Madness Demands Protest, Not Argument
Insults are not to be argued but attacks are not to be ignored. This is the crucial distinction to be made in response to holocaust denial.
Essentially denial of the holocaust does not have the status of an intellectual position; it is simply an insult. If I say, "slavery never happened in the United States" that is not an historical assertion -- it is a racist slur. Similarly, when someone, in the face of massively overwhelming evidence, in the teeth of survivors who bear numbers -- and numberless scars -- when someone claims the holocaust did not happen, to engage them in reasoned discussion is to dignify the affront. No one should take paper to pen to prove that which is indisputable.
When the insult threatens more than hurt feelings, however, niceties of debate are beside the point. When the President of an almost nuclear power such as Iran declares that Israel should be wiped off the map and that the holocaust never happened, he is not inviting documentation -- he is threatening annihilation. To do other than answer that position is to acquiesce in the possibility of genocide. That one may not do.
That the Pope takes refuge in legal niceties while re-embracing a group that denies the holocaust is a more complicated case. Doubtless there are intricacies to canon law that make his action legal. I do not believe that this Pope, who grew up in Germany, doubts for a moment the noxiousness of the denial. But he has demonstrated a tone-deafness that almost defies believe in renouncing Williamson's excommunication. The very question is the answer: what head of the Church would wish to see a Bishop in the same sentence, part of the same question, as the current President of Iran? Surely there is provision in the Church's deliberations for shame?
So no, we do not argue. There is no arguing with madness. Instead we protest. We demand decency. We point out where cruelty finds its support in the positions of established institutions and powerful individuals. We recoil in disgust from actions that refuse to discriminate between legal viability and human dignity.
By
David Wolpe
|
February 6, 2009; 9:01 AM ET
Save & Share:
Previous: Freedom of Speech Includes Holocaust Deniers |
Next: Why I Joined Obama's Faith Council
Posted by: Kenneth | February 11, 2009 8:40 AM
Report Offensive Comment
And to think a simple Wiccan spell could have prevented all of this!!!
Posted by: Concerned The Christian Now Liberated | February 11, 2009 3:37 AM
Report Offensive Comment
"...Essentially denial of the holocaust does not have the status of an intellectual position; it is simply an insult". OK, I agree, but given that, why on the earth did you bother to write this post anyway? Are you trying to insult someone?
"...When the insult threatens more than hurt feelings, however, niceties of debate are beside the point". OK, do you imply to abandon niceties and proceed in giving these people a fair trial and hang them afterwards? Is this what the Law of Moses dictates? Oh! I am afraid gone is the great old Rabbi wisdom of the past. Let me remind you please that when the great Gamaliel was asked to summarize the Law, he claimed "do not do to the others what you do not want the others to exercise on you" and I truly believe he was right. Had the Nazis been following this, we could well have avoided holocaust and all this shame, I believe. Please forgive me, but as a young man you are, you to have lots to learn, it seems. Where are your good manners after all?
"...When the President of an almost nuclear power". Come on David you shouldn't mention politics on a column that is supposed to be about faith, should you? Let us be honest and fair.
Please forgive me, but I got too bored to read the rest of your post. You seem to be completely irrelevant and off topic, I am afraid.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 10, 2009 7:44 PM
Report Offensive Comment
I think you are not right. Why should anything in history be debated exept the holocoast? Why should a historian or researcher be stamped as holocoast denier and antisemite and may be prosecuted if he found that the number of jews killed is less than 6 million ? Is`nt that opinion terror? Dos`nt that make the people suspicious? If we confront the people with convincing arguments they will be exposed if they are not convinced.
Although I consider Ahmadinidgad a radical whom I do not like, he never said"Israel should be wiped off the map " This is the false English translation which is repeated over and over again in the western media sometimes by people who like to misuse it for their agenda and who think repeating a lie does make it a fact.
Posted by: mansour112 | February 10, 2009 4:16 PM
Report Offensive Comment
I mean, the only reason this isn't obvious to the average TV viewer is cause the Protestants want the Pope's denials and incriminations about gay people and non-Christians to be *right* and those most inclined to want to believe *conspiracy theories* wanting to think there's some 'secret Gospel' out there that physically would exist and totally overthrow things if only it were read, when really, they've been digging this kind of stuff up for a long time and do what they always do....
