Luther's Tragic Mistake
- pogomcl
- H2O
- biogardener
- H2O
- biogardener
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» pogomcl - Jews and their Lies
unfortunately, this tract has been the justification and argument for much bloodshed and polemics in this world. It's sitting on my computer in a file with Brenneder Sorge. The Jews of Prague even today have clear memories of the persecution and horror that this tract instigated, and it was employed to rile abuse and discrimination against Jews under the Nazi regime.Be ever so careful in your handling, for many have died as a result of baseless hatred. Today nearly no European synagogue does not have its 24/7 security guards standing outside... and so few are left.
In Prague, Luther is not greatly loved by the jewish community who view him in the opposite light of Jan Huss. Luther tried vainly to instigate animosity between Jews and Catholics...and it is felt that he used his relationships as a form of manipulation to satisfy his own ends. On the other hand, Jan Huss died for listening to the whisperings of Jews. And it is said that the Jews and the Jesuits defended Prague in the Battle of White Mountain...
and in Germany, a certain Bernard, father of the Cistercians, protected the Jews of Germany during the Second Crusade and from that time, many German Jews were given the name Benedict in his honor.
-- posted by pogomcl
» H2O - Re: Jews and their Lies
In response to Jews and their Lies posted by pogomcl:Thank you for your insight and viewpoints. My purpose in presenting this is to highlight the hatred capable in people--yes, even Martin Luther. If anything should take away the cloak and aura of a person, certainly this tract leaves an ugly blemish on Luther and negates any positives he said about the Jewish people in his earlier tract.
John
-- posted by H2O
» biogardener - Look at the context
Having received my religious education in schools in Germany rather than in North America, I see Luther in a different light. Rather than looking at it through the eyes of a post-WWII observer, I see him as a child of his time.Since Hitler's persecution of the Jews, North Americans label everyone as anti-Semitic who says anything against them, even when the criticism comes from another Jew. If Luther was anti-Semitic, then he was also anti-peasant.
Luther was a strong advocate of being subject to the rulers as was the first century Christian church. Of course, he went overboard in his support of the rulers. His writing against the peasant revolt was even more condemning than his writing against the Jews. He was not against a class of people. He was against them not accepting the authority of the state.
Luther's stand against the peasants resulted in bloody slaughter, as I am sure you know.
Look at it this way. If Luther had not been such a strong supporter of rulers, he would have died a martyr like other reformers before him. It would certainly have changed the course of history, but that is not the case.
Luther was as bull-headed a German as I have ever met. He put a lot of conviction into everything he said and did, right or wrong. If he had not been that way, he would never have managed to finish the Bible translation which I consider his greatest accomplishment. It did, unfortunately, lead him to make mistakes with the same conviction. Thank God for Melanchthon who, as you have pointed out in your Augsburg article, was a peacemaker and managed to counteract some of those mistakes.
-- posted by biogardener
» H2O - Re: Look at the context
In response to Look at the context posted by biogardener:Traute, thank you for your thoughts. Yes, it can be argued Luther was a product of his times, but Luther was also capable, by the grace of God, to rise above it. In his earlier treatise, "That Jesus Christ was Born a Jew," Luther urges Christians to be hospitable to Jews, to show them every kindness, so that the Gospel may take root in their hearts.
All in all, we are all capable of such acts. And while it is a tragedy that Luther's words written in anger were used for nefarious purposes, the same God who died on the cross and forgave those who drove nails into his hands also forgives Luther and forgives each and every one of us.
John
-- posted by H2O
» biogardener - Forgiveness
In a way, it is good to be able to look at great men of God and realize that they were also capable of committing sins. The Bible also shows us the faults of the great heroes of faith, and Paul says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) It helps us to understand that God can use everyone who is willing to be used, regardless of our faults. We are saints because of the grace of God and not because of our own merit.BTW, Jesus does not distinguish between a little sin and big sin. He forgives one the same as the other.
-- posted by biogardener
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