“Antisemitism was not uncommon in Germany back in Luther’s time”
Sure. I agree.
But to use the “everybody’s doing it” as a defense to Luther’s conduct and writings doesn’t work past kindergarten.
He was THE foul antisemite who set forth the plan for the extermination of the Jewish People in Europe that the Nazis followed.
I never defended him. He was VERY wrong when it came to the Jews. I was just stating that the guy was basically the product of his time and environment. Yes, he happened to be one of the more noxious poison pen types with his pamphlet. However, IMO the seed was basically planted before his was born. And Nazi anti-semitism was racial in character-Jews and people of Jewish descent were considered irredeemably inferior genetically. Whearas Luther, if I’m not mistaken, said that Jews who converted to Christianity should be treated like a brother. The Nazis killed Christians of Jewish descent. I like to think that Luther would have been shocked and ashamed if he knew of what the Nazis did.