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
"Subsequently there have been attempts to make peace with the Churches,
and the papers during the past few weeks have brought us news of 'peace
feelers' offered to the Churches.
Negotiations were envisaged both with the Catholic Church and with the
Evangelical Churches. But they never will induce either true Catholics
or Protestants, to put as a Gospel source, an affirmation of the superiority
of the German race over the others, nor a denial of anybody's right to
belong to the Church of Jesus Christ.
They may again start their persecutions, and I think they will. They may
chase pastors and priests from their churches and send them to concentration
camps. They may resort to petty annoyance and to persecution; however, I am
absolutely convinced that the Christian conscience has been aroused. Perhaps
this experience was necessary to awaken it out of a certain stupor?
The Christian conscience will absolutely oppose the events which have
succeeded each other which such rapidity over the past few years and any
attempt which may be made to persuade the Churches in any way to insert
into the Gospel (which desires that all men should be considered the
children of God and be reconciled in universal brotherhood) an addition
which asserts that some shall rank first and others may be excluded.
Never will the Churches agree that the Gospel of love, symbolized by the
two arms of Christ extended on the cross, will be replaced by a gospel
of race and blood.
I am convinced that by affirming our sympathy with all in Germany who are
being persecuted for their views, and with all in the Christian Church who
make efforts to resist (as I have tried to show) the determined attempt to
lead them onto the ground of racial discrimination, we are helping them in
their resistance. We are helping them to discover that there is a Christian,
as well as, a merely secular public opinion, throughout the entire world,
which is aware of all that this resistance implies in the way of present
sacrifice, and perhaps of still more suffering in the future.
Let us therefore be among those who by word and example give evidence of
that sympathy and solidarity. Let us unite here, as Mr. Paul Reynaud has
asked us to do, without distinction of religious, philosophic or even
political convictions, in protest against the besmirching of justice and
the dignity of man." [145]
* * *
The Council of the Protestant Federation of France, in its session of
November 29, 1938, unanimously adopted the following Resolution:
"The Council of the Protestant Federation of France, reassembled for the
first time since a terrible crime has provided a pretext for new
persecutions against the Jews, feels itself to be the mouthpiece of all
the Churches which it represents in our country, in making a solemn Protest
against a similar outburst of violence and cruelty. <53>
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account