Hitler's Aides

How Christian teachings about Jews helped pave the road to the Holocaust.

After celebrating their liberation from the ancient Egyptian yoke, Jews mark Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. The date was chosen to commemorate the revolt at the Warsaw Ghetto, an event in which a handful of Jews dared confront the all-powerful pharaoh. But the story of our brothers in the ghetto did not have a happy ending; the Red Sea did not open so that the pursued could escape, nor were their enemies smitten by divine hand. Instead, the few survivors from the hell that was the ghetto ended their lives in the vortex of death that was Treblinka.

The Warsaw Ghetto was one of the many ghettos the Germans established in various European cities. The ghettos were created with the sole purpose of keeping the Jewish population locked in to prevent them from having contact with their Christian neighbors. The Germans forced hundreds of hundreds of thousands of Jews to live packed in these places that would have normally held a tenth of the population.

The Jews from the ghetto, as well as those that still lived “free” in other cities, were forced to sew a yellow Star of David on their clothes so that the Christians could clearly identify them. The draconian anti-Jewish laws the Germans promulgated in 1935, followed by similar ones in Italy in 1938 and then in France, Slovakia, Hungary and other countries, prevented the Jews from socializing with Christians, holding public office or academic positions, working in professions such as law or medicine, as well as many other restrictions, including loss of citizenship. These laws constituted grave human rights violations and were the first steps in a gradual process of dehumanization of the Jews that made the subsequent genocide possible.

Where did the Germans get all these ideas? Which Machiavellian functionary thought of this? When the Nazis came to power in 1933 they discovered they did not need to invent almost anything in their persecution of the Jews, because the Catholic Church had invented practically everything hundreds of years before.

When Hitler came to power, he found that the population already deeply hated Jews.

The yellow badge in the garments, the prohibition to hold public office, the prohibition to have Christian employees, the burning of the Talmud, the prohibition of living next to Christians, the prohibition from belonging to guilds or work in industry, the ghettos, all these violations to basic human rights of Jews that we associate with the legislation of the Nazi tyranny was promulgated by the Catholic Church between 400 and 700 years before the Nazis. During almost two millennia Christians were taught that Christianity had replaced Judaism, and that Jews were evil, bent on the destruction of Christianity and that they were killers of Jesus.

So we should not be very surprised that when Hitler came to power, he found that the population already deeply hated Jews. That hatred had been planted and cultivated by Christianity since practically the beginning of the Christian movement in the first century of the Common Era. A verbal hatred that began as an intra-Jewish fraternal fight, with time and the distancing of the Early Christians from mainstream Judaism (as Christianity gained traction among the pagan peoples of the Roman Empire) it transformed itself in violent, visceral and irrational hatred.

The Christian movement accused Jews of killing Jesus and of rejecting his messianic mission. As a consequence, the Early Christians developed the concept of supersessionism in which Judaism was relegated to second plane as Christianity was replacing it. Christians believed at this time that God considered Christians the “New Israel” and the new “Chosen People.” They began calling the Christian Bible the “New” Testament and the Hebrew Bible the “Old” Testament, once again suggesting that the Jewish religion had become superfluous.

Despite oppression and hardship, the Jews did not disappear. This tenaciousness to survive and their continued refusal to accept Jesus as the Messiah led to an increase of Christian hatred toward Jews. The Church Fathers, whose writings make up the foundation of Christianity as we know it today, wrote about Jews in manner comparable to the Nazis. As St. Ambrose, known as the “Bishop with the Golden Tongue” said in 374 CE,

“The Jews are the most worthless of all men. They are lecherous, greedy, rapacious. They are perfidious murderers of Christ. They worship the Devil. Their religion is a sickness. The Jews are the odious assassins of Christ and for killing God there is no expiation possible, no indulgence or pardon. Christians may never cease vengeance, and the Jew must live in servitude forever. God always hated the Jews. It is essential that all Christians hate them.”1

Saint John Chrysostom, bishop of Antioch, was not that much better just a few years later:

“Where Christ-killers gather, the cross is ridiculed, God blasphemed, the father unacknowledged, the son insulted, the grace of the Spirit rejected. . . .If the Jewish rites are holy and venerable, our way of life must be false. But if our way is true, as indeed it is, theirs is fraudulent. I am not speaking of the Scriptures. Far from it!.. I am speaking of their present impiety and madness.”2

During the Middle Ages Christians began associating Jews with the Devil. This association was a natural one to make for a population already used to reading in the Gospels sentences like, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire.” Christian thinkers asked themselves what kind of creature would reject the truth and kill God, and concluded that only an inhuman agent of Satan could act that way. The descending spiral led many European Christians, most of whom had never even seen a Jew, to form a fantastic conception of them that had no basis in reality.

The Enlightenment transformed the Christian theological anti-Judaism into something modern, secular and pseudo-scientific.

The French Revolution brought about the Emancipation of the Jews, who quickly left the ghettos and in large part assimilated to the Christian population of the cities to which they moved. The Enlightenment transformed the Christian theological anti-Judaism into something modern, secular and pseudo-scientific, sine qua non prerequisites for a population that was rapidly adopting a modern worldview detached from the yoke of their religion. It’s in these cultural surroundings that anti-Semitism was transformed into something racial, and it’s in the 19th and 20th centuries that the old accusations of deicide, of poisoning wells, of bringing about the Black Death, of killing Christian boys to extract their blood to make matzah and many other baseless accusations were transformed into modern accusations in which Jews were blamed for Germany losing WWI, of creating and fomenting revolutions, of modernism, of Capitalism, of Communism, of inflation, of unemployment, and many more.

The Nazis inherited this conception of the Jew. Hitler was raised as a Catholic and imbibed the traditional anti-Jewish teachings in Christianity, and he took maximum advantage of them to promote his agenda. As he told two German Catholic bishops in 1933:

“The Catholic Church considered the Jews pestilent for fifteen hundred years, put them into ghettos, etc., because it recognized the Jews for what they were. . . . I am moving back toward the time in which a fifteen-hundred-year-long tradition was implemented. . . . I recognize the representatives of this race as pestilent for the state and for the church and perhaps I am thereby doing Christianity a great service for pushing them out of schools and public functions.”3

***

A Note from the Author: Antisemitism in Christianity and its role in the Holocaust

Thank you all for your comments. One important point to keep in mind is that this article does not describe modern Christians or Christianity. The focus of the article (and the book) is on the history of Christianity leading up to the Holocaust, particularly as it was in Europe. The Catholic Church convened the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s and among other things officially lifted the Christian accusation of deicide. But for those Christian readers who were raised after 1965, you should know that prior to that Christianity taught that Jews were Christ-killers, and that all the Jews of Jesus’ time, and for all time, were guilty of his death: ‘Let his blood be on us and on our children!’ (Matthew 27: 24-25). This brought untold misery on Jews during centuries of persecution. Christians were incensed by passion plays and Good Friday liturgy and went out on murderous rampages. The negative teachings about Jews were pervasive, starting with the New Testament (just the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles contain 450 antisemitic verses, an average of two per page!) and including the writings of the Church Fathers, Martin Luther and other Christian thinkers and theologians. Priests everywhere in Europe routinely disparaged the Jews through the centuries in their sermons, even during the Nazi era.

In other words, there’s a sad history wich runs deep and for a long time. Many of the perpetrators of the Holocaust saw first hand, or heard from their parents or grandparents about the ghettos the Church had instituted not in the name of Hitler but in the name of Jesus. Think about it: the walls of the Roman ghetto, literally across the Tiber from the Vatican, were destroyed for the last time in 1870!

Most Christians today do not harbor this hatred toward Jews. Many Christians helped Jews during WWII, but as good as that was, unfortunately it was a tiny drop in a giant ocean of violence toward Jews from other Christians. Many Christians today, particularly in the US, are friends of the Jews and of Israel. This is a good thing. It is my hope that through healthy discussion like this one, and through education about history as I tried to convey in my book Six Million Crucifixions, further links will be forged, and pre-existing ones will be strenghtened. Even with the great progress of Vatican II and its subsequent teachings, there’s still work to do to completely eliminate antisemitism from Christianity.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 79

(77)
Andrea,
June 14, 2013 12:39 AM

The "Goodness on the Part of the Church"

The Church's goodness of which you speak has been absent throughout history vis-a-vis the Jews and Judaism. To state the case more accurately, the Church's positions concerning the Jewish People have been, until only very recently, malevolent.

