South Dakota’s Attack on the First Amendment
“Because Christianity is neither Romanism nor Judaism nor Islam, there is no need for the United States, a historically, if not currently, Christian nation, to be involved in the religious wars of the twenty-first century. But because of the influence of American citizens (and non-citizens) who are Jews, Catholics, and Dispensational Evangelicals, we are already involved. In fact, because of our foreign policy of interventionism developed in the twentieth century, and because of our more recent policy of pre-emptive war, the United States has become the primary target of militant Muslims worldwide. And not of Muslims only. Agents of both Israel and Rome are active in the United States, both gathering intelligence and influencing policy. The U. S. government is manipulated by foreign interests. Both Israel and the Vatican see the United States as their proxy in this religious war”[1] (emphasis mine).
Gov. Kristi Noem, a favorite of conservatives and a possible running mate for Donald Trump in 2024, recently signed a bill “requiring the consideration of the definition of antisemitism when investigating unfair or discriminatory practices.”
The bill, titled “An Act to require the consideration of the definition of antisemitism when investigating unfair or discriminatory practices,” reads,
In reviewing, investigating, or deciding whether an alleged violation of this chapter
is antisemitic, the Division of Human Rights must consider the definition of antisemitism.
For the purposes of this chapter, the term "antisemitism" has the same meaning as the
working definition of antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance
Alliance on May 26, 2016, including the contemporary examples of antisemitism identified therein.Nothing in this section may be construed to diminish or infringe upon any protected
right under U.S. Const., amend. I or S.D. Const., Art. VI, § 5, or to conflict with any
federal, state, or local discrimination law.
Pay special attention to the second paragraph. It notes, “Nothing in the section may be construed to diminish or infringe upon any protected right under U.S. Const., amend I….” This is typical of the double-speak of our time where it is almost a sure-fire guarantee that any statement by a politician, academic, or journalist almost certainly means the exact opposite of what it claims to mean. This bill is surely an attack on the First Amendment to insulate Jews and Israel from criticism.
To see what I mean, let’s consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s IIHRA) definition of antisemitism and the examples the IRHA provides. IHRA’s definition of antisemitism is:
Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.[2]
The IHRA published a number of “contemporary examples” of antisemitism in connection with the definition. I’m not going to consider all of them here but would like to highlight one in particular.
“Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.” This example makes the New Testament antisemitic. Now that Kristi Noem has signed the bill mentioned above, it implies that every church in South Dakota could be considered a hate group and charged under this law. For the New Testament clearly teaches that the Jews killed Jesus. Consider the following passages:
Matthew 27:24-25
When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children” (emphasis mine).
Note well that it’s not just the Jewish leaders who answered Pilate, saying, “His blood be on us and on our children,” but it was “all the people.”
John 8:39:40
“If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father” (emphasis mine).
This passage quotes Jesus teaching publicly in the temple in Jerusalem.
Acts 2:22-25
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death….” (emphasis mine).
These words, preached by Peter at Pentecost, prompted thousands of Jews to repent and come to faith in Christ.
Acts 7:51-53
“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it” (emphasis mine). Here, Stephen the deacon calls the council and the High Priest “betrayers and murders.”
In the first example from Acts, Peter was speaking to a crowd of Jewish laymen. The second example is Stephen addressing the council and the High Priest, that is, the Jewish leadership. Taken together, the leaders of the Jews and the Jewish people generally are held responsible for the murder of Jesus Christ.
Many more such examples can be found, to the point where proving that the New Testament charges the Jews with the murder of Jesus Christ is gratuitous.
Some may say, “What about Pilate and the Roman soldiers, did they have no guilt in the murder of Christ?” The short answer is, yes, they did. But as Jesus told Pilate, “the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin” (John 19:11). And Jesus prayed for the Roman soldiers who were crucifying him, asking, “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots” (Acts 23:34). The Roman soldiers were ignorant of the fact that they were crucifying the Son of God. The Jewish leaders and the people who called for Jesus’s crucifixion were not ignorant of the prophecies of his coming, of his miracles, or of his teaching. It was their knowledge that was the source of their greater sin.
