Sarx

DovBear turns up other evidence on the Role the Roman Catholic ecclesial community may have played in HaShoah (the Holocaust) - citying this review from TNR (full text not yet online).

Increasingly I think we’re dealing with a Sombunall problem. DovBear reports in his comments that it was “the Church’s” anti-Semitism what allowed for the Holocaust.

Mmm.

It’s a huge myth of course because there is no monolithic “The Church” that does anything at all any more than there is a monolithic “The Jews” that do anything. Both parties - Christians and Jews - are sadly prone to monolithic talk when it suits them. “All Christians believe/do/want X” is likely to be uttered by a Jew or a Christian. It’s pure propaganda of course because there is nothing that all Christians believe, do or want any more than there is anything that all Jews believe, do or want. 9 times out of 10 I doubt you can say the same sort of thing about all Jews or Christians in a given town, congregation or family!

But it’s hard to remember this in the heat of debate.

Sombunall is a contraction of “Some but not all”.

Some but not all Christians in Europe (etc) in the early part of the 20th century continued the despicable tradition of Christian Anti-semitism.

Of these some but not all felt the Nazi’s “Final Solution” was a blessing.

Of these some but not all actually helped while others simply did nothing which last is just the easiest thing to do whenever The Authorities start to do something.

On the other hand…

Some but not all Christians in Europe (etc) in the early part of the 20th century continued the (in some eyes) heretical idea of charity to neighbours especially the oppressed.

Of these some but not all felt the Nazi’s “Final Solution” was a sin, a horrid sin.

Of these some but not all tried to help Jews (etc.) while others simply did nothing which last is just the easiest thing to do whenever The Authorities start to do something.

On both lists, those last two groups who did nothing constitute the largest number of humans on the planet: most of us simply roll over and play dead whenever The Authorities - religious, political, scientific, whatever - say anything.

I’m guilty of this as well: I am most often in the do nothing category. In fact I only know one person in all of my life who consistently would be doing what he thinks is right.

In most of this discussion the historical record focuses on Public Officials (Pope, Bishops, local clergy, etc.) This is because the average peasant doesn’t show up on the historical radar. Sadly Public Official tend of nature to be the most willing to roll over to authority in order to preserve their position of power. The Roman Hierarchy were nearly all opposed to the Irish Rebellion - despite the fact that it was their own spiritual children who were suffering. The same hierarchy in Ireland told the Irish to support the fascists in the Spanish Civil War… but the Irish People ignoring their clergy (and others from those Islands) form the 15th International Brigade. Thus while the public record in Ireland is one of fascist support, the reality is rather different.

I humbly suggest it is in the case of the Holocaust as well.

Since we know the Catholic (etc) community was also oppressed by Nazis (who thought of Hitler as God and Messiah); and, in the end, I know that there were many Catholic (etc) martyrs in the camps whose names are long forgotten by all save by Jews who reported them… maybe what we need is a reconciliation rather than denials and accusations.\

Those actions of reconciliation will have to happen on the individual level if they are to mean anything. Institutions and mythical monoliths can do nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing of value to persons in the world.

Any argument which appeals to them - and then imparts their actions to the individual human person next door - is just more propaganda.

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