(76)
Michael,
June 10, 2013 5:11 PM

Thank you

Thank you for the great article and tireless research. As a Catholic Christian, I found it gut wrenching, and I am abhorred and deeply ashamed of my church's actions in the past. What can be taken from this should be a lesson in evil, in churches, governments, and institutions, and a determination to expose it and stamp it out whenever or wherever it occurs; lest we repeat the past. G-d has made many, many promises to the Jewish people, and He keeps his promises. Replacement theology is a fraud, period, and I think there will be many surprises on judgment day. It's not a man's name, title or pedigree that matters, it's what's in his heart that does.

Mary philippus,
December 23, 2013 7:40 AM

Amen

Amen. A fellow Catholic who loves aish.com

(75)
Anon,
June 9, 2013 10:44 PM

Catholic/Christian antisemitismis alive and well

There are many many good people who aren't capable of blind hatred, nor of causing injury to strangers because of the teachings of their faith. But they are sadly not in the majority. Europe's Jews are in grave, real danger, not just from Muslems, nor would they be from them if Christians weren't complicit in the current resurgence of active antisemitism. And in America, any neighborhood with Catholics, esp first or second generation immigrant populations from anywhere, and certainly many Protestant populations are raised on hatred of Jews, Try walking through a neighborhood being visibly Jewish, and try being a Jew in public school or at work away from cosmopolitan centers. Many Americans won't commit violent crimes as adults but their children through adolescence will bully and mock Jews . Many adults will eschew violence but will never hire a Jew or socialize with one. Others simply believe that Jews are greedy cheap, pushy rude and generally not made of the same stuff humanity is made of. This has been my experience, and I was brought up to be accepting of all people, not to dislike Christians. I try but it is hard to trust and love people who don't see you as quite human.

wamae,
June 11, 2013 8:20 PM

True

shocking statistic: 450 antisemitic passages in Christian bible! How can such a hate mongering text be tolerated in this day and age?

(74)
John Kervin,
June 9, 2013 8:48 PM

Quite the gong show

Reading through a lot of comments, where people want to remain anonymous, and then claim that tis group is the bad guys - they did this, no - it's that group over there.

If I thought for one moment that those "Anonymous" posters professing their "Correctness" and that some church is guilty because of something said or done 1500 years ago, I'm left shaking my head thinking - why bother?

Then I remember in my "Old Testament" a covenant between God and Abraham; and God is speaking something to the effect of Who ever blesses you, I will bless, whoever curses you , I will curse.That in itself lays it out rather simply. Why would anyone want to heap up curses against themselves?

And lastly, some of the above comments display a great deal of arrogance, both from those professing to be Christian, and those professing to be Jewish.

IT leaves me wondering, what in all this - glorifies God? What is in His heart towards all of us believers, whether we are Jewish, or Christian?

(73)
Br Graham-Michoel,
June 9, 2013 6:25 PM

Christian Church v Judaism

I find it very difficult to read much of the articles concerning the misdeeds of the Church through the ages, and in particular the way it has treated the Jewish people. My difficulty is not with the truth, so clearly provided by writers such as Gabriel Wilensky, but with the fact that almost all of the goodness on the part of the Church that, time and again, came out of these black spots of history is ignored.

(72)
Rod,
February 8, 2011 7:46 PM

Let's not today be decieved by Hitler and his people as the people of his time were. Hitler was no christian. He was definitively not religious, and if anything, his half baked ideology was rather pagan. He just used any means he could to gain the power he craved.
It is true that martin Luther and other christians have been rabid anti-semites, but the true christian is not. There are depraved, greedy, power-hungry and criminals in all races and ethnic groups. Let's be careful not to continue to promote hatred of any kind. It will never do.

(71)
Hubert Thomas/SRI LANKA,
June 16, 2010 10:15 AM

Not all German Christians hated the precious Jews

I had the opportunity to spend three wonderful months with a German Christian family in NeuMuenster about 30 years ago. Otto Ruehling and his wife Lydia took me around many places-specially Schleshwig Holstein. Otto Ruehling's father had been a mayor in a city or town and they had helped save many Jews. He showed me a place near their former home where they had placed grave markers of Jews who were killed - to give them a place of remembrance. I do not remember the name of the city - but I very well remember they had arranged for a girl in a Dutch costume to explain the sights of the places in English to me -therefore the city or town must have been close to the Dutch border. (it had an old mint and the brick building was slanted in order to draw stuff from the road to the attic, also one street had houses with cannon balls stuck on the walls to remind them of some old day war). I am writing all this to say that even in the middle of hatred in Germany - there were Chistians who showed the love of Christ at the risk of their safety. Otto and Lydia Ruehling still live in Neumuenster. I visited Israel with my wife Kaushal about 4 years ago and we were taken to Yad Vashem and a place called the "Avenue of the Reighteous" where trees are planted in remembrance of those who helped the Jewish people during the war - I thought to myself Otto's name should be mentioned here - it is certainly NOT - because I beleive no one knows the deeds done by him and his family. Many who have been kind and helpful will remain silent, knowing they have fulfilled Christ's calling to love one another as He has loved us. Their reward is from Jesus who loves the precious Jewish people and those of other nations. I am a Chistian from Sri Lanka who beleives the Old Testament and
the New Testament. There are many thing from Jewish customs which help me to undestand the Bible better- like the tassles in the shawl (called wings in the Jewish sense)

(70)
Bill,
June 6, 2010 3:02 PM

I believe St. John Chrysostom is called "The Golden Tongue" not St Ambrose.As a former Orthodox Christian in the Greek Church
I sat through many liturgies named after him, and fully aware of his hatred for the Jews, I had to listen to these accusations many times during Holy Week, I could no longer continuing to do so.
I have always been an admirer of the Jews and their faith, it is a subject that perplexes me to no end, why they draw so much hate? Please remember that their are good Christians who truly love the Jews and Israel, I believe they are the informed ones, and also their are many uninformed Jews who could care less about their faith and tradition, my
brother in law is one, I find that sad that a Jew has a unique heritage to preserve and defend and could care less.

(69)
Jack,
June 3, 2010 5:43 PM

Taking their faith seriously

What I have found is that the Christians who seem to take their faith seriously don't necessarily listen to their various church fathers from throughout history. They seem to adhere to their New Testament and our Tenach.
I mean I could be wrong but that has been my experience up-to-now. And if we judge them by a few bad apples instead of the vast majority of them, then we are giving everybody else the right to judge us by a few bad apples among us, like Bernie Madoff, the Stern Gang, Rahm Emanuel or David Berkowitz. There are quite a few others but those are the ones that appear off the top of my head.
But just the same these people DO NOT represent us, they are just abberations to what our Scripture teach us just like those who murdered us and persecuted us in the name of Christ were either illiterate and couldn't read their own New Testament or they really did not bother to study it. If they had studied their holy book the New Testament, then they would have not only not persecuted us but much more they would have done everything in their power to save us from the likes of Hitler or Torquemada or Josef Stalin or some of the others through out history.

(68)
Anonymous,
May 18, 2010 5:26 PM

Who are Israel's biggest supporters?

