Holocaust Remembrance Day

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

-- Martin Niemoller

And so was noted, not so very long ago, a crime of Christianity and the world.  It was a crime almost as vile as the Holocaust visited upon the Jews by the Nazis.  It was a crime of indifference; an indifference to the suffering of a people and the genocide of the Jews.  The world didn't just turn the other cheek, we turned away.  Who is responsible for the deaths of six million Jews?  History writes that it is the Nazi war machine that is responsible, but that isn't completely true.  The Nazis planned it, started it, but through our own inaction we as much as condoned the "final solution," the mass murder; we became co-conspirators to crimes against humanity and as guilty as those who perpetrated the evil.

“Consider why Germany, fighting a war on two fronts, desperate for fuel and materiel of every sort, would bother to load millions of Jews on railroad cars and transport them hundreds, even thousands, of miles to concentration camps. Camps built specifically to house them, where they would be fed, clothed, even tattooed so they could be inventoried...just to kill them.” 

-- Edjar J. Steele, “Defensive Racism”

I write about this each year.  It is a topic none of us should be allowed to forget for, it is through our memories we will, hopefully, prevent this indifference in the future as history tries to repeat.  And, yet, we seem to be doing exactly the opposite as ISIS marches across the Middle East, killing peaceful Muslims and Christians alike.  They murder women and children, once again threaten the total extinction of the Jews and the invasion and destruction of our own country, and we do little.  We even refuse to label them what they are for fear we will insult others that should also be standing firm against this terror.  I have attached links to my last three posts on the Holocaust for those who aren't completely bored... yet.  You may find the content a bit repetitive and I make no excuses for this.  One cannot cover this subject enough in my humble opinion:

Holocaust Remembrance Day - 2014

Is there no one left to speak out?

A Museum for Tolerance

We stand on the cusp of another Holocaust.  Innocence is tortured and killed in front of us as we stand idly by.  How is today any different than seventy-five years ago?  Don't Martin Niemoller's words have as much validity today?  Is it not a warning against indifference to the suffering of our fellow man at the hands of a psychopathic killing machine?  What will we do when they're on our doorstep?  Let's rethink, and update Martin's words:

When ISIS came for peaceful Islam,
I remained silent;
They were not my Muslims. 

When they came for the Christians,
I remained silent;
They were not my Christians. 

When they tortured the women,
I remained silent;
They were not my women. 

When they killed the children,
I remained silent;
They were not my children. 

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
They were not my Jews. 

When they came for Americans,
There was no one left to speak out.

What will it take for people of faith to become righteous?  What more do you think God owes you before you speak out and take action against atrocities?  We will all be judged for our inaction in protecting the weak and helpless.  In the end, we will all have to stand and explain our excuses for not helping eradicate this evil scourge infecting our planet.  When next you go to your house of worship, ask for God's mercy as you try to explain our cowardice in the face of evil.

Mistakes are meant for learning, not repeating, yet, we seem hell-bent on repeating our history at every turn.  Lessons will continue to repeat themselves until learned.  For those wondering how God could possibly let these horrors happen in the world, ask yourself what we learned from the last time and then focus on who is letting what happen again before we shift blame for our own selfish inaction.  We are all afraid of entering into a third world war, yet we seem to not understand we are moving inexorably toward this exact outcome.  The longer we wait to take action, the more innocence dies, and the stronger this new Satan becomes, until there is no one left to speak out.

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

--Elie Wiesel, Auschwitz, Buna, and Buchenwald survivor

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.