The King of the Judeans - Guilty of Hate Crimes?
Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" [More accurately, King of the Judeans, w/o regard to race or religion] "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. (Matthew 27:11, Luke 23:3, Mark 15:2 All NIV)
The chief priests of the Pharisees protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Judeans,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Judeans." Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." (John 19:21, 22 ) All four gospels, with Pilate conferring, state Jesus Christ was, in fact, King of the Judeans. [Jews, as they like to refer to themselves today].
During his public ministry, what did the King of the Judeans have to say about the Phariseeic leaders in Jerusalem?
"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8)
Matthew records the scathing rebuke the King of the Judeans gave the Pharisees.
But do not do what they [the leaders] do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. (23:4)
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to." (v.13)
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.. (v.15)
"Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath." (v.16)
You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? (v.18)
You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? (v.19)
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. (v.23)
You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. (v.25-28)
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. (v.29)
You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? (v.33)
The King of the Judeans judges the Pharisees of his day four times as hypocrites, twice as blind guides, as blind men and blind fools, sons of hell, snakes and a brood of vipers, full of hypocrisy and wickedness and full of everything unclean. And that they were 'of' or 'from' their father, the devil.
Anti-Semitism is commonly defined exclusively as hostility or prejudice against Jews or Judaism, [although people of Arab descent are also Semites]. The King of the Judeans was certainly hostile against the Pharisees of his day, as the historical accounts in all four gospels clearly document.
The Encyclopædia Britannica defines a "hate crime" as "harassment, intimidation, or physical violence that is motivated by a bias against characteristics of the victim considered integral to his social identity, such as his race, ethnicity, or religion."
The King of the Judeans certainly intimidated the Pharisees of his day, as they sought to kill him for his words - "out of envy." (Matthew 27:18)
Today, the King of the Judeans would be considered anti-Semitic and guilty of multiple hate crimes in several countries, among those countries are Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Belgium, France, and Britain. The existing hate crime laws in these countries would get the King of the Judeans arrested and prosecuted and undoubtedly result in the King of the Judeans being incarcerated.
Momentum for the passage of hate crimes laws in the United States is growing. In California, according to Senate Bill 1234, passed in September 2004, any speech or public expression that makes others feel 'unwelcome' or 'intimidated' is considered 'hate speech' and a crime. Anyone found guilty of such speech could face six-months prison time and a $25,000 fine. Several states, such as Pennsylvania, which arrested 11 Christians in October 2004 for preaching from the Bible against homosexuality, already have hate crime laws on the books.
Doesn't matter if the speech uttered is truthful. The truth of what is spoken can not be used as a defense. All that matters is if the alleged victim's 'feelings' are hurt.
It appears to this writer that if the King of the Judeans were here on the scene today, that unless He kept his criticism of Zionism and the Zionist's leaders to Himself, he would be liable for hate crime prosecution, fines and imprisonment in several countries of the world and several states within the United States.
The state of affairs has reached ludicrous lows when the King of the Judeans and the Leader of Christianity would be considered a criminal and an antiSemite for His opinion and for publically criticizing the Pharisees when He Himself is, in fact, their King, and in spite of the fact that everything He says is Truth.
Based upon the above, this follower is led to the conclusion that criticising Zionist Jewish leaders for their evil deeds is a good thing.
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