As #64 states the protestants are the biggest supporters of Israel. If that was the case where were they during the holocaust? Where were they when the going gets rough with the Jewish people? Israel has existed for what 3000 years? And it's just recently, the last few decades that Evangelicals are fighting for the rights of Israel. Was it the christians trying to get the temple rebuilt after it was destroyed in 70 c.e.? Where were they then? Running around speaking against the Jewish faith and trying to get Jews to convert to christianity. Of course it's obvious Israel will be successful this time. What if it was doomed to fail? Where would you put your fight then? Just call the U.S. the New Jerusalem. Or Jerusalem in FL. We do not know who our friends are in times of prosperty. Everyone wants to be friends with the successful ones. It's during the bad times when you know who truly are your friends. A true friend will stick closier than a brother. The strongest supporters for Israel are the Jewish people. The strongest supporters of Israel, are the people that live there. What is the motive for a christian to support Israel? Is it because they think JC will return there? Is it because they want to make Jerusalem a christian place? They want Israel to be Christian? If someone was truly christian devoted to JC they wouldn't even want to study another religion that doesn't include him in the picture. Whether the author of the book is Jewish or not, he brings us the history of the church, how both churches has treated the Jewish people in history. You won't find this truth in your church history books. I've studied church history, it leaves out the cold facts. Protestants are quick to point a finger at the catholic church; when the finger can be pointed right back to them. In all actual facts a finger is pointed to both. Protestants has no right to think they are holier then catholic when it concerns the Jews. Both in history are guilty!

(67)
lisa,
May 17, 2010 5:02 AM

They Still Believe Jews Killed J - It's their rallying Call

My Polish mom told me that this refrain uttered over and over, that Jews killed their xtian g-d, is why they murdered with no remorse. It was brainwashed into them with repeatedly chanting this so they just hated all Jews and were in a ready to murder mode.

(66)
,
April 30, 2010 5:43 PM

ChaverRicardo, you are missing the point. When victims ARE victims - ''it is what it is'' - the Jews do not have to create ''a culture of victimhood''. There are many Jews AND gentile christians and non-christians who do not know these facts. This knowledge can now assist the formerly ignorant what pitfalls to avoid in the future and eradicate lack of knowledge and lies and foster better relationships. There are STILL christians out there who are MISINFORMED. NO! Hitler's persecution of christians and Jews had NO equity. Return to your history and read a bit more carefully. SEE, you DO need these articles from AISH which you now bash - be FULLY, TRUTHFULLY informed. Shalom !

(65)
Anonymous,
April 30, 2010 11:31 AM

Christianity is Guilty of the worst kind of anti-Semitism

In the post Second Vatican Council Christianity it may be easy for non-observant and secularizing Jews to believe that Christianity has changed its traditional, historic and theological views concerning Jews and Judaism. But the truth remains that Christianity is founded on the belief that the church has absolutely superseded Judaism -- that the church is the New Israel, yes even the spiritual (read real, genuine) Israel. And what is the source and authority for this core Christian belief? It is the Christian Bible (the New Testament) -- which is nothing but a vile and vulgar propaganda against the Jews, Judaism and the Torah. Christianity is a culture and it is a culture of hatred towards the Jews. Israel should never forget this. I am Filipino, a long-time Christian until I was enlightened by my own suspicion that Christians are fundamentally pagan and that like Islam Christianity is a sham. In Filipino culture to be called a Jew (Hudyo) is equivalent to being named names. In fact, the Filipino word "nanunudyo" which means mocking or insinuating in a particularly vicious kind, is derived from the word Hudyo. People who are non-observant of the Lent are called Hudyo. It will take several generations before this kind of vile anti-semitism is erased and for my part, I have started educating my son, my wife, my relatives, friends of the vulgarity of such language. And being a Noachide now, it is one of my duty to defend the dignity of the Jewish people and this duty stems directly from my recognizing the Torah as divine and authoritative.

(64)
Anonymous,
April 29, 2010 2:34 AM

Evangelical Christians

Be careful of painting Christians with a broad brush. Some of the strongest supporters of Israel today are Evangelical Christians who sympathize with the plight of the Jews and support the nationhood of Israel. If you are jewish be sure to know that some of your best friends come from protestant evangelical christian churches, especially those in the midwest of the United States.

(63)
Anonymous,
April 15, 2010 9:54 PM

It's not hate but information

Downloaded the book last night. Thank you Aish for having this article, and thank you Gabriel for offering this free download of your book. I pray I will never be forgetful of what the Lord had taught me when he lead me to different places to teach me, now I have it in writing the very things the Lord had taught me, and I can refer back to it and it will trigger my rememberance of my own experiences I have had. This book is about wisdom of truth, so it won't happen again. It's the truth, so we can reckon any current events that could be similar to the beginning stages of a full blown antisemitism and this time stop it in their tracks before it happens again. I take no offense in this book, it is very helpful, informative, to let us know what love is not, so to be able to walk the walk in righteousness. Many people today have been hurt by the church, and they are now not the Jewish people. Out of 400 people I work with, 350 of them use to be church-goers and only 30 people are regular attendees Roughing those figures. Protestant churches could relate to the Jews more than the Catholic churches. It was the Protestant churches that have been fleeing from the control of the High office of the Pope for the last 500 years. If I was to tell you that the Catholic church plans to kill all Protestants if they didn't re-join the Catholic church, because the Protestant church is hindering the power of the Vatican, how would you feel? Forced to go to confession and pray to saints, everything your faith doesn't go by. Then you can be in solidarity with what the Jews have gone through since christianity has existed. I think you can relate! Will the christians be given the test again to see if they will pass it this time? Or remain silent? The church is in fear charges will be brought against them for the Holocaust, there is enough proof for this to happen. It's just what needs to occur for antisemitic to cease. To see the consequences of those who caused it.

(62)
ChaverRicardo,
April 15, 2010 7:41 PM

This kind of thing doesnt help

I read a lot of Israeli/Jewish news articles, and there seems to be a lot of these kinds of articles geared towards a culture of victimhood. Does that really help things? Doesn't it just over-simplify the situation into making the goyim and the Christians the enemy? This article ignores completely the fact that Hitler was not a Christian, that he persecuted Christians and Catholics as much as Jews, and considered Islam to be his preferred religion (read Speer's "Inside the Third Reich.) Promoting hatred towards Christians does nothing but alienate your best ally and promote prejudice in your community. Shalom!

(61)
Louis,
April 15, 2010 6:48 PM

this is why...

See, this is exactly the thing we've had to live with for hundreds of years. This is why I personally walk between "Marranos" and mainstream. The 1940's was only YESTERDAY, and to all the fools who think that it can't happen again are the bundles of sticks for the next bonfire.
Then you have the "priest" John Chrysostom, who said "either they are right or we are ! ! !". The Muslims say the same as Christians. Obviously they kill and hate us out of fear that they're wrong. Incredible article this one. Thanks for the post.
Shalom

(60)
Hoot,
April 15, 2010 4:51 PM

Sunday worship was created out of hatred for the Jews....

Sunday worship, as the official day of worship for Christians, has no basis in Biblical fact. Constantine, who was a sun worshipper and convert to Christianity (only outwardly as it had become popular) changed the day of worship from Sabbath to Sunday in 321 A.D. to escape identity with the Jews out of hatred for them.
Up until this time, Christians still kept Saturday, the Sabbath, as the Biblical day of worship.
The spirit of hatred is Satanic. Satan, using Constantine and a spirit of hatred, has succeeded in duping millions into not keeping God's commandments - as written in stone by the finger of The Creator and given to Moses. Jesus kept the Sabbath, His Father's law, as a perfect example to all men.
This world is wrong from the word "go". And it ain't gonna get any better...

(59)
RUBEN BENADAVA,
April 15, 2010 3:47 PM

POPE JOHN 23RD.

YES, THE VATICAN ERASED THE JEWS AS DEICIDES, BUT A
VERY SPECIAL MENTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE ON
POPE JOHN XXIII WHO BROUGHT THIS ABOUT. HE SHOULD
BE PLACED AS 'A JUST AMONG THE JUST'. ONE OF THE JEWISH TRAITS IS RECOGNITION AND THANKFULNESS. IT WAS DONE FOR THOSE WHO SAVED CHILDREN DURING WWII BUT THE POPE'S INTERVENTION HAS GIVEN MEANING TO JUDEO-CHRISTIAN CIVILIZEATION. PLEASE, IT WOULD BE MOST APPRECIATED IF SOMEONE COULD WRITE SOME-THING ON THE SAINTLY MAN. THIS REQUEST COMES FROM A JEW

(58)
Will Edwards,
April 15, 2010 3:05 PM

then and now

I find that the Christian faith is the same now as it was back in the days of the Inquisition. The more "devout" the Christian, the more hate they feel towards Judaism. Violence against us is on the rise and Christian fundamentalists still teach divine superiority over Jews. The truth does not matter to these people because any such examination would reveal to them the fallacy of their belief and thus their own error. People like Mel Gibson, for example, are evidence of that.

