To Atheists: Were those Christians being hateful when they helped Jews hide or sneak out of Nazi Germany??

Question

It is well known that many Christian families took great risks to hide or help Jews sneak out of Nazi Germany. The movie "The Hiding Place" tells the story of the "Tenboom" family. They were Dutch Christians who (except for Corrie)all died in concentration camps.

What about the Elliotts? Jim Elliott was killed trying to reach out to natives in South America. His wife didn't try to get armed men to go kill the natives. Instead she went and found them. She forgave them and they became Christians. The story is told in "The End of the Spear". Is this what Atheist call hateful. How is it hateful to tell somebody about Christ and then let them decide? I think it would be hateful to decide that since you don't believe, nobody else should hear the message. That would mean that in effect you are deciding for them. Would it not?

It took much more than a handful of Christians to get the Jews out safely. It was the Catholic Church who helped get a few war criminals out. They were certainly wrong for doing that. I will not defend their sin. But simple logic tells us that it would not be possible for the # of war criminals to escape compare to the # of Jews that were helped. Also some probably helped the Nazis out of fear.

Aussieblond
Hitler was not a Christian. He simply said he was so that he could try to twist the scriptures to what he wanted them to say. He was heavily influenced by Islam.

While were on the subject of hate, some of you express it very well.

I think Bonhoeffer would disagree with your claim that Hitler was a Christian.

Also a little history for you. During WWI both sides claimed that God was on "their side". After the Germans lost, they were less likely to inject religion into politics. The churches adopted a practice of silence on most things political. Into this vacuum came Hitler. He put forth his own twisted ideas and claimed it was Christianity. If the most popular religion had been something else he would have claimed he was one of those instead. I do not disagree that many Christians of that time were led away by Hitler's charisma or propaganda or whatever. My point is that, those people whom I mentioned were motivated by their Christian beliefs. I did not suggest that atheist were evil or never did good things also. My only point is to show that Christianity has moved people to do good things. Look up "voice of the martyrs" for more recent examples.

Answer 1

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13). The people you mention took it further and sought out people whom it would be hard to describe as friends, because the love of Christ was in their hearts. I find one of the most moving episodes in "The Hiding Place" the moment when Corrie Ten Boom was called forward with another woman, apparently to be killed, and her overwhelming thought was not for herself in terms of her impending death, but for the other woman, to whom she witnessed urgently in the hope that she would find Christ even at that last moment in her life as did the thief dying beside Jesus. That is love.

"Christ died for all, that those who lives should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again." 2 Cor. 5:15. That was the selfless love shown by the Elliotts, the Ten Booms, Mother Theresa and so many others.

Answer 2

With respect.

The action of one person helping another is one of the most beautiful things on this earth. People have been doing this long before 'Christ' was discovered.

I personally couldn't give a damn what you believe - if I see you, lying in the gutter, I will offer you my hand, set you on your feet and be on my way. What my (or your) beliefs are do not even enter the thoughts of a good person

I think that you will find that many people of many differing beliefs have been helped by atheists for centuries, and I'm sure that many Jews can count themselves in that number... and we do it with a full and glad heart too, for helping their fellow men, as atheists are neither burdened with religion, nor are we filled with hatred and contempt that comes with the factioning of peoples.

Even better is that we don't adopt stupid serene smiles and try and push our non-beliefs on others.

I had 'Christianity' rammed down my throat as a child, but, once I had witnessed enough of the antics and hypocrisy of the church and it's members (and I was only 11) I walked away.

I actually resent the amount of my life that was wasted by this establishment brainwashing and I despise anyone who inflicts this on young minds. I consider it an abuse of their vulnerability.

I look at the world today and see the atrocities committed in the name of God, the repression of women and the ideal that animals have no souls - all from the Church - I see the zealots shaking their guns, the priests who molest their charges...Oh I could go on and on...

It is the fact that all to often 'hearing the message' is to threaten, repress, make sinners of and even outcasts of the listeners...should they fail to buy into this. That's what we don't like.

Sounds pretty hateful to me.

Answer 3

How are you so sure that Atheists didn't help Jews hide?? You aren't. And most Atheists don't try to prove that Christians are hateful... just annoying. And I in no way believe that people shouldn't hear the message. I think all people of a certain age should learn about multiple religions, then choose the best one for them. What I don't like is when Christian parents basically brainwash their children until they consider themselves Christian as well.

Answer 4

i don`t want to sound rude but with the Natzis and the Jews it was nothing to do with religion and the holocaust was nothing to do with it either as far as i know Germany isn`t all that religious it was because Hitler was trying to breed the pure Arian race the German people wasn`t even evil they were brainwashed by propaganda and fear the worst part of it all is that people have forgotten so soon every one who thinks that all Arabs and muslims are evil terorists should take time to read the events that made all those decent people close their eyes and minds to what was happening the same as what is going on now and every one only seems to think the death camps were only for Jews at least some of them escaped and survived others wasn`t so lucky

Answer 5

While some Christian families did help Jews escape and evade Nazi concentration camps, tens of millions of Christian Germans supported Hitler and his "traditional values." Obviously, when one helps another they aren't being hateful, but these stories are anomolous to the majority of the population. Christianity didn't aid in the prevention of the holocaust, in fact, as you pointed out, Christianity made it easier for Hitler to manipulate people into hateful acts.

Answer 6

A handful of Christians helped Jews. The Church helped Nazi war criminals flee from Germany. Germany was 96% Christian in WW2. Most of them hated Jews, liked Hitler.

Answer 7

The Roman Catholic Church deemed it correct in their eyes to turn their backs on the struggle for survival of the millions of Jews under Nazi rule. They knew what was going on in the concentration camps yet used little of it's huge resources to help. Sounds downright Christian of them, why would anyone worship a religion that thinks it's alright to ignore the suffering these people were going through. Not one I want to be part of that's for sure.

Answer 8

yes Hitler himself was a wonderful christian too along with over 90% of his population that were also Christians and supported him.......

And what about the christian Irish/Americans that funded the IRA?

you've managed to find a tiny minority that did something good.....



+*** are you saying that 90% of his population claimed to be christian too but were really religiously influenced by Islam?*** I think this would be a huge shock to most Germans...

Answer 9

I don't hate Christians as a whole. I hate some Christians, usually the ones with power, and without principles. I have never denied that there have ALWAYS been great Christians. But that doesn't prevent me from hating their religion.

Answer 10

Christians, atheists, and agnostics helped Jews escape from other Christians, agnostics, and atheists. Saving a life is not hateful.