DEFINING ANTI-SEMITISM
Ann Coulter had the best intentions telling Jews they need to be �perfected�
BY HEIDI HARRIS
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Heidi Harris hosts �The Heidi Harris Show� weekday mornings, 8 to 10 a.m., on NewsTalk 720 KDWN in Las Vegas. Visit her website www.heidiharris.com.
Other stories by Heidi Harris
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These days, when conservative author and pundit Ann Coulter makes a comment that sparks controversy, I�ve taken to yawning. I really don�t know if she does it to sell books or not, but in most of the cases her comments are taken out of context. Plus, in reality, she�s probably not winning any new converts, or for that matter, any new enemies.
To her fans, she�s an antidote to all the liberal rhetoric, and the fact that she�s not employed as a broadcaster allows her to speak her mind without worrying about job security. To her enemies, she�s the conservative anti-Christ, the personification of everything wrong with conservatives. As far as they�re concerned, nothing she says is the truth, and every new accusation serves to confirm their opinion.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have met Ann Coulter on a couple of occasions at the Fox News Channel studios, and found her to be quite warm and charming. I agree with many of her ideas, and I respect her intelligence and fearlessness. The last time I was on the Fox News Channel, I was on a panel with Ann and two other women. I met her mother backstage, who reminded me of a female version of Billy Graham. Ann is a very devoted daughter, and their love for each other was obvious.
The most recent controversy centered around comments Ann made on CNBC�s Donny Deutch�s �The Big Idea� show, where she discussed salvation and mentioned that Jews needed to be �perfected� to be saved. The outcry has been intense, and even people who have previously defended her or admired her viewpoints are up in arms. Her remarks are being characterized as anti-Semitic, but in reality, they�re anything but.
Just for the record, Merriam-Webster defines anti-Semitism as �hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group.�
I can�t read Ann�s mind, but as a Christian, I believe I know what she was trying to say. The point she was trying to make was that in order to be saved, all people must believe in Jesus Christ. That includes everyone. That�s not an opinion, neither mine or Ann�s; that�s what scripture says. Whether or not a person believes that is up to him, but Christians do, so I can�t imagine why anyone considers that anti-Semitic. If a Christian hated Jews, why would he give them information he believed would get them into heaven?
Anti-Semitism abounds, all over the world, but it doesn�t come from evil Christians talking about salvation through Christ. True anti-Semites blame Israel for all the problems in the Middle East, and demand Israel give up more and more territory through never-ending negotiations with enemies sworn to their destruction. True anti-Semites are disgusted with how the United States �always backs Israel,� even though they�re the only democracy in the Middle East.
Giving someone the good news of the Gospel hardly qualifies as anti-Semitism. Since Jews are not called to proselytize, it�s easy to understand why they might view such conversations as intrusive meddling. In some cases it is, especially when Christians go way over the line and forget to include the �good news� of the gospel in their message.
Telling someone they�re going straight to hell if they don�t give up wine, women and song is no way to gain converts, and I�m certainly not defending misguided tactics. However, the next time you hear any Christian state that Jews must believe in Christ to be saved, try to remember that we have the best intentions. If we didn�t like you, we wouldn�t care where you spent eternity.
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