Bob Enyart concludes his post-Charlottesville discussion of the six main reasons for racism, including of anti-Semitism. Today focuses on the sixth which only applies to Christians. As a protestant minister himself, pastor of Denver Bible Church, Bob presents the Protestant Reformer, Martin Luther, as one of the most vicious Christian racists in history, and explains why the virulent anti-Semitism has existed in the church for centuries. For the disease, see kgov.com/luther and for the cure see kgov.com/the-plot.
Here's an excerpt from kgov.com/luther:
* Luther's "On the Jews and their Lies": As a Protestant myself, I'll begin with the racism of a Protestant hero, Martin Luther. My review of Luther's book, On the Jews and their Lies (if you click over to there and appreciate the review, please Rate It accordingly), appears over at Google Books. From that review, and from my book The Plot, consider:
As the Pastor of Denver Bible Church, before quoting the following excerpts from Luther's book, I asked Alfred, a friend from Germany, to go with me to the University of Colorado's library in Boulder to confirm that the following English passages accurately translate Luther's original German. Alfred opened Vol. 53 (of 67) of Kritische Gesamtausgabe (Critical Collection, publishing in Weimar, Germany, began with H. Böhlau in 1883). He read words showing a horrifying depth of racism and hatred. Alfred's hands shook and he choked back tears, but translated essentially these same words that you can read here.
I took the following excerpts from the English version, Volume 47, of Luther's Works translated by Martin H. Bertram, Philadelphia, Fortress Press, 1971. Luther opens his book like this:
"I had made up my mind to write no more either about the Jews or against them… these miserable and accursed people… Much less do I propose to convert the Jews, for that is impossible." -Luther, p. 137
"Listen, Jew, [your] Jerusalem… temple and priesthood have been destroyed for over 1,460 years... Let the Jews bite on this nut…" -Luther, p. 138
The more he wrote, the less inhibited he became and the more obvious his own sin became. Essentially, Martin Luther eventually advocated the genocidal slaughter of the Jews:
"So we are even at fault in not avenging all this innocent blood of our Lord and of the Christians which they shed for three hundred years after the destruction of Jerusalem, and the blood of the children they have shed since then (which still shines forth from their eyes and their skin). We are at fault in not slaying them." -Luther, p, 267
This wickedness does not have to be understood, but only condemned. However, understanding a primary factor in this evil can help prevent it from surfacing in others. Those who read or listen to our overview of the Bible called The Plot understand immediately why Martin Luther (like many other Christians who have missed the sweeping plot of the Old and New Testaments) eventually gave public expression to his vile sin of hatred of the Jews. Then, as a little leaven leavens the whole lump, over time Luther's hatred infected most of Germany. Adolf Hitler writing in Mein Kampf later echoed Luther's sentiments:
"Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord." -Adolph Hitler, p. 65 (translated by Ralph Manheim, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1971)
Martin Luther went on to claim that the Jews have a plan of:
"…finally overcoming us, killing us all… and robbing us of all our property (as they daily pray and hope)." p. 267
Luther chose to believe and spread the lies he had heard about the Jews. In 1994, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America repudiated Luther's anti-Jewish statements. Some though seek to dilute Luther's guilt by quoting friendly statements from his 1523 work, That Jesus Christ Was Born a Jew. However, in the 1520s, the reformer had high hopes of converting Jews. When that didn't happen, he eagerly disseminated the misinformation and hatred that his generation had inherited from earlier centuries. (This included the viciously wicked and insanely conspiratorial blood libel claim that the eyes of Jews shined because they drank the blood of Gentile children. Also, while throughout that period Khabbalistic and other Jewish writings presented their own blood as pure as against impure Gentile blood, another absurd Christian fiction arose that Jewish men menstruated.) Still others, also tragically trying to defend Luther, claim that these sentiments were from an older, frustrated man of declining health. However, Luther was at his maturity and continued to write important commentaries after completing On the Jews in 1543.