(57)
Anonymous,
April 15, 2010 1:34 PM

It Aactually started with The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
It's a book that was sold on Europe that explained how the the book in European schools. So everyone (including Christians and other religions) believed what the book said, therefore believing Hitler.

(56)
Tzefania,
April 15, 2010 12:39 AM

Hate in circles

Once upon 3d century, and during centuries catholics until XX C of CE, guilted jews as Jesus killers. It made born hate from catholic people, until the well known terrible consecuences. It is mportant arrive and get the knolegdement and historic truth of all that times. Now, we have to build a new world for our sons, in love and G-ds knowledge, and I wonder how could it be possible, without making jews feelling any hate against to contemporary christians?, I'm not sure if we are doing correctly accordly to G´d, by thise way. It is danger to new generations invite them to walk into the hate circle. Let ask Hashem how is the correct way, to glue history plus love, keeping out any intenption of revange, keeping our minds and hearts far away of hate.
Thank you for an excelent script. Sorry my poor english please.
Blesses.

(55)
Thomas,
April 14, 2010 8:55 PM

Correction from my last comment

I have to correct my comment from April 11 (Comment 19) After having done a bit of research I have to say that this article is quite correct. Now however the Christians revere the Jews. I was shocked and saddend to find out that these words in this article are true. But again, how much wrong has the catholic church and some other churches done. Terrible, but things have changed for the better on most parts. We must remember that there are those who call themselves Christians but do not follow the word of God and then there are True Christians who do follow and obey the word of God. One must remember to distinguish between the two.

(54)
superyehonathan,
April 14, 2010 8:43 PM

Not just Catholic Christianity

European antisemitism was unfortunatly empowered by several different types of Christianity (which neglected Jesus' own core principle of love thy neighbour as thyself).
Another German, the "great" Christian reformer, Martin Luther, was probably approaching the level of antisemitism of Hitler in proclaiming that all synagogues should be burned, jewish homes destroyed, forbid rabbis to teach on pain of death and other such "niceties".
Sadly the history of Christianity in Europe has deeply ingrained prodromal antisemitism.
Christians today really do not know their own history and many have no idea that Jesus was actually Jewish and that he did not actually startt "Christianity" - it was established by a set of intellectuals 300 years after his death and then systmatised by the Romans in a way that was so far removed from the original concepts that it was beyond imagination. Christianity, like many religions became political the minute the Romans made it the state religion and started to methodically eradicate any competitors.

(53)
Shoshana,
April 14, 2010 2:10 PM

Very Interesting Piece

I found your piece to be very enlighterning- I had never thought of these connections before - Hitler and Christianity.
Your aim, however worthy, "to completely eliminate antisemitism from Christianity".- I believe cannot be done. The belief is too deep, still being taught ..... Chrisitianity is practised not only in the States, but in many many more countries. How do you expect to reach and reeducate them?
Anyway, to keep their religion viable, they have to talk us down. As Saint John Chrysostom, who you quoted. said;
either they are right or we are!!
Very interesting piece and would be interested to read more.

(52)
narendran,
April 14, 2010 9:21 AM

six million crucifixions

I have just finished reading your book: Six Million Crucifixions which I was able to download from your site. I have never felt more miserable in my life than when I saw the image of the Jewish mother with her child pressed to her breast waiting for the Nazi soldier to murder them and that horrible image will remain with me till the end. I scrambled back to reread your cry: “Think about it: how can you have so much hate in you that every day you get up, you drag thousands of men and women to a forest and shoot them in the head-----“. I am convinced that for a religion to be able to survive a god may not be an essential condition but an enemy is.

(51)
B Schultz,
April 14, 2010 8:48 AM

Still misunderstandings

I find that most Christians have no real understanding of Judaism and so many of them I meet are prejudiced, even in their comments to the contrary. I had a Christian acquaintance of mine say to me recently that she did not "blame the Jews for the death of Jesus" as she thought that whole debate was ridiculous, "it was thousands of years ago and none of those Jews are even here still, I don't blame the rest of you." she said (clearly I am paraphrasing, but that was the gist of it). Can you imagine? She, on her own, just forgave all the rest of us, like some priest on high. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry or scream or spit, so I just nodded. How dare she "forgive" us for something that we didn't do. How dare she have a conversation about something that she knows nothing about, and then go further as to have such a deep opinion on a topic she knows nothing about. How many other Christians out there "forgive" us? How many of them truly think we killed the Messiah, but it is water under the bridge? Is that equal ground? Are we brothers and sisters on this planet if they have just forgiven us? Or will we never be truly equal until the day they know that we did not take the life of the Messiah? I am still waiting for the Messiah to come with the rest of my Jewish brethren, but none of our ancestors killed their Jesus. Another lady I know was confused as to what the difference between Judaism and Christianity was, she asked me in simple terms what did we believe that was unlike Christianity. I said, certainly, the main difference was that the Jews are awaiting the Messiah and the Christians believe he came and was named Jesus. She said, "So, you don't believe in Jesus?" I said no. She then said she felt sorry for me. I once again chose to simply nod.

(50)
Anonymous,
April 14, 2010 5:09 AM

Finally the untold facts are written in Wilensky's book. A privilege that we use to not have. The Catholic church use to burn people at the stake who opposed them

There were many different faith communities in the 1st century. Really not much different than today, with all the different denominations, that think different, have different theology for their denominations. In the NT you read it and think there was only one faith community, but there wasn't. It helps to read the non-canonical books, the ones that did not get into the Greek authorize book, to get a glimpe of all the different beliefs that there were. The first established institutional church was the Catholic church, but even back then, not everyone agreed with what they had set in stone, in being the faith. The Catholic church rose in political power, which was so different than what the early christians thought of being a christian was all about. The early christians mission was helping the poor. That is in the NT more than anything else. It was doing good, to Jews and Gentiles alike. The christians that didn't live in Jerusalem, were always taking collections for the poor in Jersusalem. They were good-doers, not just lip service. By there good deeds, and love for everyone, not just those in there own little group, the message spread of hope for peace on the earth, by the christians acts of kindness and love. When men of high officials saw this movement was growing, then they stepped in, making alot of changes and created a church far from the people of simple faith that had lived out there daily llives by. The Catholic church became Monsters in the world, burning people at the stake if they opposed them. Anybody that didn't go by what they set up, what they told people to think and believe. Jews also were a big target, for they didn't go by the Catholic church belief system. The Holocaust wasn't the first time the Catholic church was involved in killing Jews. It's just the one there are people still alive to tell about it, when the Catholic church can't distort it. Like they did in the 3rd century. Wilensky's book is the untold story.

(49)
James Kendall,
April 13, 2010 8:58 PM

Thank you for the editor's note

I just want to thank you for palcing the editor's note at the end clarifying that modern Christianity is not represented in this well written article. It pains me to know that some of the greatest crimes of the last century had their beginnings from those that helped shape my faith.
I have been blessed to live in a time and place where my Christian faith supports Israel and Judaism, instead of the close minded time the article brings up.

(48)
MARIO KEKIC,
April 13, 2010 2:37 PM

A.I

A.I-SUPERSONIC-TIMEBUSTER-!

(47)
Ben Plonie,
April 13, 2010 5:01 AM

To Independant - if it is nonsense why did the Jews have to 'get out'?

If there were 63% courteous anti-Hitler non-bigoted Catholic nationalistic Germans plus most of 37% courteous pro-Hitler non-bigoted Catholic nationalistic Germans engaged in helping the Jews, why are we all here? Did Wilensky like not notice this? Introduce him to your wife. Was there a Holocaust at all? Just checking.

