God, the Holocaust and Etty Hillesum

One rather shocking question is why did God let the Holocaust happen. Let me now try to answer the question. Your views may not be mine but atleast we'll have thought about it :)

Firstly, while the Holocaust was by no means Christian, the shocking truth is it could never have happened without the centuries of Church persecution of the Jews which came before it and a theology that demonised them.

Secondly, the Holocaust is a prime example of the evil humanity is capable of perpetrating. We may not know the reasons why God allowed this, yet God shared the suffering of His chosen people. He was, like believing Jews know only too well, not distant.

Finally, we are inclined by nature toward selfishness and sin so in this view He is God the omnipotent, the all-powerful Creator, but He is not omnibenevolent because He did not create our souls in a way that predispositioned us all for salvation.

Nicholas Wolterstorff, writing against the grain of centuries of Christian theology, states the seemingly obvious: “Given that all human actions are temporal,” he reasons, “those actions of God which are ‘response’ are temporal as well.”

Personally, I've read quite a few books on the subject matter but yet again I like particulary what Rowan Williams said in ending the following talk with Reza Shah-Kazemi about Etty Hillesum.

[media=https://youtu.be/jrUoNsbphCs]

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JSul3 · 70-79

According to the bible (the white mans King James version), god turned a woman into a pillar of salt, struck people dead, and drowned mankind in a flood. So he had power to intervene in the Holocaust (as well as all the other horrors in history) and evidently chose to sit and watch.

I have read and viewed documentaries where survivors, who were very devout, ask the question: 'Where was god? Why did he not stop this?' etc. Many became atheists or agnostics. Who could blame them?

It is enough to make you consider, is god an antisemite?

val70 · 51-55

@JSul3 It's like Voltaire said: the right of free speech is more important than the content of the speech. And also: the institution of religion exists only to keep mankind in order, and to make men merit the goodness of God by their virtue. Everything in a religion which does not tend towards this goal must be considered foreign or dangerous

JSul3 · 70-79

@val70 "Anyone who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”

I detest all religions, because they do not unite. They divide. They discriminate. They are all male dominate and female passive at the least, or submissive/slave at the extreme.

Antisemitism is alive and well today.

Sentiment among many during this terrible black mark on humanity was:
'Who cares? They are Jews, they don't accept Christ, so to hell with them!"
The dastardly Catholic Church and its Pope knew what was happening. They remained mute, and then aided many Nazis from being caught by hiding them or helping escape to S. America...and some hid in the US.

val70 · 51-55

@JSul3 I'm not going to respond to your questions when you want to ignore what greater minds in the past have said about religion. I'm not anti-anything, but you cleary are. You made your point so I'm going on. Try to bully anyone else with your utterances but you're not doing that to me :-) By the way your responses also show that you haven't read my posting. Please read those in the futire first before you try your bully tactics on anyone else. That's being of sane mind and good manners

JSul3 · 70-79

@val70 I have no issue with your stance or your beliefs. To each his own
My life experiences have helped to shape my disdain for religion. I have read about and seen the damage it can do. That does not mean I am against anyone to choose the path they wish to travel. For me, there are paths I refuse to take.

SW-User

@JSul3 The holocaust continues with the treatment of the Uyghur people in China, Myomar’s treatment of Muslims and Christians. The liquidation of Tibetan Buddhists.
Man’s inhumanity to man.

Or maybe there are powers and dominions in this world? Evil?

I don’t know Genesis. Is it central to Christian faith?
It’s world view is easy to understand. At least it was not Newtonian physics. Or a quantum universe which is currently accepted.

The Psalmist longs that God does not interact or answer prayers, whilst evil prevails.

I thought Christians confessed that Jesus is Lord, and God raised him from the dead.

Evil is defeated. It was dealt with on the Cross.

JSul3 · 70-79

@SW-User The Old Testament shows the anger and revenge of god: the pillar of salt, striking people dead, and wiping out mankind in a flood. Clearly god took steps and made decisions to intervene in world affairs (if you believe it is true).

Then here comes The New Testament, Jesus arrives, and we are told to forget/discard The Old Testament...that it doesn't count anymore (if you believe it is true). God stops killing people, and now we are all on own own.

SW-User

@JSul3 And I suppose, random atoms colliding together after the Big Bang have lead to violent crime, abuse, oppression, betrayal, deceit , injustice and murder, then.

JSul3 · 70-79

@SW-User "Atoms colliding" is too violent. Perhaps they were merging together as a sperm to an egg.

SW-User

@JSul3 As the Universe expanded from a singularity.

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

@JSul3 [quote]According to the bible (the white mans King James version), god turned a woman into a pillar of salt, struck people dead, and drowned mankind in a flood. So he had power to intervene in the Holocaust (as well as all the other horrors in history) and evidently chose to sit and watch.

I have read and viewed documentaries where survivors, who were very devout, ask the question: 'Where was god? Why did he not stop this?' etc. Many became atheists or agnostics. Who could blame them?

It is enough to make you consider, is god an antisemite?[/quote]

Read 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 = https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+thessalonians+2%3A14-16&version=NIV

& Zephaniah 1:2-3 = https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=zephaniah+1%3A2-3&version=NKJV