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
The members of the Ministers Union of Geneva wrote a letter to the Chief
Rabbi of the City of Geneva in which they expressed their deep sympathy with
the persecuted Jews.
This letter, together with the declaration of the Church Council of Zurich
(see above) was read at a service, held in the synagogue on a Sunday and not,
as usual, on a Saturday. This postponement was in order that the prayers of
that day could be united with those of all the Christian Churches in
Switzerland for the persecuted Jews. [153]
In December, 1938, the Synod of the Canton of Bern issued the following
Declaration:
"The Synod of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Canton Bern declares, that
it views the merciless persecution of Jews and Fellow-Christians stemming
from Jewry, as an expression of a spirit which has nothing in common with
the spirit of Jesus Christ.
It calls upon all members of our Church to intercede on behalf of the
persecuted, especially our persecuted brothers; to stand up for them on
every occasion; and to oppose any further attempt to poison the
soul of our people with the spirit of racial hatred." [154]
* * * <57>
12 DENMARK
Leading Danish theologians - three professors and one lecturer of the
Copenhagen University [155] and the Bishop of Copenhagen, Fuglsang-Damgaard -
published a declaration on January 10, 1936, denouncing an anti-Semitic
brochure, "The Christian Church according to the concept of the peoples
of the North", based on the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion". Professor
Frederik Torm related the history of this forgery in an informative article.
The matter drew attention, even in Germany, where the "Volkische Beobachter"
in its edition of January 14, 1936 reported the story as told by its
correspondent in Copenhagen under the caption "Danish theologians grow
nervous" and with the subtitle: "The Jewish question arises in Denmark".
The report of the former German Envoy, Richthofen, dated January 13, 1936,
shows the same attitude, considering the article of the theologians as an
act of defence against "the ever increasing understanding of the Jewish
question in Germany among the Danish public". [156]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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