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Fizer is a Vietnam-era veteran and founder of Roanoke-based Lodging Technology. He resides in Roanoke County.
“The recent pbading of U.S. Sen. John McCain made me think of Gregory Thompson’s Aug. 18 letter to the editor, “Where does Judeo-Christian come from?” John McCain understood the meaning, intent, and context of “Judeo-Christian” principles upon which the United States is based. McCain fiercely defended the Constitution. He loved Israel and traveled often with Joe Lieberman, a Jew and Democrat, to the old city of Jerusalem. McCain understood the Jewish people’s special place in past, present, and future history as related in the Bible.
It is thought that the term “Judeo-Christian” was first used by Alexander M’Caul in a letter dated Oct. 17, 1821, followed in 1829 by Joseph Wolff who, writing in a missionary journal, used these words as they related to Jews converting to Christianity. However, the context in which it’s used today began in the 1960s to counter individuals and courts that started misinterpreting and taking out of context “Judeo-Christian” principles as they relate to our founding documents.
The Christian Old Testament is the Jewish Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). Written in Hebrew and Aramaic, both texts are the same in context and intent. They merge as Judeo-Christian beliefs. One might choose not to believe the historical events, places, and people of the Bible. However, the Bible is either historically true or it isn’t. Archeologists either found the Dead Sea Scrolls, and other writings and artifacts — or they didn’t. Many historians of the time, most notably Josephus, either recorded true events, separate from Biblical accounts, or they didn’t. However, one’s opinion out of context with the writers doesn’t change the facts. Sticking one’s head in the sand is about as effective as “stopping a clock to save time”. (Henry Ford)
Christianity started in Jerusalem from Judaism. The Greek word (Christianos), means “follower of Christ”. The first Christians were Jews. Jesus was a Jew, born and raised a Jew, attended and taught in the synagogue, practiced Jewish customs. Jesus’ 12 apostles were Jews. He interpreted the meaning of Old Testament prophecies of which Jews were familiar. Though Jewish leaders of the time didn’t agree with Jesus’ interpretations, it is clear Jewish people of Israel started Christianity for Jews and “gentiles” alike, spreading it all across the world (Gentiles – all people who can’t trace their ancestry to Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob).
All writings or events, whether ancient or current, must be understood in the original context and purpose of the writer at the time written. Otherwise, one will always reach the wrong conclusions. The purpose and reason for our founding, from the first settlers at Jamestown and Plymouth Rock to the writers / signers of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, was based on Christianity. How do we know? Because they said so in thousands of volumes of written material, including the Congressional Record which records all proceedings of Congress and is available for all to read. (Christian church services were authorized by Congress and held in the U.S. Capitol for 50 years.)
In his letter to the editor, Gregory Thompson seemed to refer to Christians “whose followers have persecuted the Jews for the past two thousand years . . .” To be clear, many have persecuted Jews for centuries, but it wasn’t and isn’t true of Christians who understand Israel’s special place in God’s eternal plan for humanity. I think McCain would agree it is vitally important to the national security of the United States that we support and defend Israel and our Judeo-Christian principles against all enemies.
Our morals, sense of family, fairness, freedom of individuals from government harbadment, as imbodied in all U.S. founding documents from the Magna Carta to the Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, are all based on Judeo-Christian principles from the first century AD. Thus, the phrase, “Judeo-Christian principles” is most appropriate in describing our origins.”
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