Jesus is accused of similar urban myths by His enemies. He is suspected of being a leader of a guerilla band to overthrow Caesar. This is one of the reasons given by his critics that Jesus refused to pay tribute to Caesar. Jesus lost his only election to an insurrectionist who the crowd found more favor with. Barabbas, the murderer (terrorist), represented a theocracy; Jesus promoted a kingdom not of this world. Rome knew there were Jews who wanted to pull Jerusalem out of the empire, but they did not realize Jesus was not one of them. Jesus Himself fell victim to unsubstantiated rumors.

The same identical myths are found in the Third Reich according to Lucy Dawidowicz in her book, The War Against the Jews 1933-1945. Even though Russia had its share of anti-Semites, it was commonly held by Germans that Jews were the organizers of Communism. Hitler thought that fighting Jews in his own land was fighting against Communists. It was also believed, even though the record refuted it, that Jews undermined the World War I effort and Germany. In fact, the Reich believed the loss of the war lay in the hands of Jews. Dawidowicz quotes Hitler from Mein Kampf, "By defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord." In suspicious Germany, the definition of "Jew" was more race than religion. Many in the Warsaw ghetto were Jews who had converted to Catholicism.

Johnson and Reuband's work, What We Knew, describes the opinions of people around Germany during the war. The work tells tales like that of Professor August Hirt who measured Jewish skulls in concentrations camps to prove the subhuman existence of Hebrews. Some citizens read of the terrible conditions inflicted on young German soldiers in the war with Russia. Citizens in Germany equated Russia with Jews and justified the fact that Jewish neighbors were being arrested and taken off to camps.

Across the Atlantic, preachers like Winrod, Gerald Smith and Coughlin were promoting the same myths in America. Their theories convey an uncanny connection to the original suspicions found in Egypt and Babylon. Traces of this movement still exist in the hard core religious right. Moody Bible Institute leadership and earlier things the LaHayes were connected to still leave a traceable trail. Conspiracy preachers like Pat Robertson and John Hagee border on advocating these myths by the eschatology maps they come up with. It appears to me that conspiracy theories eventually get back to Jews in some fashion.

Faith for All of Life, a publication of the Chalcedon Foundation, carried a recent anti-Semitic account. The Reconstruction magazine had an article in the September/October 2006 issue about the Khazars known as Turkish nomads. Speaking of Jews, the writer wrote, "How did they rise from obscurity to wield such great influence?" The article also mentions the Rothschild family which is a frequent target by anti-Semites regarding world Jewish influence. The author did not go as far as Aryan Nations types in his use of the word "Khazar." The story that Khazars are not really Jews at all, but converts who cause trouble in the world, is a common myth circulated by the hard right in America today. Others have written about Reconstruction connections to anti-Semitism. It appears to be a glove that fits.

Don Wildmon has flitted with anti-Semitism according to Church & State. Wildmon has reprinted articles from the Spotlight magazine, which is an anti-Semitic magazine. I have read some of the issues, and believe me it is not stretching it to call the publication anti-Semitic. Wildmon also has stated that Jews controlled the entertainment industry. An opinion held by Henry Ford. The piece in Church & State even suggested that Wildmon believed Jewish leaders were attacking the religions right, and he threatened to stop supporting Israel if this did not stop. (Church & State, June 2006, pg. 12).

Dominionists promote the myth that the Jew, Jesus, desired to organize a band to take over the world. I have seen articles about Dominion missionaries going to foreign lands and teaching this theocracy theme. The irony that they buy into the urban myth some held about Jesus is interesting. They took a myth about the Christian faith and made it into a doctrine. Rushdoony, an avid reader, did not appear to have taken the time to read the New Testament very closely.

My own take on this is that in our nation everyone has a right to their own opinion. They have the Constitutional right to be a racist. What causes me to raise a hand of protest is when people in the name of Christianity practice urban myths much like Pharaoh.

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