The Grey Book: A collection of protests against anti-semitism and the persecution of Jews issued by non-Roman Catholic churches and church leaders during Hitlers ruleSnoek, Johan M.
Religion
The Grey Book: A collection of protests against anti-semitism and the persecution of Jews issued by non-Roman Catholic churches and church leaders during Hitlers rule
Snoek, Johan M.
Antisemitism; Christianity and other religions -- Judaism; Judaism -- Relations -- Christianity; Protestant churches -- Europe
It sheds an important light on the attitude of the Government regarding the
Jewish refugees.
The Archbishop mentioned the proposal for an exploratory Conference at Ottawa.
The country (Canada) in whose capital the conference was to be held, however,
had not been informed, and thus the conference was held at Bermuda, on 19-29
April, 1943. The statement issued at the end of its deliberations merely
promised recommendations - which were not disclosed - and the setting up of
an inter-governmental organization to handle the problem in the future.
The verdict on the allied Governments that "History will record the Bermuda
Conference as a monument of moral callousness and inertia" is not too
severe. [542]
The British Council of Churches, made up of the official representatives
of the Church of England, the Church of Scotland and the Free Churches, met
in London on April 13th and 14th under the presidency of the Archbishop of
Canterbury.
The following resolution was passed on anti-Semitism: <250>
"The British Council of Churches warmly welcomes the statements made by the
leaders of many Christian Churches expressing fellow-feeling with the Jewish
people in the trials through which they are passing and the desire to aid
them in every practicable way. In particular the Council notes with admiration
and thankfulness the statements on this subject which have issued from
Christian leaders in enemy-occupied countries.
The Council affirms that anti-Semitism of any kind is contrary to natural
justice, incompatible with the Christian doctrine of man and a denial of the
Gospel. Malicious gossip and irresponsible charges against Jews, no less than
active persecution, are incompatible with Christian standards of behaviour.
The Council welcomes the decision to hold in Bermuda a Conference in which the
British and American Governments will seek jointly to find practical ways of
rendering immediate and continuing assistance to Jews and other imperilled
people. The Council considers that every possible step ought to be taken to
rescue from massacre the Jews in enemy and enemy occupied territories.
It is convinced that both Christian and Jewish people in this country would
give strong support to a lead from His Majesty's Government in offering
sanctuary in Great Britain for a considerable number of children and adults,
additional to those received before September, 1939, and would be ready to
make sacrifices so as to provide hospitality for them during the war.
The Council further asks that the Bermuda Conference will suggest measures
for rendering the requisite material assistance for the maintenance of
refugees who reach neutral countries, and will give assurance to those
countries of readiness to cooperate in plans for post-war settlement of
the refugees in other parts of the world." [543]
In May, 1943, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland stated:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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