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From: rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Dr. Emmanuel Wu)
Newsgroups: net.religion,net.politics
Subject: Re: Don Black, Nazis, and the amazing disappearing Holocaust
Message-ID: <811@pyuxd.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 29-Mar-85 20:26:13 EST
Article-I.D.: pyuxd.811
Posted: Fri Mar 29 20:26:13 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 30-Mar-85 04:05:38 EST
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> Rich Rosen:
> > As Carnes says above, "Oh, I don't know if we can still blame [the
> > Jews] today, but they WERE responsible for [the crucifixion]
> > originally, no?"
> 
> No, I *didn't* say that, nor have I ever believed such rubbish at any
> time in my entire life.  Excuuuuuse me for attempting to fight on
> your side. 
> 
> Richard Carnes

I quote:

>> Yes, this one's a real toughie, so let's warm up on an easier one,
>> recently posed by Don Black.  Are the Jews living today responsible
>> in part for the crucifixion of Christ?  At first glance, this appears
>> to be one of those insoluble legal conundrums, but then we recall
>> that in most courts of law, it is considered an extenuating
>> circumstance if the crime was committed 1,900 years before the birth
>> of the alleged perpetrators.  So I would have to say, pending further
>> reflection and the appearance of additional witnesses and/or
>> evidence, that living Jews such as my apartment-mate George cannot be
>> held fully responsible for the death of Christ.  (George denies any
>> involvement, but what did you expect.  Hey, you want I should torture
>> him to make him confess?)   [RICHARD CARNES]

If this was sarcastic, it was not only not clear, it was in bad taste.
Claiming that it's an "insoluble legal argument" whether or not Jews
today are responsible for what (presumably) their ancestors (as a nation?)
did 1900 years ago.  Large blocks of Christians, and many Christian
teachers, still teach that the Jews were responsible for the death of
Jesus.  A remnant of lingering anti-Semitism of the first order, just
waiting to be tapped by people like Black.

Please find a less virulent way to "fight on my side".  If you agree
that the notions being debunked are despicable, please don't rehash some
of the same notions being debunked, even if in (attempts at) jest.
-- 
Life is complex.  It has real and imaginary parts.
					Rich Rosen  ihnp4!pyuxd!rlr