Harvard Christian Journal Apologizes for Essay Claiming Jews Deserve God’s Wrath for Killing Jesus

The editor of The Harvard Ichthus, a student-run “journal of Christian thought,” has apologized after the site posted an article from an anonymous Jewish convert to Christianity. “We, the Jews, collectively rejected God and hung Him up on a cross to die,” the now-deleted post read, “and thus we deserved the punishments that were heaped on our heads over the last 2000 years.”

Harvard senior Aaron Gyde published the apology Saturday after a backlash that accused the group of promoting anti-Semitism. “We apologize for inadequate editorial oversight in the publishing and re-publishing of this blog post,” Gyde wrote, adding, “It was not the intent of the writer, nor the Ichthus, to present a piece that is anti-Semitic in nature or in interpretation.”

The author of the post, who chose to remain anonymous, told the Boston Globe, “What would I take back or change? I would emphasize more fully that it would not be justified for a Christian to persecute Jews.”

Robert Trestan, New England regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, criticized the essay. “This is a misunderstanding and misreading of history and is offensive to Jews,” he said, “and I would imagine it should be offensive to people of other faiths as well.”

While a Harvard spokesman said the university does not specifically endorse the views of any of its student groups, the Harvard Ichthus is one of many that received funding from the school’s student government.

[photo via screengrab]

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