>>-----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
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>
>>