Play politics.
Look for someone to blame. Prods blame Catholics, catholics blame someone else... on it goes, no one ever looking at what they're doing *now,* never mind what was done in living memory.
cause, obviously, nothing about the 'Word of God' is *ever* lost in translation.
Just a matter of who's *inspired* right now, to claim the 'literal authority,' right?
Denial in the case of Nazis is surely an isolated instance, of course.
Posted by: Paganplace | February 9, 2009 5:28 PM
Report Offensive Comment
" The Pardoner's Tale:
"Do you think the Pope would have been unaware of the Bishop's views if he advocated contraception, women's right to choose, or gay marriage?"
Oh, make no mistake, the Pope was *full aware* of why these guys got excommunicated in the first place. He was head of the 'Society For The Doctrine Of The Faith,' which is a rebadged 'Holy Inquisition.' All that stuff crossed his desk.
Certainly a move like excommunication is a big deal... Originally it came because the 'Society of Pius The Mean And Nasty' was in open rebellion against who they saw as a too 'liberal' Pope, ....Benedict, being more right-wing himself, hopes to regain influence over this group by 'forgiving' them. Reasserting authority, and otherwise making them part of his idea of consolidating the Catholic Church into a neocon theocratic influence group.
Keep in mind, this is two people, not Italian, in the Papacy, in a row. This is some Rennie-feudal *stuff* with the 'Crown' being Rush Limbaugh's notion of God.
Things got *awful* unsubtle, like looky looky, JPII takes a swing for the Right when the poor soul is so pious he can barely pray n public...
Who wrote that stuff?
Do I really have to come back there and say?
Messy messy.
Posted by: Paganplace | February 9, 2009 5:16 PM
Report Offensive Comment
"That the Pope takes refuge in legal niceties while re-embracing a group that denies the holocaust is a more complicated case. Doubtless there are intricacies to canon law that make his action legal. I do not believe that this Pope, who grew up in Germany, doubts for a moment the noxiousness of the denial."
Well, you do realize that the Pope presides over an institution that has been abusing a tenth of the world's population at the ouside, *just* cause Constantine thought St. Paul's freakish homophobia might help redirect the masses against whatever was left of the Republic?
Atmittedly, the Roman Empire was never exactly *gay friendly,* but there were ancient prejudices against those not breeding soldiers, that got fanned into some notion of violations of eternal law...
How many people, since then, have said to the Church, 'So long, and thanks for all the fetishes!'
Nonetheless.
Nazi stuff does make me snippy. People acting like Nazis and then claiming that the righteous Church condemns you for being subject to the notion that the Nazis were *queer non-Catholics, even after killing said people by the millions...*
Yeah. It does not impress me with the spiritual wisdom of a dude sitting in the Medicis' exquisite red Pradas and blaming me for some nefarious influence of Harry Potter. :)
Perhaps, in some retrospect, there is a place for forgiving people who have been in denial of the horrors they have visited upon others.
On the other hand.... the dude was in part elected by Cardinal Law and continues to say 'The b** was asking for it* as regards what that Cardinal and he covered up, rationalized, reinterpreted, and of course, politicized.
It's not possible to face up to institutional denials of the *past* while reinforcing the ongoing and related ones in the *present.*
Tragic part here is that for Popes, it's not about the Jews or the queers or the lies or denial.
It's about what the Papacy has always been about.
Papal Authoritay.
If he didn't see *this* coming, no wonder.
He didn't see Boston, 1979 being an issue, either.
It's actually, the same thing.
This is the spooky bit about it.
Posted by: Paganplace | February 9, 2009 5:05 PM
Report Offensive Comment
For an unbiased review about the reported Ustasa Gold in the Vatican Bank see,
http://www.state.gov/www/regions/eur/rpt_9806_ng_ustasha.pdf
Posted by: Concerned The Christian Now Liberated | February 8, 2009 11:52 PM
Report Offensive Comment
For more than a decade, Jewish, Orthodox Christian, and Roma have been involved in a lawsuit against Vatican Bank, which thieved from Jews, Orthodox Christians, and Roma slaughtered by fifteen hundred Franciscan priests. You will find a significant amount of information at the link below.