(46)
Anonymous,
April 13, 2010 3:57 AM

There is no doubt about the cruel, ignorant and unjust words recorded by the Christians. I sometimes wonder if the Christian lands, which were pretty much illiterate people up until about 125 years ago, would have had a different outlook had they been able to read?
It seems that gradually with the growth of educational opportunities the ability to mislead people into a personal or politicial agenda, is not as easy as beforetimes.
The appeasers of evil are still with us today. Some people will never change, but there is also, many willing to take a stand. Let us thank the L-rd for that.

(45)
mike dehaan,
April 12, 2010 8:55 PM

Hitlers Mother

You do kno that the doctor who failed to save Hitlers mother was Jewish

(44)
Anonymous,
April 12, 2010 6:11 PM

Who was a Jew to Hitler?

What did Hitler go off of to determine who was a Jew? He went through Church records and Synagogue records. If someone was a member of a Synogogue they were a Jew. All the way to their Grandparents. If someone was Christen or Baptized, they were counted as Christians not Jews. So some who think Hitler was also against Christianity, that is not so, for those who were Christen or Baptized did not get sent to concentration camps.

(43)
Nadine,
April 12, 2010 6:05 PM

A Christian Who Was Taught To Always Support G-d's Chosen People

Thank you for this article.......I have found this attitude to be prevalent in many "Christian" churches, however; there are some among us who are Christians who were taught something different. I was raised in a Lutheran family in the Mid-West USA and we were shown Holocaust footage in probably the third grade. It has always haunted me. My Lutheran teachers drummed into our heads that Jewish people were the Chosen of G-d above all others.......that was just the way it was. It was simply the will of G-d and we had to accept that and always respect Jewish people. This includes defending Jewish people upon pain of death. I still believe this and will always be an staunch supported of Israel and the Jewish people. Who am I to question Almighty G-d and His plan?

(42)
Zvi I.,
April 12, 2010 3:25 PM

Yes -- there were "good Christians" but....

There is no doubt that there were "GoodChristians" and "Good Catholics" but I would submit that these were "good" IN SPITE oftheir church -- not because of it. The exisitence of the Jew is a CONSTANT reminder to the Christian that he or she is WRONG. There is one here whose fore-fathers KNEW and SAW the [alleged] "savior" and REJCTED those teachings (though, one might argue that actually it was PAUL who actually funded this "religion" since Jesus -- himself -- allegedly stated that he was not going to change "on jotor tittle" of the law). Given the "stubborn" rejection of Jesus AND that this rejection could be well-defended (c.f., the Ramban) - the Chistian is constantly faced with a "reproach" and-- in most cases -- has only one recourse -- to teach that the Jew is sub-human / a spawn of the devil / etc.
It is only a TRULY exeptional person like Pope John XXIII who could see the evil in these teachings and try to repudiate them!

(41)
Anonymous,
April 12, 2010 11:58 AM

Overly One sided.

I think this is an overly one sided view of how Christianity may have contributed to the holocaust. It is not fair to judge words said 1500 years ago against words said 70 years ago. I am not trying to defend these comments that were made by church representatvies. Commentary such as this only habors divisive feelings between Christians and Jews. Comments like this, and teaching points that divide tend to serve what purpose?

(40)
Ben Plonie,
April 12, 2010 11:18 AM

Get some facts before commenting please.

Use the link below to check out the author's book. The ENTIRE book may be downloaded for FREE from there until May 11, 2010. The book is 392 pages long, has a 12 page index, a 4 page bibliography, 30 pages of notes, a 6 page table of Papal Bulls dealing with Jews (not nicely) covering 1221 through 1755 including authorization of various atrocities performed by civil authorities in Church States, 11 pages of Papal quotations cursing the Jews as murderers, traitors, unscrupulous money grubbers, outcasts like Cain, slaves like Ishmael and Esau.
If you want to say that a good Christian could not have committed the Holocaust that's fine. But if you really check it out their has not been one REALLY good Christian since the disciples, and in the NT they were nothing either without Jesus.
Fully one third of Germans were Catholic and Hitler could not have withstood a decent Pope. Little Denmark and little Bulgaria and little Albania refused to hand their Jews over to Hitler and he didn't force the issue.

(39)
independent,
April 12, 2010 8:01 AM

You say -"the population already deeply hated Jews" . What nonsense, in the last free election only 37% voted for Hitler, and many of these did so on nationalist grounds. My wife's' family have told me over the years of the good relations which existed between the intensely nationalistic German Jews in Breslau and their neighbours. They got out with the connivance of German officials, who were strongly Catholic. My wife as a Jewish girl can only remember courtesy. Germany was in fact less antisemitic than France and not much more than Proestant England.

(38)
Deborah Bach,
April 12, 2010 6:50 AM

the key to change

Yes, it is lovely when Christians give credit to Jews for accepting the Torah. In addition, one phrase here really caught my eye: "A verbal hatred that began as an intra-Jewish fraternal fight." As Jews we are limited in what we can do to change Christians, but we are fully empowered to change ourselves and the key is overcoming OUR internal hatreds. God help us!!!

(37)
Dandre DuBois,
April 12, 2010 6:02 AM

Goverment and religion

It is primary the use of government to spread hatred simply regarding religions because doing so strengthens the governments rule over the populace. An example today is the United States of America, at one time basically Christian, but today more closer to paganism. It remains a method of destroying freedom of worship so to make the populace worship government and not God. Governments in the past could use religion as a tool for the support of government by the people, but that is no longer needed. All government is the same, they lust for power, control and wealth, and no longer need religions to support government. Government is actually simply another form of religion, but totally Godless. Government subjugates the populace to government rule, and in order to remain the primary force, it must destroy religion, at which Communism was very successful, and today in the United States government likes to use the words "separation of church and state," which actually means, destroy the old religion, for government will provide all that is necessary for the populace to have. Welcome to the new world order.

(36)
Sumariel,
April 12, 2010 4:39 AM

All that you say is true, but . . . . .

Please remember that all teachings of hatred and defilement of any people, Jews, Natives of continents, races, all sub-groups, are teachings that do not come from The Name, the one whom we consider as G-d. Such teachings come from the dark underbelly of the human psyche, and as such can be attributed to the very opposite of Love, which is Fear. Fear takes many forms and no one entity has all that fear wrapped into it's being. We must learn to teach Love if we are ever to get beyond the barbaric intention of "killing" for ideologies. I hope to see the day that comes about, but I know it will not be in the body I now wear.

(35)
Anonymous,
April 12, 2010 4:13 AM

This is complicated....

Thank you for this article, there is a lot to discuss. This is complicated.
Beyond doubt much of the antisemitism in Europe at the time of The Holocaust was originally generated by the Church both Catholic and Protestant.
In my city, Melbourne Australia eldrely Holocaust survivors have told me that they didn't go outside on Easter fearing there was going to be trouble and they were going to be lynched by their religious mainly Catholic fanatical neighbours/townspeople.
Such was the incitement and hatred from the Church.
It is also interesting to note what the Slovakian Papal representative told the righteous Rabbi Michoel Dov Wessmandl TZ'l during the Holocaust when he appealled to the Church authoroties to save SLovakian Jews. "There is no such thing as an innocent Jew" was the approximate reply blaming the Jews ~1900 years later for the death of Jesus!
Such was the intolerance and hatred generated by the Church.
The vast overwhlming evidence indicates real bigotry nd racist sentiments and acts. A real lack of so called Christian compassion.
In the minority were the ones who behaved properly. I have heard from survivors here in Melbourne who knew John Paul 2 before he became famous about his 'menschlakeit' ofs like the former Pontiff John Paul 2. One survivor here in Melbourne rembers The Polish Pope's Mother who would turn on the lights for a Jewish Synagogue on Shabbat and taught John Pope to respect all Jews. This was reflected by the former pontiff deeds and actions.
On the other hand

