas Jefferson understood well both the positives and the negatives associated with religion. In fact, Jefferson saw the multitudes of the world's religions as being but “sects”...and how a“sect” could easily intrude into what should be the government's secular matters thus negatively and “violently” affecting our then new nation. And while James Madison took his feelings even further by vigorously opposing religious intrusions of any kind into what were deemed to be any and all “civil affairs,” it was Thomas Paine...an avowed “deist” and author of “The Age of Reason”...who took a more what I call “modern and realistic approach” to organized religion deeming it to be but, “a human invention used to control and oppress people,” and that religion itself was based upon “fear and superstition rather than reason and truth.”
Honestly, I cannot say that I disagree with any of those learned gentlemen for the recent actions taken by a number of Americans against those of the Jewish faith...especially Jews in support of Israel's “right to exist and its war against Hamas... seems not to be just an increasing trend but a trend that is becoming more violent in nature by the day, while at the same time becoming deeply entwined in the political discourse...Thomas Jefferson's previously stated warning words come to life. And said violence has now reached a point where some of the Jewish faith have literally been set on fire for no other reason than they are Jews, as now can be witnessed by the recent event in Boulder, Colorado; as well as this past May's cold-blooded gun murders of two young Jews in Washington, DC as they left a Jewish museum function.
And while the first heinous act was committed by one Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year old illegal alien from Egypt who had overstayed his visa and whose allegiance was to the “U.S. designated terrorist group” known as the “Muslim Brotherhood;” the second aforementioned act was committed by Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year old man from Chicago... who is, what I deem to be, a homegrown “piece of human garbage”...as his actions were just as vile in both intent and outcome. But let's not forget that this current, deep seated hatred of Jews...hate that had somewhat started to temper down a bit...was and still is being fueled by the Democrats condoning of the anti-Israel riots on American college and university campuses where bleeding heart, liberal Democrat professors started deeming Israel to be the perpetrator and the anything but innocent Palestinians... Gazans as some like to call themselves...to be the victims of the very war Hamas themselves started on October 7, 2023.
So while the two present day acts I just stated are rightfully still part of the media's current discourse, albeit handled quite differently by conservative vs. the liberal news media, the sad fact remains that while Jew hatred is the most prevalent and visual form of religious hatred in our country today, they are not the only ones feeling the aura of hate, for now also being singled out for hateful rhetoric... most especially on “certain” social media sites and done so by “certain” individuals...is America's Roman Catholics and Catholicism itself. And what's most disconcerting about this is that it's being done primarily by a “certain segment” of folks within the generalized Christian population...folks who relish in calling the Roman Catholic church the “false church,” and who view the Pope and the the papacy itself as an “institution not of divine origin.”
And who exactly are these sorts who judge and condemn what are their own fellow Christians? Mostly we see those folks being what some call “Fundamentalist”*...as in those who adhere to a literal “word for word” interpretation of the Bible as well as the Bible being above all else including our Constitution. Separation between church and state seems not to exist for them, and while “freedom of religion” is important to them as long as ones beliefs are their beliefs, “freedom from religion” or even the acceptance of a different religion, is not part of their accepted discourse.
These folks are unwavering in their beliefs and condemn any Christian denomination who does not believe as they do, and thus have taken it upon themselves to deem that Catholics choose not to put what they call “the authority of the Bible” over all things both religious and secular. And they constantly criticize and degrade the Catholic Church's sacraments and practices regarding key doctrines, along with the role of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church in interpreting scripture, most especially in regards to the “nature of salvation.” And why so...because Catholics believe “salvation” involves both “faith and works,” while “Fundamentalists” claim this contradicts their self-perceived “doctrine of grace” as in through faith alone.
In other words, this particular group of Christians is degrading, criticizing, and judging both Catholicism and Catholics over word semantics by their willfully trying to usurp the meaning of the Bible's words via their interpretation alone as being but “gospel” truth. A sad commentary indeed, and one that might come back to haunt, for in their pseudo-piousness they have forgotten the words of Mathew 7:1-2, ”Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”
So much for uniting the faithful...instead those like the “Fundamentalists,” and a few other of the so-called Christian “sects,” are actually dividing the faithful and deliberately doing so via threats of eternal damnation if you don't believe as they do.
And by the way, these are the same folks who continue on in their efforts to try to coerce those of the Jewish faith to accept Christ as their “Lord and Savior” or face eternal damnation in Hell. However, what these misguided folks willingly choose to ignore is the fact that those of the Jewish faith do not believe that anyone needs to be “saved” from anything or brought to any particular path...as in Jesus...to avoid what the others call “Hell” or even to be one with God. That is a Christian belief alone.
In fact, the Jewish belief in regards to “salvation” and “Hell” is that “salvation” is but “collective and national,” not “personal and individual.” Simply, a focusing on the sum of the people not on the one, which is quite interesting as it removes both vanity and selfishness...as in the “it's all about me” type of scenario...from the religious discourse. And in regards to “Hell”...to those of the Jewish faith “Hell” is not nor has it ever been a central doctrine in the faith nor is it a place of so-called eternal torment and damnation, but is a temporary spiritual place alone...a place called “Gehinnom.” where ones soul is spiritually “cleansed” from sins and bad deeds committed but not atoned for in life, and done so before they enter “a state of unity” with God.
And this kind of reinforces Thomas Paine's words in regards to religion being but “fear and superstition rather than reason and truth,” for the truth is that while Jesus is the “Savior” for some, he is not nor does he have to be the “Savior” for all...that is if a “Savior” is even needed at all.
So now as with Jewish synagogues and schools; Catholic churches, schools, and institutions have also seen a rise in the number of acts of hostility, violence, vandalism, and religious desecration also being committed against them, but thankfully no Catholics have been set on fire, and hopefully never will be. However, it saddens me to say that it remains a few vocal, self-proclaimed “God Police” segments of their fellow Christians who are helping to spread Catholic hatred, which in turn has joined Judaism to become part of today's hate filled religious discourse.
But what these “Holier Than Thou” sorts seem to forget is that while they view both Catholics and Jews as the ones who need “saving” they best look in the mirror for the distorted reflection staring back at them will be their own. And as the bond between Catholics and Jews grows stronger, and while the Catholic Church continues to see those of the Jewish faith as their “elder brothers and sisters” and “forebearer's in faith,” the others choose to damn both faiths which only serves to fuel the hate that helps to fan the fires of both violence and death.
So maybe for the above stated reasons alone is why our “Founders and Framers” wanted not only a complete “separation of church and state,” but for the aforementioned “freedom from religion” to be as important as “freedom of religion.” And in today's volatile world with its increasing acts of religious based violence entering into the political discourse, it shows just how dangerous it has becomes when hate and coercion actually works to meld both religion and government together.
And so with us now seeing deliberately instigated religious divisiveness against both Catholics and Jews becoming a dangerous and seemingly acceptable new norm...a norm that has become all to commonplace...logic alone dictates that when a collective of hate and condemnation is used against specific groups of people, at a specifically given time, for a specifically given purpose, said purpose will usually not end well for more folks than not. Case closed.
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* Fundamentalists are a rigid sub-movement within the Evangelical/ Born Again branch of Christianity with a strict literal interpretation of Scripture.
Copyright © 2025 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All rights reserved.
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For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article, Liberals are Advocating for Anarchy.
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