Posted by pancho from pool0355.cvx20-bradley.dialup.earthlink.net (209.179.251.100) on Sunday, December 15, 2002 at 5:39PM :
Watching a program now on Jews and what they lost and suffered at the hands of European Christians…I was struck by how they labored and sacrificed and still do in order to remain true to their ancient ways…except of course the ones who converted to Christianity or to Islam…two off shoots that trace their roots to that same Judaism.
Would you expect Christians and Muslims to maintain a Jewish Heritage? Who speaks out for Jews except Jews? When one of them converts…does he or she continue to work for Yahweh…or do they go to work for Christ and Muhammad? Do those who turn away from their Jewish roots care for a Jewish Heritage…do they assemble, defend, celebrate, build and create for their old ways…or new ones?
Rather, isn’t it ironic that the descendants of those who converted to Christ, went on to blame their own brethren through the centuries till they tried to kill them all in a Holocaust brought on by Christians…who could never forgive Jews for refusing to be swayed.
You see, it IS possible for converts from an ancient and original religion, to one day become the persecutors of whatever they can lay their hands on that reminds them of the older one, the source…the one they came from, the one they switched from. And that…dear fellow…is exactly what we’re witnessing today when our Christian Assyrians sharpen their knives to bring “security” to a Christian minority in Iraq…at the expense of all their brothers and sisters who converted in another direction…and why any of us professing a preference for Ashur are met with such hostility. No one likes to be reminded of their treachery…especially not when they were amply “rewarded” for it.
Certainly faith in Ashur was weakened by Abgar’s time…but that only explains where we are today…it doesn’t excuse it. Breaking faith reveals more about you, than it does about the faith you broke from. The noble, the proud Assyrians died in their faith…died defending Ashur,,,as Jews, Christians and Muslims are encouraged to die for their beliefs rather than abandon them. Those who denied Ashur …denied their essence as Assyrians. Which leaves us with the mostly bastard breed we have today…who can’t kill each other off, destroy each other, or get away from each other fast enough.
Self-loathing drives what remains of us…not pride.
-- pancho
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