(34)
Anonymous,
April 12, 2010 3:56 AM

The devil is in the church

You are so right, the christian church did pave the way for the Holocaust to happen. They would do it again, if they could. Now they get Jews to convert to their religion and make them spokespersons out of them. Are they trying to make peace by saying "The root of the Catholic church is Judaism?" Sounds good, but the root is not Judaism. The christians teaches that Christ came to replace the Mosaic Law. They wrote that Jews didn't love God or had faith in God because they were keeping the Mosaic Law. Strange? Don't christians go to church on Sunday, don't the christian church expect you to keep the Sunday obligation? Guess what that is, the Mosaic Law. Just because the christian sabbath is a Sunday, because they go by the Roman calendar. Things like this paints a picture that Jews do not believe in God because they keep the Sabbath, that they are keeping the law apart from God. Pope John Paul II did apologize because the church knew they had paved the way for the Holocaust to happen. And now they are trying to Canonize the Pope as a Saint that was in office during the Holocaust. Did he stop another Catholic from murdering all those people? Oh, that is the Mosaic Law isn't it "Thou shalt not murder." Is not the Pope suppose to be the Head of the Church which the church is made up of the people that are the body of Christ? A Saint would of STOPPED it on the onset of it, at the very beginning before any Jews were killed at all since it was obvious by what was brewing in Hitler for several years before the Holocaust took place. By the acts of the Catholic church from the very beginning, they thought they were better than Jews. The christian bible proves that. Church history proves that. It's safe in numbers doesn't apply when all those numbers are on the wrong path. An exorist has been called into the Vatican recently to cast out the devil. They do admit the devil is there!

(33)
Daniela,
April 12, 2010 3:40 AM

Wow

I have to say, although there are many truths in this article/book, this surprised me. It reads like a rant. Not an historical account. It also leaves out a very important fact, which is that specifically it was Lutheran anti-semitic sentiments that made it easy for Hitler to convince the German people to bow to his whims. But regardless, the tone of ranting and raving of this article is nothing but embarrassing.

(32)
Kathleen,
April 12, 2010 3:19 AM

And look where the Church is today.

It's now paying the price for decades of cover-up about predator priests who have left victims scattered around the world. At the beginning of the Church, it threw out the women who had assisted Jesus in his ministry, then excluded all women from church leadership and denigrated many of them. It was Constantine who declared Jesus divine (one son of god ruling that another was a son of god.) The Church promoted and played a role in civil wars all over Europe for centuries when it felt it should also be head of state.
The good. It built hospitals and schools all over, and children were well educated and disciplined. It fed and took care of the poor. It produced beautiful masses and services., and wonderful Christian art and music. It was a force for good in many places.
But how will it cleanse itself this time?

(31)
patty,
April 12, 2010 2:54 AM

why now?

The last thing we need now is separation between Jews and Christians. All Christians are not Catholic. It's like blaming all the white people for black slavery.

(30)
Mitzi,
April 12, 2010 2:02 AM

Anti Christian

This entire article is completely bias & very distorted.You a JEW who has fought Anti semitism are now showing hate towards Gentiles .I do not hate Jews I am a Gentile and I know what the Catholic Church did .I fight Anti semitism online in Christian groups and educate people where ever I can about the Holocaust and I find this entire article outrageous ! There are flip sides to every coin it seems in predjuice and Im seeing this now first hand .,Let us not forget the Gentile who saved generations during the Holocaust risking their own lives for love of these.Or better yet let us remember who defeated Hitler ...a Gentile nation !
Predjuice runs both ways !

(29)
leah,
April 12, 2010 1:41 AM

this is labeling

I don't think it is correct to label all Christians as "bad jew haters". I have a christian friend who doesn't hate jews and has alot of very close jewish friends. i know that "eisav sonai l'yaakov", but i feel that that is not the case in all non jews or christians.

(28)
Marion,
April 11, 2010 11:12 PM

Dee[y distressing

I know that these things really did happen historically, and I have no possible excuse to offer. I never have understood anti-semitism, although I have researched the phenomenon and tried very hard to get 'into the heads' of those who shaped and fomented it. But the fault is not with the New Testament (unless one badly manipulates and stretches passages to support one's own outrageous theories). I find the entire discussion deeply distressing because I cannot fathom how followers of Jesus could ever speak and act this way, particularly towards Jews. On the other hand, "Everybody talkin' 'bout heaven ain't a'goin' there" - please understand that not everyone who calls him or herself a Christian actually is one.

(27)
,
April 11, 2010 11:04 PM

yes and no

The crusades wanted to save the holy land...but ended up slaughtering jew and muslim that wouldn't accept the existing belief including praying to people who are dead or statues...the crusaders carried shields with crosses on them and said they were fighting for 'christ'...
Jews were slaughtered by the adherents of Luther. Marcion, and the liberal theologians of the late 1800-1900 era...,.who called themselves christian...our treatment of His people will be the distinguishing factor....in the meantime, we have used the name to do many evil things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We can't blame someone else for accusing us, when it is the same name we use...unfortunately, God blesses those that bless the people of Abraham, Izaac and Jacob! And curses those who curse the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...

(26)
FRANCES,
April 11, 2010 10:49 PM

IT IS MY PRAYER THAT YOU DO NOT BELIEVE ALL CHRISTIANS THINK OR ACTED IN SUCH AN ODIOUS WAY TOWARDS THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN THAT I HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP TO TREAT ALL AS MYSELF WITH NO REGARD TO FAITHS, COLOR, NATIONALITY OR SEX. I LOVE THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND PRAY ALL THE TIME THAT G-D WILL HELP YOU ALWAYS. THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE IN THIS WORLD IN THE NAME OF G-D MAKES ME FEEL QUITE ILL BUT MAN THINKS HIMSELF SO WISE THAT HE BECOMES A FOOL. MAY G-D BE WITH YOU ALWAYS.

(25)
Dawn,
April 11, 2010 10:38 PM

This article is propaganda

I am very disturbed by the apparent bias revealed by the author in his one-sided argument lumping all Christians under the "Catholic" banner, and even including that pagan Hitler in this group. The article does not mention the great break away from Catholic tradition begun by Luther, called the "Reformation." This movement brought revival to Europe as people were now free to read the Scriptures for themselves and live their lives in accordance with this basic tenet: to love the Lord thy God with their whole might and love their neighbor as equally as they love themselves. Many true Christians loved and rescued the persecuted Jews during this terrible time.

(24)
DorothyFrancesGoldstein,
April 11, 2010 9:11 PM

Inflames Rather Than Informs

This article does nothing to bring about peace between people. "The Catholic church has indeed officially apologized for these actions." Are we to punish future generations for sins of their fathers? Is there anyone out there who didn't know this history and finds this informative rather than inflamatory?

(23)
Anonymous,
April 11, 2010 8:37 PM

they are resposible for israels current problems as well

Lets not forget the catholic contribution to the creation of Islam.
After all it was they who told the lie that G-D had rejected Israel and had established a new deal with them.
Where do you think Mohamed got the idea for a new religion from.
They did this despite Jesus own assertion in Matt 5:17-19 that the "Torah would not pass away until heaven and earth did" thus he ratified the covenant relationship of G-D with the Jewish people to be forever.
they are Hypocrites and liars

(22)
Anonymous,
April 11, 2010 8:36 PM

The author is quite right

Its clear that weapons like religion and tribalism has been used throughout the centuries to justify evil ends and practices. Although , no doubt Hitler affirmed Christianity, but his view of Christianity was different from present Christians. We can't blame present Christians and Muslims too who see Hitler as great hero. Still, Anti-humanism is bad and its depressing really. I have headache now.... all religions are false.

(21)
Tineke,
April 11, 2010 7:51 PM

Pope J.P.II ask with deep sorrow for forgivesnes...
and brings a lot of good support to his and our elders brothers.
Also Pope Benedickt xvi !!

(20)
richard Gingras,
April 11, 2010 7:35 PM

God Bless the Jewish people.

