When Secular Academics Are Born Again

A conversation with an old friend

If you haven’t subscribed to my new Arc podcast yet (on Apple or Spotify or YouTube), now’s a great time, because the most recent episode is with Molly Worthen, historian at the University of North Carolina, author of the new book about charisma Spellbound, and, as of a couple years ago, follower of Jesus Christ. A good deal of our conversation has to do with her religious conversion—perhaps too much, given that she has a terrific new book to hawk. But she is an old friend, I knew her when, and it’s interesting material. I think it'll be worth the hour and forty minutes out of your life.

And while I have you, is there anyone you think I should interview for the pod?

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Is Israel to blame for antisemitism?

Last week, after the murder of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim in Washington, D.C., I was quoted by Time magazine talking about antisemitism, where it comes from, and what to do with it. The reporter did a good job, and you can read that piece here. My quotations were pretty anodyne, but they got under the skin of one reader—let’s call him “Owen,” a name I have never liked much—who wrote me the following:

Hi Mark,

A few months ago, my wife and I were chatting with a neighbor, M--, who retired as a professor from a large university in the Northeast.

A secular Christian, Dr. M-- stated that if Israel didn't let up on bombing innocent Gazans, she would change her attitude about Jews.

It is foolish, Mark, to look away from the fact that Israel's conduct in the war turns people against Jews everywhere. It is the fourth "key reason".

Yours,

Owen

Now, one never likes to hear from a reader that one is “foolish.” Nevertheless, I sometimes am foolish, and I try to be self-reflective about my mistakes. So I reflected—and ultimately decided Owen is writing balderdash. I wrote back:

Dear Owen:

It seems to me that anyone who says, “If such-and-such happens, I will like Jews less” is already an antisemite, no? Try the logic with any other group: “If Haiti doesn't pull its act together, I'll think less of black people.” “If China doesn't end its cruel repression of a billion people, I'll think less of my Chinese neighbor next door.” The kind of person who says such things is already lost.

Regards,

Mark

Owen was neither mollified nor persuaded. He wrote back:

Changing the subject is not an argument.

This made no sense to me, so I wrote back:

I fear you didn't get my point, which is that only somebody already disposed to bigotry says things like, “If such and such happens, I will like the Jews [or any other group] less.” Thoughtful, open-minded people don't adjust their views of whole religious or ethnic groups up or down. Or, to put it more simply: Dr. M is already an antisemite, the same way that anyone who talks about “changing their attitude” about blacks is already a racist. We can't save Dr. M., and I would not waste time worrying what Dr. M thinks about me.

Owen was still not persuaded. He wrote back:

Hi Mark,

You purposely ignored my point, “It is foolish, Mark, to look away from the fact that Israel's conduct in the war turns people against Jews everywhere. It is the fourth ‘key reason.’”

As for Dr. M’s statement, it was included solely to help illustrate mine. Your response—attacking her—is a variation of ad hominem. Your sophistry may succeed in the classroom or at home, but it doesn't travel well.

Nonetheless, I appreciate your willingness to engage.

Yours,

Owen

At this point, I should have gone to re-watch an episode of Entourage or the under-appreciated Will Arnett dramedy Flaked (trust me on this recommendation). Our hours on earth are finite. But I had one more go: