← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Hilaire Belloc
Thread ID: 13446 | Posts: 11 | Started: 2004-04-29
2004-04-29 20:42 | User Profile
Here is a 1933 sermon by Cardinal Faulhaber of Munich on the relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and racial/national pride(in this case Germany specifically). You people better enjoy it, I spent an hour typing this thing out and please pardon any errors I made.
Judaism, Christianity, and Germany Cardinal Faulhaber
Already in the year 1899, on the occasion of the anti-semitic domstration at Hamburg, and simultaneously in Chamberlain's book The Foundations of the Nineteenth Century, a demand was raised for the complete seperation of Judaism from Christianity, and for the complete elimination from Christianity of all Jewish elements. Nearly two decades later these idea were once more propagated in such books as The Sin Against Blood, The Great Fraud, and The False God. Judaism and Christianity, it was maintained, were incompatible; the Jewish Bible must be replaced by a German Bible, Martin Luther had done only half his work, for in his Bible he had included the Scriptures of the Old Testament. Today these single voices have swelled together in a chorus: Away with the Old Testament! A Christianity which still clings to the Old Testament is a Jewish religion, irreconcilable with the spirit of the German people. Children at school must no longer be bothered with Bible stories of Joseph the Egyptian or the ancient Moses...Given the present general attitude of mind, this outcry is well calculated to shake the foundations of the faith in the souls of the German people.
Even the Person of Christ is not spared by this religious revolution. Some have indeed tried to save Him with a forged birth certificate, and have said that He was not a Jew at all but an Aryan, because there were Aryans among the inhabitants of Galilee. But so long as historical sources count for more than surmise, there can be no doubt about the fact. The first chapter of the first gospel gives us the genealogy of Jesus, with the title: "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham." Similarily, the Epistle to the Romans attests the origin of Jesus from the seed of David (i, 4). Undoubtedly the Galileans, a borderland people, were of mixed origin. But Christ was not born in Galilee; he was born in Bethlehem, the city of David, in the land of the tribe of Juda, and officially He was entered in the register as a descendent of David. And so others now take up the cry: Then we must renounce Him, if He was a Jew - and the scene of the Gospel is re-enacted: "They thrust Him out of the city and brought Him to the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, and they might cast Him down headlong" (Luke iv, 29). "Again they took up stones to stone Him" (John x, 31).
When such voices are raised, when such movements are afoot, the bishop cannot remain silent. When racial research, in itself not a religious matter, makes war upon religion and attacks the foundations of Christianity; when antagonism to the Jews of the present day is extended to the sacred books of the Old Testament and Christianity is condemned because it has relations of origins with pre-Christian Judaism; when stones are cast at the Person of our Lord and Savior, and this in the very year in which we are celebrating the centernary of his of work of Redemption, then the bishop cannot remain silent. And therefore I preach these Advent sermons on the Old Testament and its fufillment in Christianity.
On this subject I may claim to speak as a specialist, having spent eleven years of my life lecturing on these questions in the University of Wuzburg and having held the chair of Old Testament Scripture in the University of Strassburg...
So that I may be perfectly clear and preclude any possible misunderstanding, let me begin by making three distinctions. We must first distinguish between the people of Israel before and after the death of Christ. Before the death of Christ during the period between the calling of Abraham and the fullness of time, the people of Israel were the vehicle of Divine Revelation. The Spirit of God raised up and enlightened man who by the law, the Mosaic Torah, regulated their religious and civil life, by the Pslams provided them with a prayer book for family devotion and a hymn book for the public liturgy, by the Sapiential books taught them how to conduct their lives, and as prophets awakened the conscience of the nation with the living word. It is only with this Israel of the early biblical period that I shall deal in my Advent sermons.
After the death of Christ, Israel was dismissed from the service of Revelation. She had not known the time of her visitation. She had repudiated and rejected the Lord's Anointed, and had driven Him out of the city and nailed Him to the Cross. Then the veil of the Temple was rent, and with it the covenant between the Lord and His people. The daughters of Sion recieved the bill of divorce, and from that time forth Assuerus wanders, forever restless, over the face of the earth. Even after the death of Christ the Jews are still a "mystery", as St. Paul says(Rom. xi, 25); and one day, at the end of time, for them too the hour of grace will strike(Rom. xi, 26). But - I repeat - in these Advent sermons I am speaking only of pre-Christian Judaism.
In the second place we must distinguish between the Scriptures of the Old Testament on the one hand and the Talmudic writings of post-Christian Judaism on the other, whether these be glosses and commentaries on the biblical text or seperate religious works; I mean especially the Talmud, the Mischna, and the medieval code of laws, Schulchan Arukh. The Talmudic writings are the work of man; they were not prompted by the Spirit of God. It is only the sacred writings of pre-Christian Judaism, not the Talmud, that the Church of the New Testament has accepted as her inheritance.
Thirdly, we must distinguish in the Old Testament Bible itself between what had only transitory value and what had permanent value. the long genealogies had value in ancient times, but their value was not permanent; similarily the numerous regulations for the ancient sacrifices and cermonial cleansings. For the purpose of our subject we are concerned only with those religious, ethical, and social values of the Old Testament which remain as values also fro Christianity....
Let us venerate the Scriptures of the Old Testament! We do not set the Old Testament and the New on the same level. the Sacred Scriptures of the New Testament, the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and the Apocalypse must hold the place of honor. But the Scriptures of the Old Testament are also inspired, and therefore they are sacred books, precious stones for the building of God's kingdom, priceless values for our religious guidance.. And therefore the Church has stretched forth her protecting hand over the Scriptures of the Old Testament; she had gathered together the forty-five books of the Old Testament and the twenty-seven books of the New Testament into one volume, and she has used the text of the Old Testament also in her liturgy. By accepting these books Christianity does not become a Jewish religion. These books not composed by Jews; they are inspired by the Holy Ghost, and therefore they are the word of God, they are God's books. The writers of them were God's pencils, the Pslam-singers were harps in the hand of God, the prophets were announcers of God's revelation. It is for this reason that the Scriptures of the Old Testament are worthy of credence and veneration for all time. Antagonism to the Jews of today must not be extended to the books of pre-Christian Judaism.
In the New Testament, in the Epistle to the Hebrews (ch. 11), Abel, Enoch, and other figures of Old Testament history are held up as models of faith to be imitated by Christians. St. Francis of Assisi once picked up a scrap of paper from the ground. "Let no man tread this under foot," he said, "for the name of God can be written thereon." Let no man trample under foot the Sacred Scriptures of the Old Testament; for the name of God is written there. Cardinal Manning once said to the Jews: "I should not understand my own religion, had I no reverence for yours."
Let us venerate the Scriptures of the Old Testament! And let us not allow Bible history to be abolished in our schools! These biblical stories have a great educational value in the school, so long as they are well selected and told in attractive language, and if the teacher knows how to make them live.
Side by side with the Bible there is a secong source of revelation, the Tradition of the Church. Side by side with the Book stand the living teacher, the authority of the Church. Besides the good pasture stands the good architect. Therefore the anti-Moses movement does not affect us Catholics so vitally as our seperated brethern, who regard the Bible as the sole foundation of their faith. To these seperated brethern we stretch forth our hand to make common cause with them in defense of the sacred books of the Old Testament, so that we may save them for the German nation and preserve this precious treasury of doctrine for the Church schools...
From the Church's point of view there is no objection whatever to racial research and race culture. Nor is there any objection to the endeavor to keep national characteristics of a people as far as possible pure and unadulterated, and to foster their national spirit by emphasis upon the common ties of blood to unite them. From the Church's point of view we must make only three conditions: First, love of ones race must not lead to the hatred of other nations. Secondly, the individual must never consider himself freed from of nourishing his own soul by presevering use of the means of grace which the Church provides. The young man who is always hearing about the blessedness of his own race is apt too easily to conceive that he is no longer bound by duties to God and His Church, duties to humility and chastity. Thirdly, race culture must not assume an attitude of hostility to Christianity. What are we to say of the monstrous contention that Christianity - especially because it is burdened with Old Testament ideas - is not adapted to the genius of the nation, and that therefore it is an obstacle in the way of the national consciousness?
