Re: Judaism is The Only Reason Why Muslims and Christians Have a Claim on Jerusalem

Phaedrine Stonebridge <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
>  [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Lisa R.) wrote:
> 
> > Part of the reason Arafat rejected Oslo is that he didn't sincerely
> > think that Jews have a legitimate claim on Jerusalem. His opinion is
> > echoed by some pro-Palestinian Americans.
> > 
> > But think it this way---what claims could either Islam or Christianity
> > have on Jerusalem if Judaism hadn't claimed it first?
> > 
> > The answer is:  Neither religion would have any claims to Jerusalem. 
> > In fact, there wouldn't have been any Jerusalem as we know it. 
> > Jerusalem would have faded into obscurity after the Jebusites were
> > overrun.  Instead of turning up a plethora of Biblical antiquities as
> > they do today, archeologists would instead be excavating the dusty
> > ruins of some nameless tenth-rate town that had ceased to matter to
> > anybody three millenia ago.
> > 
> > Jerusalem is important to Muslims and Christians because it was
> > important to Jews, and for no other reason......
> 
> While you may be correct with respect to muslims, but with respect to 
> Christians you are way off base.  When I read this, the first thing that 
> popped into my head was, "What is she thinking?"  I normally don't get 
> into theological discussions but this is just so obvious.  Jerusalem is 
> what--- maybe 5 or so miles from Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ?  
> And a few miles more from Nazareth?  This is where Christ grew up and 
> lived.  Saying that the only reason Christians place importance in the 
> region is because it is important to Jews is just plain nonsense, sorry.

Jerusalem is important to Christians through the person of Jesus. 
Jesus suffered to have a crown of thorns pressed down on his head and
dragged a cross through the Via Dolorosa.  And he died in Jerusalem
too, which is why the Holy Sepulcher is located there.

And I guess, amazingly enough, it has to be repeated---Jesus was
Jewish. He was born as a Jew, lived as a Jew, interacted intensively
with other Jews, and died as as Jew. His early followers were all
Jewish.  When Jesus preached, he sometimes quoted the Torah, and his
riding of a donkey into Jerusalem was highly symbolic of his
messiahship in Judaism (to his followers, at any rate).

And he was alleged to be born from the line of King David. The Jewish
origins of Christianity are only too obvious.


Lisa