I did not know that Fr. Williamson said that about Jews dying in gas chambers. For an educated man to say something like that when we have eye witnesses and photo proof from American forces that liberated the camps is utter nonsense. And ignorant. I can see why honest people may conclude he has another agenda.
The book my father is reading is "An Imperfect God, George Washington, His Slaves and the Creation of America" by Henry Wiencek, which discusses the questions of the true number of Africans brought over here. It is an interesting puzzle
Similarly, I have heard some authentic historians saying that the number of victims in the Holocaust has been estimated too high. And being attacked by people who refused to even discuss numbers as if that would be to dishonor the victims. That was what my question was about. But it may have been misplaced with regard to this priest
For this Fr. Williamson seems to be a man not interested in an accurate accounting for the history books but to make some kind of political statement. Sad for a Catholic priest.
Well, Williamson doesn’t dispute that Jews were killed in concentration camps, of which we have ample evidence. He disputes whether they were specifically gassed as the method of execution. He also disputes the overall six million number.
I would agree that it is a toehold question: in itself legitimate, possibly innocent, but asked in order to minimize the undisputed grievance that the Jews have.
You wrote:
“For this Fr. Williamson seems to be a man not interested in an accurate accounting for the history books but to make some kind of political statement. Sad for a Catholic priest.”
I agree with you. Something is wrong with the man.