Sadly, it has been, and continues to be, quite common for Christians to demonize others, and they do so to justify hate, and with it, the sinful actions which flow from such hate. For example, many demonize non-Christians, and once they do so, they deny non-Christians the love and respect they should be given. Others become political, and embrace nationalism, so much so, they declare anyone who is not their nationality as inferior, if not their enemies, even fellow Christians. Historically, we see both were at play when the Jews were demonized, turned into scapegoats, rounded up, tortured, and killed. Today, many Christians in the United States are doing something very similar to those born in Arab countries (Muslims and Christians alike). This kind of demonization not only is morally wrong, not only something which should be obvious without need of any religious affiliation, it goes against the express teachings of Christ. Jesus said Christians should bo be known by their love. While not dealing with the issue of antisemitism itself, the spiritual elder John (from Barsanuphius and John fame) told someone who asked if it were permissible to use a wine press owned by a Jew that it certainly was fine:
If, when God sends rain, it rains in your field but not in that of the Jew, then do not press his wine. If, however, God is kind and loving to all and sends rain on the just as well as upon the unjust, then why do you prefer to be inhumane rather than compassionate; for he says: “Be merciful, even as your Father in heaven is merciful.”[1]
While the premise of the question was wrong, and John could have and should have addressed it, he probably did not because he was probably influenced by antisemitism himself. Nonetheless, we can find value in John’s response, as it went beyond the antisemitism which he accepted. Of course we can use a Jew’s wine press. Why couldn’t we? But the answer to this question is dealing with a presupposition many Christians have, that is, they believe they should not associate with known sinners, that they should keep their distance from them because if they did not, they would be defiled by those sinners and their sin. John is rejecting that presupposition, at least to some degree. If we paid attention to the Gospels, the answer should be obvious, as Jesus constantly removed those barriers throughout his ministry; he constantly engaged those society shamed, those who were demonized, and indeed, sometimes with those who really were sinner. He explained why it was right and just for him to do so: both because the sin (sinners) need a doctor, but also because God’s love is for everyone. He was not defiled by his contact with them, rather, they were aided by his love and respect. John, however, responded to his questioner, by using a different quote from Jesus said: God sends rain to everyone, the just and unjust alike (cf. Matt. 5:45). God is compassionate and loves everyone, and God certainly is not tainted by such association. Jesus, despite what his critics claimed, was not tainted by his association with sinners either. And we certainly would not be, if we engage them, work with them, and even use the gifts which they are willing to share with us: indeed, they show themselves following what is good and just more than those who would avoid contact with them when they are willing to share their gifts with others. Thus, if we would do as Jesus told us to do, what Jesus showed us by his own example, we would follow God, seeing everyone as our neighbor to be loved: “When God’s kenotic love overcomes us, we realize that everyone is our neighbor.”[2]
The Gospels reveal to us that the way to overcome evil, the only way to truly conquer it, is by the path of love. When we treat with love, they will more likely respond to that love in a positive fashion, making them better, than they would to our hate. After all, when people love us, showing kindness and mercy to us, we are more likely to react positively to them, accept that love, and be made better by it. Similarly, if others treat us with contempt, if they are hostile towards us, we will likely reflect that hostility back at them. Love brings people together, while hostility causes more hostility, having people end up further and further away from each other. As sin seeks to divide up the world so as to destroy it, love works to overcome the destructive power of sin and have us seek unity with everyone else. This is why love can and will overcome sin, for it is through love, the divisions established by hate, can be overcome. Jesus demonstrated the truth of this by responding to the hostility he received with love, taking the abuse which hate promotes to the limit, showing, indeed, it has a limit, while love does not, which is why love is greater than sin:
But we shall respond briefly in this way: evils were erased not by the wickedness of the murderers but by the virtue of the Messiah in suffering evils. For this reason, the love and power in Christ’s suffering was greater than the hatred and vice in everyone’s wrongdoings, and the life of the one Christ was more worthy than everyone else’s lives. Therefore, when He gave up His life for everyone, He made a satisfaction that was far more than satisfactory: one can make satisfaction for another. We see this done every day in civil matters: for satisfaction rests in outside acts; for these, both bonds and friends can be employed. But since penance consists in an internal act of the mind and will, it depends on the very person who sinned. Therefore, as it is necessary that every sinner give penance for their crimes, only in this way was it that the Messiah made satisfaction for everyone. [3]
Christ looked upon those who crucified him with love and mercy. Try as they might, they could not undermine his love for them. He verbally forgave them even as he was dying. Indeed, he let himself be taken upon the cross and take on the sins of the world to present to us the extent of God’s love. But in doing so, he also showed us the way to overcome the cycle of hate by embracing, with and through him, his love for all.
Christians should become like Christ. They must not demonize others; when tempted, they must resist such demonization. Like Christ, they should do what they can to end such hate in the world. Demonization happens when groups are unjustly criticized, when they are accused of things they have not done, and that hate is used to justify mistreating them once that demonization is accepted as fact. We see this in the way the Jews have been mistreated by Christians (with all kinds of horrible legends and myths used to excuse and promote such hate), in the way Christians treat Muslims today (often repeating myths and legends previously used against the Jews), and in the way Christian nationalists attack all migrants, all those born on foreign ground, trying to have them all identified as criminals in order to justify governmental abuse of such foreign-born people. Demonization, and the results it brings, differs from an honest examination of verifiable facts, because demonization uses rumors and gossip to make generalized conclusions, having innocents identified by the few who have caused problems. Christians, instead, must promote justice, and so examine the world around them, find out where systemic injustices exist, and work to overturn them. The facts have to be properly presented, and the interpretation of those facts have to be justified. Then, society can and should work for justice, but Christians need to remind societies, engaging such injustices, that the best way to do so is with love, granting mercy to those who need mercy, helping those who need help, while making sure those who have benefited from or embraced such injustices make some sort of restitution, so that those who have been unjustly harmed can be healed.
[1] Barsanuphius and John, Letters. Volume 2. Trans. John Chryssavgis (Washington, DC: CUA Press, 2007), 242 [Letter 686; Response from John].
[2] George Maloney, SJ, God’s Exploding Love (New York: Alba House. 1987), 135.
[3] Marsilio Ficino, On the Christian Religion. Trans. Dan Attrell, Brett Bartlett, and David Porreca (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2022), 187.
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