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 Bishop of Chichester was very active in promoting help for Christians of
Jewish origin. [190] This subject is, however, beyond the scope of this book.
In the summer session of the Church Assembly, in June 1938, Dr. Bell pleaded
that the needs of Jews and Christians alike should be remembered.
"The Bishop of Chichester moved:
That this Assembly records its deep distress at the sufferings endured by
'non-Aryan' Christians, as well as by members of the Jewish race, in Germany
and Austria, and urges that not only should everything possible be done by
Government aid to assist their emigration into other countries but also that
Christians everywhere should express their fellowship with their suffering
brethren by material gifts as well as by personal sympathy and by prayer."
He said he did not want to speak of political matters in a country with which
they desired to be friends, nor to attack the leadership of the great German
State. He asked the Assembly not to make any protest against a system, but to
record its deep distress at the suffering of Christians and Jews... <76>
What could members do? First of all they must not forget it, but let it be
printed on their memory and never rest while the distress was unhealed. They
must remember the needs of Jews and Christians alike. It was wrong to separate
the Jews and leave the Jews to the Jews and the Christians to the Christians.
They both made a deep appeal by their sufferings to all humanity and above all
to the Christian Church.'...
First of all they could pray for the sufferers; prayer from the heart availed
and was a great bond of fellowship. Next they could feel deeply for and with
them until something was done. Thirdly there was material help...
He asked for their (the Assembly's) help and for the help of their constituents
all over England and he asked for the awakening of conscience. They would not
forget and he could not forget that their Master was a Jew, a non-Aryan. They
thought in their hearts that if they saw their Master in sorrow they would wish
to help him, but it was right to remember the parable that their Master uttered
of judgment and what He said when He rebuked certain disciples: 'For I was an
hungered and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink: I was
a stranger and ye took me not in: naked and ye clothed me not: sick and in
prison and ye visited me not.' When the disciples in defending themselves
asked what he meant, the Master added: 'Verily I say unto you, in as much as
ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me'.
He was convinced that their attitude in England and in the Church of England to
the needs of those suffering non-Aryan Christians and members of the Jewish race
was the test of their attitude to their Master himself. It was because of that
that he felt so deeply and that he asked them to give their prayers and sympathy
and their material help.
The motion was carried. [191]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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