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From: rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Rich Rosen)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.religion
Subject: Re: Islam (long but not propaganda)
Message-ID: <1424@pyuxd.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 5-Aug-85 19:39:34 EDT
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Posted: Mon Aug  5 19:39:34 1985
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> Hitler did use Luther's opinion as part of his rallying call.  ...
> 
> I think Luther's opinion played a relatively minor part with Hitler
> compared to Nietzsche, for example (either directly, or indirectly through
> men like Albert Camus and Jean Paul Sartre).  Also, where do you think
> Hitler got his ideas about eugenics and social Darwinism?   Was that part
> of Luther's fundemental ideology?
> 
> It is generally argued that the ideas of people like Nietzsche, Camus,
> Sartre and Darwin were selectively applied or twisted by Hitler.  Indeed,
> these men did, or probably would have, strongly opposed the Nazi way of
> doing things.  No one (especially those sympathetic to the views of these men)
> wants to admit that their ideas provided a significant influence for the
> Nazis.  But the effects of ideas often go beyond the intent and foresight of
> their progenitors. [DUBUC]

Thus, by the same reasoning, we should belittle mathematics and science,
because THEIR usage leads to heinous weapons in the hands of people who
believe in notions like nationalistic superiority, race hatred, etc.
Of course, those other notions were just a minor influence on the
warmongers.  Clearly it was the mathematics and science that was the most
evil part of their thinking.

> If the influence of these men on Nazism was not their intent, or
> part of their "fundemental ideology", still less is it of Christianity.

Was this Martin Luther person you quoted, who suggested the burning of
the synagogues, doing so out of his "fundamental ideology", and that of
today's Christians (many of whom use the name Lutheran [???])?

> Yet, the blamers must have a real devil and Christianity makes a nice one
> in some circles.

Given what Mr. Luther himself said, I can see why.  Can you explain why
the other side of the coin might be presented similarly as a devil?
-- 
"to be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best night and day
 to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle any human
 being can fight and never stop fighting."  - e. e. cummings
	Rich Rosen	ihnp4!pyuxd!rlr