Moorad
-----Original Message-----
From: Robin Mandell <rmandell@jpusa.chi.il.us>
To: asa@calvin.edu <asa@calvin.edu>
Date: Thursday, February 25, 1999 11:14 AM
Subject: Re: Is this true about luther?
>>Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999 10:28:19 -0600
>>To: Tom Pearson <pearson@panam1.panam.edu>
>>From: Robin Mandell <rmandell@jpusa.chi.il.us>
>>Subject: Re: Is this true about luther?
>>
>>As a Jew I would advise you to drop the "was he anti-semitic or not bit"
>in any public voice representing Jesus Christ. The Jewish community sees
>this as very offensive. His words were vile and inexcusable. I realize you
>were not defending him. Only a complete rejection and total about face from
>such poor shades of Christ will mean anything to the Jewish people.
>>Andrew
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>At 09:48 AM 2/25/99 -0600, you wrote:
>>>At 06:47 AM 02/25/1999 -0800, E G M wrote:
>>>
>>>>Is this true about luther?
>>>
>>>>The Protestant Reformation, which split Christianity into different
>>>>branches
>>>>in the 16th
>>>>Century, did little to reduce anti-Semitism. For much of his life the
>>>>Protestant
>>>>Reformation leader Martin Luther expressed moderate views toward Jews.
>>>>Believing the
>>>>Jews would become converts to the faith, Luther urged humane treatment.
>>>>However when
>>>>the Jews failed to convert, he turned against them.
>>>
>>>Speaking as a Lutheran, I must admit that this is a fair assessment of
>>>Luther's attitude toward the Jews of his time. However, it is worth
noting
>>>that there is still controversy over whether Luther's attitude is
properly
>>>designated "anti-Semitic." Insofar as the term "anti-Semitic" denotes an
>>>attitude of hostility toward the Jews on the basis of their ethnic or
>>>racial identity, Luther apparently doesn't qualify as "anti-Semitic." He
>>>demonstrates no interest in the racial identity or characteristics of
Jews.
>>> They are unbelievers. He uses very similar language with regard to the
>>>"Turks and Huns" as that which he directs toward the Jews (and he
extends,
>>>on more than one occasion, the same language to express his animosity
>>>toward the "Papists"). For Luther, none of these peoples have any
inherent
>>>moral worth in themselves, as members of a certain race or culture, but
>>>only as objects of conversion. If they do not accept Christ, then they
are
>>>to be rejected as all heathen are to be rejected.
>>>
>>>Of course, given the events of the twentieth century, we may be inclined
to
>>>treat this effort to get Luther off the "anti-Semitic" hook as nothing
more
>>>than semantic dishonesty. Certainly, Luther did have harsh and violent
>>>things to say about the Jews. Nonethless, to call this "anti-Semitic"
may
>>>be deploying a modern term anachronistically to cover rather different
>>>attitudes on the part of figures from our own religious past.
>>>
>>>Tom Pearson
>>>_________________________________________________________________________
___
>>>____________
>>>_________________________________________________________________________
___
>>>____________
>>>
>>>Thomas D. Pearson
>>>Department of History & Philosophy
>>>The University of Texas-Pan American
>>>Edinburg, Texas
>>>e-mail: pearson@panam1.panam.edu
>>>
>>>
>