Defending the Hitler letters - Jehovahs Witnesess Courageous in the Face Of Nazi Peril

by levicolemagic 13 Replies latest jw friends

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  Leolaia

  Some things not mentioned in this Watchtower article:

  1) The Hilter letter quotes statements from Section 24 of the Nazi Platform as embodying "just principles" enunicated by the German government. One of these "just principles" quoted therein is a statement that the Party "opposes the Jewish materialist spirit (bekampft den judisch-materialistischen Geist) domestically and abroad". It was not necessary to quote this sentence to make the point that the Bible Students should have freedom of religion under the Nazi platform. Instead this expresses alignment between the Bible Students and the Nazi anti-Jewish policy. As a cover letter to the Declaration, the anti-Jewish statements in the Declaration (particularly with respect to accepting money from Jews, and the Jews owning New York) are thematically relevant to this quoted "just principle".

  2) The Declaration distributed in Germany contains a statement that maligns American Jews and Catholics for "insulting the national government in Germany" and joining together to boycott the country because of the Nazi Party's "announced principle". This principle is the same one referenced in the Hitler letter, for the boycott sought to make Germany back down from its systematic harassment of Jewish businesses (which is in accord with the principle of fighting against the "Jewish materialist spirit"). The Declaration's alignment with the Nazis on the issue of the boycott in June 1933 follows Joseph Goebbels' announcement of a counter-boycott in April: "Tomorrow not a German man or woman shall enter a Jewish store. Jewish trade throughout Germany must remain paralyzed. We shall then call a three-day pause in order to give the world a chance to recant its anti-German agitation. If it has not been abandoned ... the boycott will be resumed Wednesday until German Jewry has been annihilated" (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Nazi_boycott_of_1933).

  3) Although the article claims that the statement in the Declaration about "commercial Jews", in their words, "did not refer to the Jewish people in general, and it is regrettable if it has been misunderstood," the Society at the time did refer to the Jews collectively in general in such a manner. Rutherford wrote that "Judah and the land of Israel had commercial intercourse with Tyre, and doubtless from Tyre the Jews learned how to cheat their fellow man" (Vindication, 1932, p. 70), "the people now on earth and which are called Jews are a commercial people" (Favored People, 1934, p. 5), etc. There is thus probably no misunderstanding here.
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  levicolemagic

  Nicely put Leolaia
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  Band on the Run

  I am reeling from this more than from any other item. It shows my schizoid personality when it comes to the Witnesses. I prefer to think of them as hapless, fools rather than calculating, immoral bastards. It hurts less. Of course, I guess publishers are goofy and the org officials evil. Rutherford was a lawyer and should have drafted the letter more carefully. I'd want to read correspondence from the Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches, too. Of course, we know the outcome, don't we.

  I grew up in the NY area. Commercial Jews bites into every disgusting stereotype since before Shylock. Sadly, the Roman Catholic church did no better. Perhaps it would not hurt me so much if the Witnesses weren't so sanctimonious. They should profoundly apologize the way the Pope has done on rare occasion. Jesus isn't truly Christ isn't truly God in Witness theology. However Jesus is viewed one fact is clear. He was born and died a Jew. No Pauline prayers were uttered when he died. Antisemitism was rampant. I paid a heavy personal price regarding flag salute during the Cold War. My mom was expelled from high school.

  Yet the ruse with Hitler did not work. My mom recalled her mom reading about the brave Witnesses in Germany. She had to prepare to witness to the Gestapo as a minor. If you cross the line with the devil, why not volunteer en masse after September 11th. I am sorry for my Witness ignorance. What aid the Society provide? They were so close and so organized. Granted, the subways were down for several days but the British organized Dunkirk. I'm talking about providing water to the rescuers, finding athletic socks and Vicks-Vapo-Rub. Heck, how about some prayers? Not anything national. An uncle served time at Danbury during WWII for the Witnesses. My intellectual fears concerning the Witnesses are confirmed.
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  Band on the Run

  I quickly read some of the websites. Most relate that the Witnesses stood up to Hitler. There is no doubt that JWs were sent to concentration camps. I'd like to think Rutherford wrote that letter to save lives. He was antiSemitic, though, in my opinion. Political correctness changes. My mom told me no one knew about the concentration camps. The record is clear that the regular reporters of the New York Times correctly reported the phenomena of the Holocaust as it occurred. It never saw the front page b/c the publisher, an American Jew, believed that European Jews were their own problem. People insist they did not know yet there are recorded meetings of Jewish groups begging for help. They reportedly asked that the train lines be cut. Political correctness changes.

  Rutherford's letter seems to unnecessarily throw Jews under the boss. In my mind, it scapegoats them. We are not Jews. We are law and order. There has to be more scholarship available. I am very confused. My parents would tell me of WWII and the strain of being a US Witness. I studied the war in history and could marshal many facts. My mom got annoyed and told me she lived it. All I had was book knowledge.