The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #112434   Message #2385672
Posted By: Paul Burke
10-Jul-08 - 10:16 AM
Thread Name: Was 'Lord of the Dance' anti-semitic?
Subject: RE: Was 'Lord of the Dance' anti-semitic?
I believe that stanza of LotD presents an anti-Jewish belief if it says that ANY of the Jews OF THE DAY brought about the crucifixion of Jesus.

WILL YOU BLOODY LISTEN, GERRY?

Carter was NOT referring to any Jews at all- the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the mob, not any of the Jews. Nor was he talking about Romans. He was talking about HYPOCRITES. Of all nations, of all ethnicities, of all sexes (but especially clergymen), of all ages, of all epochs.

Carter himself probably took the Bible not as a historical record in any very important way, but as a largely METAPHORICAL record of the background and teachings of someone he respected. The historical "fact" of whether "Jesus" (if he existed) was executed by a,b or c is utterly irrelevant to LotD, which is a song about love and joy, not blame. Your boneheaded niggling about antisemitism is as stupid as the commissioner who recently reprimanded a colleague for referring to a "black hole"- which he said was a racist comment.