Final excerpts, from pages 268 to 272, horrifically prefigure Hitler and the National Socialists as Martin Luther describes what should be done to the Jews:
"First, to set fire to their synagogues or schools and to bury and cover with dirt whatever will not burn, so that no man will ever again see a stone or cinder of them… Moses… would be the first to set fire to the synagogues and houses of the Jews."
"Second, I advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed… Instead, they might be lodged under a roof or in a barn…"
"Third, I advise that all their prayer books and Talmudic writings… be taken from them."
"Fourth, I advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach henceforth on pain of loss of life…"
My German friend stood among the stacks reading, sweating, and translating faster until, under his breath, he began reading only in German. We both noticed his hands shaking. While we had heard accusations of Luther's anti-Semitism, the extent of the actual hatred horrified us both. Luther's suggestions continued:
"Fifth, I advise that safe-conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews. For they have no business in the country-side… Let them stay at home."
"Sixth, I advise… that all cash and treasure of silver and gold be taken from them…"
Then Luther adds, "let us emulate the common sense of other nations such as France, Spain, Bohemia, etc., compute with them how much their usury has extorted from us, divide this amicably, but then eject them forever from the country."
* Luther's Vom Schem Hamphoras: Additional evidence for Luther's anti-Semitism isn't needed. But to broaden the blame, the photo (right) documents the anti-Semitic "artwork" installed in 1305 on the exterior of a German church, which remained in place throughout Luther's life and with his explicit approval. Martin Luther married, baptized his six children, and regularly preached here at Stadtkirche (city church) Wittenberg. Luther's pulpit, preserved and displayed in the Luther House museum, came from this church. A Judensau, in use for over six centuries, is a "Jewish pig" theological, linguistic, and graphic insult. About this specific Judensau on his Wittenberg church, Luther wrote, in that same year, 1543, on pages 34 and 35 of his 125-page Vom Schem Hamphoras:
"Here in Wittenburg, in our parish church, there is a sow carved into the stone under which lie young pigs and Jews who are sucking; behind the sow stands a rabbi who is lifting up the right leg of the sow, raises behind the sow, bows down and looks with great effort into the Talmud under the sow, as if he wanted to read and see something most difficult and exceptional; no doubt they gained their Shem Hamphoras from that place."
The text on the Judensau was added to quote these words of Luther. His gibberish, Shem hamphoras, is a corruption of a Hebrew phrase for the hidden or "secret name of God" and Rabini is apparently a reference to Rabbis. Luther's revolting hatred highlights centuries of sinful wickedness, from those who name the name of Christ, against the Jews whom, like all peoples, God loves.
For more, see kgov.com/luther...
-Pastor Bob Enyart
KGOV.com &
TheologyOnline.com
1-800-8Enyart
Bob@KGOV.com
* Related Topics: See Pastor Bob Enyart's article, critical of many televangelists, titled: On the Jews who Reject Christ.
Also: Reason #1,164 to keep your kids out of public school. Public school teacher shoots himself in school. But don't worry; it was before classes began.
And: Bob sends a comment to Emma Llansó, director, Free Expression Project.
Emma, as you were quoted in Bloomberg: “People have wondered, why are they [the hate speech efforts of the social networks] so focused on Islamic extremism, and not white nationalism or white supremacy in their own backyard?" asked Emma Llanso, director of the Center for Democracy & Technology’s Free Expression Project.
A correct view of free speech notwithstanding, together we should destroy neo-NAZI and jihadi ideology, for both are repugnant and destructive of civilized coexistence. I think you should remember though that as of today, worldwide since 9/11, there have been 31,583 reported *lethal* terrorist attacks by Islamic extremists. (The latest *may* be today's Barcelona atrocity, committed by anti-Semites per a suspect's FB page, who murdered 13 and injure 100. Any possible Jihadi motivation is not yet known or falsified.) Emma, you should have a heightened awareness of this reason to prioritize efforts, which includes the more than 100,000 people murdered and injured, again, just since 9/11, by Islamic terrorists. Consider also, there *may* be more pro-Sharia-law, pro-Jihad Muslims in the U.S. than there are members and supporters of neo-nazi and white supremacist groups. Thanks for your consideration. See also kgov.com/terror & kgov.com/what-about-bob.