FS My understanding is that Hitler received more resistance from Catholics than the fragmented Protestants. Hitler also saw the Catholics as more serious opponents than he did the fragmented Protestants. -- yes. In the south the Christian Democrat party opposed him.
But the problem for the Protestant churches in Germany stem historically from the 19th century in Prussia where the Prussian King who was a Calvinist ruling over largely Lutheran subjects forcibly united the two ("the Prussian union") -- now between C and L there are very serious differences, especially in the matter of the Holy Eucharist -- Lutherans believe that the Holy Eucharist has the True Presence of Christ, while Calvinists (depending on which Calvinists of course) don't quite agree with that
the net result was chaos and worse, government control that made the German unified Protestant churches into branches of the government
The net result was that religion was dictated by the government so the next step to "Aryan Christianity" was easy
To you, mass -- Martin Luther was a complex figure. you cannot call him a racist anti-Semite by any means -- what he was, was a guy who strongly believed in his powers of persuasion. he believed he could convert the Jews to his way of thinking (like he believed that he could convert Catholics) and he was angry when he failed.
THAT led to his strong, vile diatribes.
BUT, he had no issue with a Jew who converted -- to him a Jewish convert was a Christians.
I know it is belabouring a point, but it is a defining point -- the Nazis hated Jews for being born. Luther despised those who didn't come to his way of thinking -- but if they did, they were A-OK in his eyes. If you were a Jew and converted, in Luther's eyes, OK, in Hitler's, no dice....that's a big difference
Very good explanation!!
And this 'christian' finds them both somewhat amplified.
Have NONE of you guys posting here ever partaken of a Seder?
Each of the items on the menu are explained as they related to Judism (and still do). Our church does this yearly; but we STILL fall back on 'tradition' at LEAST 4 times a year (if not more) of having COMMUNION.
How does a little chunk of bread and a sip of wine (or grape juice) [or even WATER if you are a MORMON] equate to what we find in the NT??
1 Corinthians 11:34 (niv)
And when I come I will give further directions.
Ok Paul; what are they?
Yep!
Which is why a lot of us are here, and not in Germany.
the net result was chaos and worse, government control that made the German unified Protestant churches into branches of the government
Interesting. I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for providing the background.