What about you and I? As believers did we murder Christ? Yes, our sins hanged him on the cross. But through belief in him, we have been forgiven our sins and cleansed from all unrighteousness.
Jews and Christians both had a hand in the murder of Jesus Christ, but Christians have been forgiven by faith in Christ alone. On the other hand, Jews continue in their unbelief and their guilt remains upon them. But what is worse, Jewish groups attempt to use the law to silence critics who point out the role of Jews in the murder of Jesus Christ.
South Dakota’s new law essentially calls the New Testament antisemitic. And if you think this is going too far, consider that the European Jewish Congress has called for “new editions of the Bible and Koran to carry warning messages which highlight anti-Semitic passages in the holy texts.”[3]
There’s much more to say about South Dakota’s attack on the First Amendment. First, there’s the problem of Dispensationalism. Kristi Noem apparently was raised as a Dispensationalist. She said, “When I was growing up, my dad would always gather our family together and we would pray for Israel. It was instilled in me from a very young age that the Jews were Gods [sic] chosen people, that Israel was the Holy Land, and that we should always pray for them.”[4] But ethnic Jews are not God’s chosen people. Those who have faith in Jesus Christ, whatever their background, are God’s chosen people. Neither do American Christians have any special responsibility toward Israel. America has no dog in the Zionist wars in the Middle East. But American Dispensational Evangelicals are a major force in pushing this nation into war abroad and into attacking American liberties at home.
A second issue with South Dakota’s disastrous "Chosen People" law highlights the foolishness of putting women in positions of political power. John Knox had it right,
To promote a woman to bear rule, superiority, dominion, or empire above any realm, nation, or city, is repugnant to nature, contumelious to God, a thin most contrary to his revealed will and approved ordinance, and finally it is the subversion of good order, and of all equity and justice….[5]
As Kristi Noem is considered a serious contender as Donald Trump’s 2024 vice-presidential running mate, American Christians must take Knox’s warning seriously when considering how to vote this November.
Finally, Noem’s liberty-destroying legislation will not remain in South Dakota. In an interview on Fox News, Noem indicated that the bill “will be used as model legislation that will be used in every other state.”[6] In other words, this same legislation is coming to a state near you if Noem and her backers get their way.
Judaism is a dogmatic, medieval religion that seeks, as do Roman Catholicism and Islam, to use the power of the state to silence its critics and to impose conformity of opinion. It cannot brook disagreement. It is high time that Christians recognize this and repent of their superstitious and idolatrous Zionist teachings and practices.
[1] John W. Robbins, “The Religious Wars of the 21st Century,” The Trinity Review, August 2006, https://www.trinityfoundation.org/PDF/The%20Trinity%20Review%2000226%20258.pdf, accessed March 17, 2024.
[2] “Working definition of Antisemitism,” International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, accessed March 17, 2024.
[3] “Jewish leaders call for new editions of the Bible and the Koran to carry trigger warnings highlighting anti-Semitic passages” by James Wood, The Daily Mail, 11/23/2018, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6421233/Jewish-leaders-call-religious-texts-carry-warnings-highlighting-anti-Semitic-passages.html, accessed March 17, 2024.
[4] “Ensuring the Security of God’s Chosen People,” by Governor Kristi Noem, March 8, 2024, https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news_kb_article_view&sys_id=a2e998061b70c610b3b10d46624bcbd5, accessed 3/17/2024.
[5] John Knox, “The Place of Women,” The Trinity Review, August 1984, https://www.trinityfoundation.org/PDF/The%20Trinity%20Review%200036a%20ThePlaceofWomen.pdf, accessed March 17, 2024.
[6] Kristi Noem on X, 3/8/2024,
https://twitter.com/KristiNoem/status/1766122440814416267
, accessed March 17, 2024.