[Marcus Marulus]

Originally Posted by Lutiferre

I believe biblical Zionism, also known as Christian Zionism, believing that the Jews are literally the chosen people, that we are to serve, is a very negative side of Christianity

Biblical Zionism? What does that mean? First of all, Zionism is a modern political movement which arose among Jews and had as its aim the establishment of a "Jewish homeland in Palestine" (later Eretz Yisrael) and the promotion of Jewish interests worldwide, in order that the newly established Jewish state be protected. Zionism has a certain, albeit limited, influence upon the policy of the leading world powers. Its influence is sometimes grossly overrated.

I think that this argument was taken up in numerous occasions on this board in the past, but let me repeat it once more: the essence of Christianity is precisely that Jews are NOT the Chosen People. It is the Old Testament Jews WERE the People chosen by God, not to be "masters of the nations to whom the whole world should serve" (this is a later Talmudic interpretation), but to serve to all nations as the "nation of priests" ("You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation", Exod. 19:6). Still during the Old Testament times Jews rejected God many times and turned to idols. All is very well documented by that book. They sinned many times against this gift of chosenness, but God forgave them, until their rejection of Jesus Christ, a messiah announced many times in the Old Testament. That was their final act of apostasy. After that time they ceased to be chosen people in any sense. This is Christian doctrine.

The Jewish doctrine is another matter: they think that even after the rejection of Jesus they keep on being "chosen", not in the original sense (ie. that they should serve as a priestly nation), but in a sense that they would be better than other nations, which should serve them. But it is not Talmudic Judaism that is being discussed in this thread, but Christianity.

So, anyone who thinks that Jews are still chosen people, just as the Old Testament Israelites were, is not a Christian. It is one of the basic tenets of the Christian faith. If Jews are still "chosen people" and not one people among others, then Church has no meaning. It is the same as, for example, if someone does not believe in, or outright rejects, Jesus Christ, he is not Christian, by definition.

Another thing is that in modern times everything got corrupted, so did the official "Christianity" (Churchianity). The corruption is present in the Catholic Church, but much more in different Protestant denominations. So many started to claim that Jews are still somehow "chosen". This new wave of Judaeophilia has to do with many factors: remorse for the fate Jews suffered in the Second World War, culture of guilt (which is in fact a perversion of the original concept of Christian charity) for the persecutions and expulsions of the Jews throughout centuries in Europe, a need to "go back to the roots (and roots are here mistekenly being taken as Judaic) etc. But those people or even some (Protestant) denominations which hold such claims (ie. that Jews are still chosen) are not Christians by definition, no matter how they call themselves. I can call myself grandson of David Rockefeller, but I am not still the one. These are heretical perversions of the Christian message.

So if you mean that considering Jews as "chosen" is negative (I think it's negative too), you should maybe entitle the thread "Negative sides of some modern pseudo-"Christian" cults" and not "Negative side of Christianity". Because that is not what Christianity is about.

Originally Posted by Lutiferre

it is perhaps, together with the Judaic derivation of the Christian foundation, one of the biggest problems in the religion.

Is Christianity derived from Judaism? Partly yes, partly from other sources.

Some say they the reject Jesus Christ because he was "swarthy Middle Easterner and not our European man" (I don't say you are of this opinion, I am just speaking broadly). It is so idiotic and below the lowest level of decency that it is not even worth commenting upon. It may be understood as some crude and primitive materialism, which does not distinguish between the material and spiritual level.

More serious objections say that it is a spirituality born in one nation and alien to others. But here again, we know that spiritual truths operate in a way that, even if they come into being in a certain time and space and among certain ethnic groups, they later, if they are worth, godly and deemed of universal value, spread to others and become universal. So if God, for some reason chose Israelites as people through which His word will be spread, it does not necessarily mean that it is the exclusive property of Jews. It is an eternal truth which became manifest in a certain time and space, for reasons unknown and unknowable to human mind. That is at least the (traditional) Christian viewpoint.

Writers of the New Testament, on the other hand, were not all Jews and the New Testament contains some elements of the Greek philosophy, especially the Gospel of John.

Originally Posted by Lutiferre

Another aspect of Christianity I am against, is what I would refer to as religious egalitarianism. That anyone who converts to Christianity, is an equal, that we are to accept into our hearts. This, I cannot agree with.

I do not see anything controversial in this. As Leiprechan already said, there is nothing wrong in all people being equal in God's eyes. I don't believe in Übermenschen. It does not mean though that they all ought to be equal in absolutely all earthly matters (and that is what modern egalitzarianism claims).

Originally Posted by Lutiferre

Now of course, there is no static version of the religion, only interpretations. But these are some of the prevalent, actual problems I see, and hear from Christians, from priests as well as Bishops, not some senseless abstract critique.

The things you are pointing out at are very much represented in different Protestant denominations. However, I am very well aware that Protestantism is a very braod term covering a variety of denominations, different in many respect, I just say that there is a general Judaizing tendency in them. Also in some "modern theologians" of the Catholic Church.

Originally Posted by Lutiferre

Those subjects should perhaps be discussed more openly than before so. I am also interested to hear what Christians here may have to say about it. Before you accuse me of blasphemy, let it be clear that my intentions are good, and not founded in anti-Christian sentiment.

The subject was very extensively dealt with in this thread:

On Christianity and Tradition [split]

In fact, I am glad that you did not take up the traditional, boring anti-Christian stereotypes, cherished by less educated anti-Christians who adore streotypes learned at (worthless) public schools and by the dominant modern "culture" like: Inquisition, witch-burning, the alleged suppression of scientific research etc.

I don't see any anti-Christian sentiment in the introductory post, these are legitimate topics for discussion.