Luther, Hitler and the Jews
Christianity has struggled with the Jewish Question for a very long time. Only 70-80 years ago a Christian nation under a deeply pagan anti-Christian leadership sought to completely eliminate the Jews from the face of the earth.
It is legitimate to ask, "How did things get so bad?" One of the reasons (obviously the issue is far more complex than this) is a particular Christian anti-Jewish theology that was nurtured for centuries and in many ways was imported into Christianity through pre-Christian Greco-Roman authors. A major boost, however, was received through the writings of German reformer Martin Luther many centuries later. In one of his later works, when he was very upset with the German Jews for various reasons, he wrote the following:
What shall we Christians do with this rejected and condemned people, the Jews? … First to set fire to their synagogues or schools and to bury and cover with dirt whatever will not burn… Second, I advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed… Third, I advise that all their prayer books and Talmudic writings, in which such idolatry, lies, cursing and blasphemy are taught, be taken from them. Fourth, I advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach henceforth on pain of loss of life and limb… Fifth, I advise that safe conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews… (About the Jews and Their Lies by Martin Luther).
Adolf Hitler and those close to him believed that Christianity was a bastard child of Judaism. But Hitler's theologians used this text by Martin Luther to get many people and their leaders, at least on the Protestant side, to turn a blind eye and in many cases enthusiastically support the creation of the Jewish ghettos and work camps.
So what must we do today? The Jews and Gentiles in Christ must stand together to prevent any other holocausts from happening in our world and under our watch, among Jewish or any other people.
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