I AM JUST SADDENED TO LEARN OF THE ATROCITIES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BROUGHT AGAINST THE JEWISH PEOPLE ! I AM 54 YEARS OLD AND NEVER HEARD OF ALL OF THAT. PERHAPS IN MANY RESPECTS ITS GOOD THAT WE HAVE "SMARTENED" UP AND LOOK AT THE JEWISH PEOPLE AS OUR"ALLIES IN GOD'S FAMILY" I ONLY HOPE FOR PEACE AND PROSPERITY FOR ALL JEWS AND CHRISTIANS ALIKE!

(19)
Thomas,
April 11, 2010 7:26 PM

Christians do not hate the Jewish people, they revere them

Christians do not nor have hated the Jewish people. Yes, I do agree that some so-called Christians have said and done some terrible things towards the Jewish people. Some have also twisted the word of God to do and say some stupid things, but it is never the Christian way to spew hatred towards Jews. Christians (I am one, and a ordained Minister) Love the Jewish people. My Father was Jewish and also went through ww2 in Germany, he never spoke bad or had bad experiences from Christians, he always spoke highly about Christians and certainly never thought that Nazis were Christians.

(18)
Rochel,
April 11, 2010 7:25 PM

Christianity and the Church...

From comments we see that some Christians are offended by this article. GOOD. Although there have always been rightious gentiles who stand up for the right thing regardless of the official possition of the church and her leaders, the offical possition of the church and her leaders is what is at issue here. In any case, those kind Christians would not have had to save Jews if it were not for the Official hatred of the Jews by the church. Further, what is considered a "Christian" attitude or way of life is not at issue here. As I tell many Jews that they need to seperate Judaism from Jews, as many people may judge Judaism negitavly because of the bad behavior of one or some Jews, I can also say that you must seperate any few people from their organized religions, as the organization may be flawed and they people may have only the best intentions. Bottom line is, the church has always had an issue with Jews and Judaism alike because if we exist then the church is flawed in some way. The Catholic Church have been holding Jewish texts that are damaging to christianaty hostage for hundreds of years. They know the truth about themselves, but decided that the lesser of two evils is to keep their power as high as possible. The truth is inconvenient...

(17)
Dieter Rapp Junior,
April 11, 2010 6:54 PM

We are the chosen "People".
If they want or not,soon they will recognize that.

(16)
Kevin H. Finnegan,
April 11, 2010 6:47 PM

The Truth sets us free.

I am a Roman Catholic priest (American). This article and its history is true. Makes me wonder about many things past, present and future. My G-dfather taught me that that Irish have a familiar affinity with and for the Jews. This I believe and sense this within me. I believe I can stand with the Jews in good times and bad. We all stand before G-d in truth. It goes way beyond religion and G-d is not religious. G-d is Truth. He awaits us in Truth.

(15)
Nethanel,
April 11, 2010 6:30 PM

#1 #2 #3 #4 Very Bad Comantary

First off I Am Jewish, I Am going to give my Point based on History and my own Experience as well as The Present Day Facts That No One wishes to Hear, Historically and Presently the Church both Protestant and Catholic is Antisemitic, as Far as Judo-Christians go there is No Such thing Christianity is Gnostic Based, Now Today Christians are More Absolutist about their Philosophy than ever Before especially with the New Pope who has Nazi Background, and People need to Really learn their History Muslims were Good to Us Jews, some small Dark Periods were their in the Islamic World Sure, But Islam has Proven time and Again to be Like Judaism Peace Loving and God Fearing, the Terrorists you see on the News are not Muslims they Are Political Arab Corporatist bankers who "are Guss What?" are Atheist even Bin-Laden Family is Atheist! Atheism like Christianity is an Absolutist Philosophy not a Religion. This Article is One of the Best historically Unbiased Articles I Have Every Read I Am Most Happy to have Read it I Will Buy the Book!!! Thank Gabriel Wilensky. I am very comforted by THIS article MOST People don't have the Guts to Post what you Post! In my Neighborhood Christians are Every were I Deal with Antisemitism every Day at least once A Week A Christian asks me Why I Killed Jesus! On 4 Occasions Muslims have Come to my Rescue. Anyway Thank you Gabriel for the Article.

(14)
M. Munder,
April 11, 2010 5:54 PM

Your article made me angry at how the Christians in the past have treated the Jews---and it made me cry. I am a Christian and I pray for the Jews, Jerusalem, and Prime Minister Netanyahu everyday. Please know there are numerous Christians today that sincerely love you and would protect you and Jerusalem at all costs. The Jews were NOT the Christ killers!

(13)
J LaLone,
April 11, 2010 5:51 PM

It is so hard to think about such hatred.

But we know it has been there for milleniums. One of my Rabbis astounded me with his deep respect for Christians and Moslems because they too are monotheistic. I strive to be as tolerant as he is. I do have Christian friends and acquaintances who fall is both the tolerant and anti-semetic categories. I try to focus on the good I see in them, but it is sad to know that they would sacrifice me in a heart beat to save themselves, because they see me as a lesser being. I guess we have to keep living in the hopes that their eyes will open to the truth someday, and that there will not be another time such as the eras in the past when it was dangerous to be a Jew.

(12)
Kaela McLean,
April 11, 2010 5:41 PM

Don't lump all Christians together

I am a Christian and I love the Jewish Nation and the Jews. I have the utmost respect for the chosen people. I am sorry that other Christians through the ages have spoken against the Jews. I know that many Christians in the world today fear and disrespect the Jews but they are wrong. I read in a book "Mere Chrisitanity" that many find it odd that God would choose the Jews. There was a little poem to answer that; People say "How odd of God, to choose the Jews" but I say, "Odder still are those who choose the Jewish God but spern the Jews." That poem spoke deep into my soul. Jews are God's Chosen People.

(11)
Matt,
April 11, 2010 5:18 PM

Stay on the subject

Any time facts such as these are raised, someone accuses one-sidedness, unfair, etc. and then defends xtianity or whatever. This article was not written to describe the relatively few xtians (relative to the enormous masses who hated the jew or were silent of the oppression of the jew) who sacrificed themselves but rather to point out the road that xtainity has paved to give birth to the holocaust. I wish those who wrote in defense of xtianity would also admit that the treacherous methology of xtendom has on the most part worked against the Jewish People's religion destroying her spirit and/or body. None here has admitted that even they themselves agree that there is an "Old Testament." And none has stated that they themselves disgree with actions of those described in the article. Even still, the deceptive titles of their two sections in their bibles is still defended showing that little has changed in the hearts and minds of these xtian faithful who have responded. Those who claim that xtians didn't act according to xtianity has missed the point of the article and will never help fix the problem that exist in every xtian to this day. the proof: Xtianity ignores its own founders instructions of an eternal Torah with every commandment eternal (Matt.5:17-20); that everything the rabbis teach is to be observed (Matt.23:1-3) because they are the Mosaic seat; and that no xtian follows the founder if they don't do these things (Matt.7:21-greek text--"I never knew you who work without Torah" even though you claim to follow me)

(10)
Anonymous,
April 11, 2010 5:06 PM

my opinion

There were many in the Catholic Church that were not reliable, Take the Borgias for example. those early leaders were wrong to blame the jews and I must also add that I was raised Lutheran and was NEVER taught to hate the Jews. I was always taught to love and respect all person. I am now a Roman Catholic and have never heard it there either. I think we all, Christians and Jews, must put our passed prejudices aside and love one another in order for there to be peace in our world. God Bless!!

(9)
Barbara Crouch,
April 11, 2010 5:06 PM

This article is accurate. Just remember there were "christians" even then who risked their own lives to help their friends, "the Jews" - just as today there are those of us "christians" who would also risk their lives to help their Jewish brothers. I am an american who, quite frankly,am becoming more and more afraid for you again. God bless you.

(8)
Anonymous,
April 11, 2010 4:51 PM

Christians don't know--they haven't read their book without being brainwashed.

