By A. Dru Kristenev ——Bio and Archives--September 27, 2024

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In answer to two different but converging arguments from religious groups taking stands either against Donald Trump or abstaining from voting in the presidential election are the following reflections.

Some of the issues covered were raised in Dr. Peter Navarro’s interview with Dr. Naomi Wolf that was conducted September 25, 2024.

Full disclosure is necessary as what comes next may distress or offend some from both Jewish and Christian camps but, frankly, uncritical adherence to traditions is a major stumbling block, whether it’s religious, cultural, political, or fear based. I am a Jew whose family escaped the pogroms of Byelorussia and Ukraine in 1880 to come to America. Yes, I am now Christian, but that does not excise my Jewish roots or understanding the Jewish heritage of fighting to keep our unique identity alive in a world rife with historic, deadly persecution.

Please note that the following things have been specifically said by Trump at rallies – which, as a political observer, requires my attention and can verify – but are not reported by mainstream media and, unfortunately, will not be:

Of importance is how Trump has stated many times over that his administration encourages participation of all religions, creeds, concerns, ethnicities, and races (the last two are not interchangeable). He’s been known to say of Americans, “We all bleed red, white and blue.” And, yes, he claims God saved his life in recent assassination attempts. He and the Christians who cheer his recognition of God’s intercession know that God is the same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel). The divide between Jews and Christians enters in where Christians believe the Messiah has come – Jesus – and Jews await Messiah, or, as my father’s Reform rabbi said, the Messianic age.

Within the grouping of Jews are those who are secular, holding onto their heritage as a people defined by culture, tradition, ancient language, and, in some cases, bloodlines, being able to trace their families back generations, even centuries. My own family has many members who recognize their Jewish lineage but not the religion, faith not being a part of their lives. In this, they recall the millennia of isolation and........

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