Posted on 07/07/2010 7:24:30 AM PDT by Petrosius
Pope Pius XII, the controversial wartime pontiff, may have saved thousands of Jews by secretly securing visas so they could escape Nazi Germany, a historian has claimed.
Pope Pius, who was labelled “Hitler’s Pope” because of his silence during the Holocaust, may have arranged the exodus of about 200,000 Jews from Germany just three weeks after Kristallnacht, when thousands of Jews were rounded up and sent to concentration camps.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Ah, Reggie, there you go again. I didn't say the root of antisemitism began with Luther and Calvin, I said the root of German antisemitism began with them. And I still assert it. Facts are stubborn things and you cannot blame the Catholic Church for the deeper and broader levels of Nazi antisemitism within the German Protestants than Catholics. The root for that most assuredly lies in their Protestantism.
Sadly for you facts are facts. The fact is German anti-semitism began in Germany long before the advent of Luther or Calvin.
The fact is this anti-semitism originated in the Catholic Church.
Early Anti-Semitism
Anti-semitism took root as early as third century B.C. when Jewish people first came into contact with the Hellenistic world. It has remained a constant, underlying hatred ever since. In the ancient world, writings depicted Jews in a cruel way, demeaning their character. This hatred was largely religious in motivation. The Jews were seen to have shunned their Messiah. They were the ones responsible for the death of Christ. For this reason, Christians regarded the Jews as a blight on the moral order of the world; a blemish that had to somehow be removed.
The Role of the Catholic Church
During the Middle Ages, the Church made hatred of the Jews part of its dogma. It was believed that every good Christian had a “sacred duty” to oppress the Jewish population. Christians must show hostility toward Jews. The same hostility displayed toward evil and the devil. Medieval Christians came to see Jews as agents of both. Christians believed that, because the Jews had rejected Christ, they were no longer the “Chosen People.” Christianity now superceded Judaism as the one true faith. Consequently, it was Church policy that the Jews needed to disappear. By disappear they did not mean extermination. It was much too early for that mindset to take shape, although massive pogroms did occur sporadically, wiping out entire Jewish communities. The Church desired conversion of the Jews as the only just course of action to rid the world of this blemish to the soul of the world. This was crucial. If Christianity was the one true faith, Judaism had to be discredited. John Chrysostom, an important Church father, stated that, “if the Jewish rites are holy and venerable, our way of life must be false.” The thought that the Jews might be in the right did not sit well with most Christians. It served to strengthen their fear, hatred, and resentment of the Jews.
Religious Anti-Semitism - Anti-Semitism in the Catholic Church
Reggie, show some self respect. You assert that anti-semitism originated in the Catholic Church and then the first sentence of your supporting argument claim that it began in the 3rd century BC. That would be laughable if it weren't so pathetic.
You attempt to offer further proof by citing an unknown author (Jonathan Moroschan) who graduated from an unknown school (Oakland University) who writes for an unknown website (suite101). It looks like you just did a google search and cut and pasted the first hit that said what you wanted it to say (did you graduate from Oakland University too?)
You still haven't explained why Protestant Germans were disproportionately antisemetic other than to feebly attempt to blame in on Bush the Catholic Church.
Arguments Against Judaism.
Chrysostom further argues at length in his writings that Judaism has been overcome and displaced by Christianity. He attempts to prove this by showing that the Jewish religion can not exist without a temple and sacrifice and a religious center in Jerusalem, and that none of the later religious institutions can fill the place of the ancient ones. Chrysostom derides the Patriarchs, who, he declares, were no priests, but gave themselves the appearance of such, and merely played their parts like actors. He adds: "The holy Ark, which the Jews now have in their synagogues, appears to be no better than any wooden box offered for sale in the market" (ib. vi. 7; ed. Migne, i. 614).
But he is not satisfied with the derision of all things sacred to the Jews. He tries to convince his hearers that it is the duty of all Christians to hate the Jews (ib. vi. 7; ed. Migne, i. 854), and declaresit a sin for Christians to treat them with respect. In spite of his hatred of the Jews and Judaism, Chrysostom—as, indeed, the whole Antiochian school in their Bible exegesis—shows a dependence upon the Haggadah, which at the time predominated among the Palestinian Jews. A few parallels with the Haggadists have been given by Weiss, but they could be easily increased; and even in instances not directly taken from the Haggadah, its influence can be noticed in the writings of Chrysostom.
CHRYSOSTOM - DUTY OF CHRISTIANS TO HATE JEWS
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That is, the Church admits and avows the Jewish people to be cursed, because after killing Christ they continue to till the ground of an earthly circumcision , an earthly Sabbath , an earthly passover, while the hidden strength or virtue of making known Christ, which this tilling contains, is not yielded to the Jews while they continue in impiety and unbelief, for it is revealed in the New Testament . While they will not turn to God , the veil which is on their minds in reading the Old Testament is not taken away.
AUGUSTINE ON THE "CURSED" JEWS
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You still haven't explained why Protestant Germans were disproportionately antisemetic other than to feebly attempt to blame in on Bush the Catholic Church.
I have not denied the culpability of Protestants for the rise of Nazism or anti-semitism. I have, however, posted proof after proof of shared Catholic culpability.
Are you constitutionally incapable of admitting this truth?
Millions of Catholics murdered... also because of Pope's anti-semitism I assume ?
“Second, perhaps the Pope and Catholic church could have resisted like the Protestants?”
Please compare resistance/involvement of Catholics/Protestants, that should be very interesting.
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