The Vatican will not settle. Many people, including Orthodox Christians, Jews, Roma, are putting pressure on the Vatican to settle and account for its horrible crimes in this matter. The suit has been monitored all over the world. These Franciscan priests' crimes include cutting up with scissors living Jews, Orthodox Christians, and Roma.
http://www.vaticanbankclaims.com/news.html
Please contact the Vatican and ask them to act justly. More information on the Ustasha Franciscan crimes against humanity, including the names of every one of the fifteen hundred Franciscan murderers is available on the web.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 8, 2009 3:24 AM
Report Offensive Comment
Do you think the Pope would have been unaware of the Bishop's views if he advocated contraception, women's right to choose, or gay marriage?
I don't think so.
Apparently, anti Semitism from an excised Bishop is not as morally reprehensible or noteworthy for the the Pope to have been very aware of this Bishop's views on the subject.
Or just maybe it didn't really bother the Pope that much.
As Shakespeare said: "Me thinks the lady doth protest too much (now that it's out in the media).
I added the parenthetical to bring old Will up to date.
Posted by: The Pardoner's Tale | February 7, 2009 12:48 PM
Report Offensive Comment
In some respects, the Germans and Japanese made the world a global concentration camp during WW2.
Posted by: Concerned The Christian Now Liberated | February 5, 2009 11:56 AM
Report Offensive Comment
I don't understand how the pope can make a mistake. He is God's representitive down here on earth, and is in communication with Him each and every day.
So whatever the pope says is what God says. Or am I missing something?
Posted by: colin | February 5, 2009 11:52 AM
Report Offensive Comment
Debating the Holocaust: A New Look At Both Sides by Thomas Dalton, PhD
Publisher's Note: This is a non-Revisionist title for Theses & Dissertations Press. It will be the first book on the Holocaust, in publishing history, that will not take a Traditionalist or a Revisionist point of view. When you purchase this book, one-third of the proceeds will go to Germar Rudolf and his family.
Founded in 2000 the publishing company Theses & Dissertations Press is at the center of a worldwide network of scholars and activists who are working -- often at great personal sacrifice -- to separate historical fact from propaganda fiction. The founder of Theses & Dissertations Press is Germar Rudolf. Who is currently serving prison time for his published works and will be released on July 4, 2009.
As the new director of Germar Rudolf's American publishing division, I wish to express my outrage that the Holocaust, unlike any other historical event, is not subject to critical revisionist investigation. Furthermore I deplore the fact that many so-called democratic states have laws that criminalize public doubting of the Holocaust. It is my position that the veracity of Holocaust assertions should be determined in the marketplace of scholarly discourse and not in our legislatures bodies and courthouses.
Peace.
Michael Santomauro
Editorial Director
Call: 917-974-6367
ReporterNotebook@Gmail.com
Posted by: Michael Santomauro | February 4, 2009 11:21 PM
Report Offensive Comment
--- Here are (6-HOLOCAUSTS that i [WE] know of:
Holocaust #1)
Aegypt Calandate Ramsis4: Fugitives JEWS AGAINST GENTiLE, GOY(s) et al:
Rabbi & Novelist Moses & Co.(an ex-Murderer), thus vamped-out of Aegypt & saith, "..Take away LAND by Great Fear & Terrors.." {Deut: 4:34 et seq). Lasted 700 Years until Babylon stopped the "SHEMiTES" (befor Christian & Muslom ) or they would've literally take over the World via Zion & Pre-Apocalyptic Idiology..
Holocaust #2: Year 99 BCE - 325AD; ROME , From ROMOLUS, against CHRiSTiAN(s) et al: Pronounced the "DEATH SENTENCE" OF RABBi YASHUA/JESUS/JEHOVA" a non Believer in Greek/Rom Mythology. Lasted 300 Years. Secret: It was the Pagan-ARABS (Islam not Born yet), whom Yashua chipped-in to have him 'Wacked'. not only Pharasees (Abrahamics).
Holocaust #3: In 628 AD, Islamicholic Mass Murders & theft via the War against Jews (Yahudi) in KHAiBAR. Not to mention the Islamic invasion & conversion of the GAZA-Palistine Jews of 632 & the 637 Invasion & Theftof JERUSALEM.
