The Slaughter of the Innocents: Then and Now – Ron Dart

We reflect at this season of the liturgical year on both the birth of Jesus but also the immediate political implications of it: the slaughter of innocent children under two years of age by the Roman military. How many children were killed, and what type of soldier would do such a thing? Obviously, most Roman soldiers would not kill innocent children to appease Herod’s insecure ambitions – mercenaries or killers with no conscience. But, many were the innocent children killed in such a slaughter, and many a family lamenting the carnage.

The slaughter of the innocents has been well depicted and graphically illustrated in the history of art – anyone with a minimal conscience cannot but be appalled by the savagery of it. But, many are the innocents being killed in Gaza and the West Bank these days – much, much more than the Roman killing of innocent Jewish children. Now, it is the Jewish state-military killing multiple Palestinian children – a few facts, and there are many more I could highlight:

There are, at the present time, a combination of 28,000 deaths/missing Palestinian persons.

• 54,000 injured
• 65,000 housing units have been destroyed
• 92 schools and universities destroyed
• 115 mosques completely destroyed.

I could go on, in detail, describing the destruction of hospitals and health units, malnutrition increasing, familial ties shattered, and American military and diplomatic support ever pro-Israeli. The irony is this: the goal is to destroy Hamas, but the very barbaric and savage atrocities by Israel will midwife an even more committed Hamas and Muslim world in its animosity toward the Judeo-Christian West.

We should, rightly so, meditate on the slaughter of the innocents at the birth of Christ. But, we are living through a much greater and more brutal slaughter of the innocents at the present time – such crude and vindictive brutality makes the Roman killing of innocent children pale in comparison – then was tragic, now raises the meaning of barbarism to a new level.

What would a Jewish prophet speak to the Jewish people at such a time as this? Who are the Jewish and Christian prophets speaking such words of moral truth? What are the short and long-term implications of ignoring such words of pure truth, justice, and shalom?

La Lotta Continua
[continuous struggle]

Ron Dart