Judaism was the first Religion. Everyone since has just taken parts of it and rewritten it to fit their "new religion" When Christianity was started it was for the purpose to destroy Judaism. Each branch of other religions has tried to do the same thing. You can only look at the church and see what has gone on in them, and what they have caused on the earth, it is far from Holy. All Christian churches do not want their people to read the Bible, for through reading it you find their slips, and the things that are said that doesn't line up. The Protestants will preach "don't take scripture out of context". If you look up all the quotes from the "Old Testament" in the "New Testament" you will find they took scriptures out of context, all of them. Read the whole chapter in the "Old Testament" and the chapter before and after. Christians are brainwashed, if they think they are not, then all the parts of the text that doesn't make any sense you don't question it, you just accept what is being taught. So yes it had been paved out, through brainwashing. But one thing has always taken place, when the christians or the church is in trouble who do they buddy up with for help? The Jews! It's time we wise up! When they get what they want, they then just try to destroy us, in reality it destroys them, and the empire they have set up. If the old was passed away, as they say it, then why did they copy from it? That makes the Old as they say, obsolete in their so- called "new" which makes the "new" null and void. God is the same yesterday, today and forever, God can not break his covenant with the Jews, remember he is not mortal, like we are. God could not break a covenant with one group of people, to start a new covenant with a different group of people and change everything in it. If you follow christianity, you will find that "Jesus" changes each decade, and teaching about him does also. The end of the world, means the end of the church Even in their book.

(7)
Dr. Alex Pister,
April 11, 2010 4:49 PM

Learn the real lessons of the European Destruction

Typical recount article on the “origins” of Jew Hatred. Misses the point as usual. How many times are we Jews going to have to go through horrendous massacres, physical assaults, persecutions and all the other forms of Jew Hatred before we finally realize what the problem is and what it’s solution is? G-d runs the world. G-d created the world, sustains it and supervises it. Jew Hatred is only a tool that G-d unleashes as a last resort to get our attention to be real with G-d. I find it both amazing and repugnant that this article fully ignores this truth. As a child of Auschwitz and Teresenstadt survivors I have to ask boldly: Who cares where Hitler Y”Sh got his ideas from? It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that we Jews need to learn the inescapable lesson of all the vicious hatred thrown our way, by whatever group, over the ages. And that lesson is that G-d wants us to be a Kingdom of Priests and Royalty. G-d wants us to represent Him in such a fashion that the rest of the world will say: “Those Jews, they have it right. They represent the truth. Let’s go learn the truth from them. Let’s participate with them. Let’s swear to the Al-Mighty with them. We’ll bend ourselves down to G-d. We’ll accept the yoke of Heaven upon ourselves. We want G-d to reign over us for eternity”. This can and will happen when we pay attention to the true lessons of Churban Europe (destruction of the European Jewish Community). Anything less than this pursuit isn’t only a waste of time but is actually counterproductive. You end up thinking you’re doing something useful when in fact you’re squandering the opportunity to solve the problem. The Torah teaches that the solution to Jew Hatred is to realize that Jew Hatred isn’t the problem in first place! Abject Jewish ignorance is the problem. And that’s the lesson. Learning and living a life of Torah is the lesson. As usual the best place to start learning Torah and beginning the healing process is Aish.com. Now go and learn!

I pray God to forgive us. Reading Aish.com I understand why God choosed His people to be the Jews (clever and God loving souls and minds); and I understand and love more and more God. I feel very sorry for what happened and pray God to forgive us.

(4)
Anonymous,
April 11, 2010 2:48 PM

did't the catholic church?

I thought that the Catholic church officially apologized for these actions. Would it not be more fair to also state that???

(3)
Kip Gonzales,
April 11, 2010 2:45 PM

Not all christians felt / feel this way!

It is tragically true that the Church down through the centuries damaged and hindered it´s own self by senslessly persecuting and murdering Jews, but that was never the true teaching of Christianity (according to the Bible). It´s a mistake to give the impression that Christianity influenced Hitler. He rejected the whole idea of the Judeo-Christian concept of one G-d who is Holy, righteous, and merciful. Hitler spouted "religious" phrases as long as there were those who would lap it up, but when strong, believing Christians stood up and spoke out for the Jews, they were quickly sent of to concentration camps. There were sadly, too few of this sort, but very many people who are refered to as "The Righteous of the Nations", who risked and even gave their lives to protect Jews were in fact strong Christians. It is an insult to their memory to throw them in the same basket as the Nazis!
Any teaching that teaches hatred of Jews is NOT Christian!

(2)
C.W.Smith,
April 11, 2010 2:43 PM

Are all people alike?

Sir.I would have you to know that history can be very one-sided.Were there not christians who saved many jews. I am a christian who has the love of G-D in myself and I love and pray for the Israel. If there was ever a time that Israel needed friend it's is now.There are millions of christians in america that pray for the peace of Israel.There is nothing you or I can do about history except not repeat it.

(1)
Anonymous,
April 11, 2010 2:32 PM

Luther too

Article forgets antisemetic contributions of Martin Luther... When looking at both islam and christianity we see both ideologies support replacement phillosophy. "ours is better than yours" and ours supplants yours so why dont(you Jews) dissapear, die or convert ? The comeuppance for that(if I were god ) would then be: ISRAEL.....And on an unusually bouyant note.... Maybe these "lovers" of God can grow enough to tolerate others a bit more between now and their end of days?

I've been striving to get more into spirituality. But it seems that every time I make some progress, I find myself slipping right back to where I started. I'm getting discouraged and feel like a failure. Can you help?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Spiritual slumps are a natural part of spiritual growth. There is a cycle that people go through when at times they feel closer to God and at times more distant. In the words of the Kabbalists, it is "two steps forward and one step back." So although you feel you are slipping, know that this is a natural process. The main thing is to look at your overall progress (over months or years) and be able to see how far you've come!

This is actually God's ingenious way of motivating us further. The sages compare this to teaching a baby how to walk. When the parent is holding on, the baby shrieks with delight and is under the illusion that he knows how to walk. Yet suddenly, when the parent lets go, the child panics, wobbles and may even fall.

At such times when we feel spiritually "down," that is often because God is letting go, giving us the great gift of independence. In some ways, these are the times when we can actually grow the most. For if we can move ourselves just a little bit forward, we truly acquire a level of sanctity that is ours forever.

Here is a practical tool to help pull you out of the doldrums. The Sefer HaChinuch speaks about a great principle in spiritual growth: "The external awakens the internal." This means that although we may not experience immediate feelings of closeness to God, eventually, by continuing to conduct ourselves in such a manner, this physical behavior will have an impact on our spiritual selves and will help us succeed. (A similar idea is discussed by psychologists who say: "Smile and you will feel happy.")

That is the power of Torah commandments. Even if we may not feel like giving charity or praying at this particular moment, by having a "mitzvah" obligation to do so, we are in a framework to become inspired. At that point we can infuse that act of charity or prayer with all the meaning and lift it can provide. But if we'd wait until being inspired, we might be waiting a very long time.

May the Almighty bless you with the clarity to see your progress, and may you do so with joy.

In 1940, a boatload 1,600 Jewish immigrants fleeing Hitler's ovens was denied entry into the port of Haifa; the British deported them to the island of Mauritius. At the time, the British had acceded to Arab demands and restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine. The urgent plight of European Jewry generated an "illegal" immigration movement, but the British were vigilant in denying entry. Some ships, such as the Struma, sunk and their hundreds of passengers killed.

If you seize too much, you are left with nothing. If you take less, you may retain it (Rosh Hashanah 4b).

Sometimes our appetites are insatiable; more accurately, we act as though they were insatiable. The Midrash states that a person may never be satisfied. "If he has one hundred, he wants two hundred. If he gets two hundred, he wants four hundred" (Koheles Rabbah 1:34). How often have we seen people whose insatiable desire for material wealth resulted in their losing everything, much like the gambler whose constant urge to win results in total loss.

People's bodies are finite, and their actual needs are limited. The endless pursuit for more wealth than they can use is nothing more than an elusive belief that they can live forever (Psalms 49:10).

The one part of us which is indeed infinite is our neshamah (soul), which, being of Divine origin, can crave and achieve infinity and eternity, and such craving is characteristic of spiritual growth.

How strange that we tend to give the body much more than it can possibly handle, and the neshamah so much less than it needs!