HOLOCAUST #4: The 638 MASS Murders , Conversion & Theft of Both FARSi/PERSHiA/Iran ZOROASTRiANS (1st Monotheo? Religion) & their Jews & Diosporah to India et al!!
Holocaust #5 Year 1095 CE, Pope Urban-2 Mass Murderer Legacy & History. Known as CHiSTiAN's AGAiNST HERETiC, NONBELIEVERS(s) et al: This turned into the 'midEViL' Inqusitor's Mass Murder Movement. Millions dead! Hence the Vatican hath Blood on their hands. 'NO' Excuses. Please do not Turn a No into a yes or "D & D"; Do then Deny, Pope BENEDICT XVI & Co.,!!
Holocaust #6: "OUR-SHOAH" 1930'/40/2 CE. Lasted just 12 Years. Where GERMAN STORM TROOPER HITLER, THE ARYAN-NAZI-CHRISTIAN (SEE Pope Benedicta XVI & Co. a JASPETHian) AGAINST THE ASHKE-NAZI-GERMAN JEWS(see Albert Einstein) Millions of RUSSIANS (Orthrodox Church Members, not Cathlics), & JEW's & Nonbelievers & non Straights & gypsies.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoah_(film)
i [WE] also Thank the Good INDIA & ORiENT Nations or folks for saving & providing havens to past victims via Islamic Shoah's & not only saved by Good Christians.
Note: Example: "KiNG MASHiACH" via N.Y. City's LUBAViTCH's aka Revvi Moshe SCHNEERSON [pbuh et al] is not the Massiah! (via Judeo-Jews) Not the MAHDI! (via Judeo-Islam) not the KALKi (via Judeo-Hindu) , not the long awaited MAITREYA (via Buddhist Messiah] etc..! But Only Through both Father/Prophet "Charles Darwin" [pbuh et al] & "Albert Einstein" [pbuh] respectfully et al! They will never be Dis-proved!
Posted by: Anonymous | February 4, 2009 11:20 AM
Report Offensive Comment
All of the horrific atrocities committed by humankind against humankind need to be constantly reviewed.
A good starting point is the body counts from these atrocities as found at http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat0.htm
-some excerpts that should be "burned in" your memories:
Rank Death Toll Cause Centuries
1 55 million Second World War 20C
2 40 million Mao Zedong (mostly famine) 20C
3 40 million Mongol Conquests 13C
4 36 million An Lushan Revolt 8C
5 25 million Fall of the Ming Dynasty 17C
6 20 million Taiping Rebellion 19C
7 20 million Annihilation of the American Indians 15C-19C
8 20 million Iosif Stalin 20C
9 19 million Mideast Slave Trade 7C-19C
10 18 million Atlantic Slave Trade 15C-19C
11 17 million Timur Lenk 14C-15C
12 17 million British India (mostly famine) 19C
13 15 million First World War 20C
14 9 million Russian Civil War 20C
15 8 million Fall of Rome 3C-5C
16 8 million Congo Free State 19C-20C
17 7 million Thirty Years War 17C
18 5 million Russia's Time of Troubles 16C-17C
19 4 million Napoleonic Wars 19C
20 3 million Chinese Civil War 20C
21 3 million French Wars of Religion
Reference, Rummel:
European War Dead (1939-45): 28,736,000
Sino-Japanese War Dead (1937-45): 7,140,000
TOTAL: 35,876,000
War-related Democides
Hitler: 20,946,000
Stalin: 13,053,000
Japanese: 5,964,000
Chinese Nationalist: 5,907,000
Allied Bombing: 796,000
Croatian: 655,000
Tito: 600,000
Romanian domestic democide: 484,000
Chinese Communist: 250,000
Hungarian democide in Yugoslavia: 78,000
[TOTAL: 48,733,000]
[FINAL TOTAL (1937-45): 84,609,000]
Posted by: Concerned The Christian Now Liberated | February 4, 2009 10:19 AM
Report Offensive Comment
The comments to this entry are closed.

Twitter










This kind of Holocaust hub-bub always gets louder after a particularly egregious episode of IDF brutality towards the Palestinian people. Like clockwork. It must be embarrassing for many Jews.