What is the relation of Christianity to the German race? Race and Christianity are not mutally opposed, but they do belong to different orders. [u]Race is of the natural order; Christianity is a revealed religion and therefore of the supernatural order[/u]. Race means union with the nation; Christianity means primarily union with God. Race is nationally inclusive and exclusive; Christianity is a world-wide message of salvation for all nations. The concepts of revelation and redemption, of supernature and grace must not be watered down. The fourth gospel makes a distinction between those who are born of blood and those who are born of God (John i, 13). Christ also clearly distinguished between what flesh and blood had revealed and what was revealed by the Father in heaven( Matt. xvi, 17 foll.). We are Christians not because we are born of Christian parents; we are Christians because after our birth we were reborn and made a new creature by baptism in Christ(2 Cor. xv, 17).
No nation ever insisted more on race and ties of blood than the Israelites of the Old Testament. But in the fullness of time the dogma of race was eclipsed by the dogma of faith. Around the cradle of Bethlehem there were Jews and pagans, shepherds from the land of Juda and wise men from the East. In this kingdom of this Child, according to the words of His Apostle, "there is no distinction of the Jew and the Greek, for the same is Lord over all" (Rom. x, 12)
What is the relation of Christianity to the German race? The Christian. so long as he observes the above conditions, [u]is not forbidden to stand up for his race and for its rights.[/u] It is possible, therefore, [u]without divided allegiance[/u], to be an upright German and at the same time an upright Christian. Hence there is no need to turn our backs upon Christianity and to set up a Nordic or Germanic religion, in order to profess our nationality. But we must never forget: we are not redeemed with German blood. We are redeemed with the Precious Blood of our crucified Lord (1 Pet. i,9). There is no other name and no other blood under Heaven, in which we can be saved, but the name and blood of Christ.
From His Eminence Cardinal Faulhaber, Judaism, Christianity, and Germany: Advent Sermons Preached in St. Michaels, Munich, in 1993, translated by Rev. George D. Smith(London: Burns, Oates and Washbourne, Ltd., 1934), pp 1-6, 13-16, 107-110.
2005-08-21 16:21 | User Profile
Thank you for posting this, as the issues raised are even more acute now than in 1934. On the one hand there are those on the so-called "New Right" who reject Christianity as a Semitic religion and propose to replace it with some sort of paganism. Of course, the lineaments of this paganism are rather amorphous and inchoate, so it means whatever the hearer wants it to mean. However, as far as I can tell, its primary purpose is to make acceptable deviant sexuality and drug taking.
On the other hand, we have the dispensationalists whose influence is more widespread than ever. They fail to see the discontinuity between the religion of the ancient Hebrews and the religion of Jews today.
The Cardinal foresaw both these trends and answered them in advance. He can also be seen as an early advocate of "kinism", proposing a true diversity based on solid boundaries.
2005-08-22 11:57 | User Profile
I dunno, I tend to think the Old Testament, when taken as history, really corrupts a true historical understanding of the cult of the jews, and, minimizes Christ's life & message.
We tend to forget that Jerusalem, was only one of a number of jew cult centers around the Mediterranean, and that ancient historians like Edward Gibbon, put the possible origins of the jew cult on the island of Cyprus.
The jews when take as an ancient Mediterranean temple cult, are far more interesting to me.
2005-08-22 12:31 | User Profile
The Old Testament is the body of the Bible, and New Testament and Christ are its head and crown.
Edward Gibbon is an outdated source.
Petr
2005-08-22 13:04 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Petr]The Old Testament is the body of the Bible, and New Testament and Christ are its head and crown.
Edward Gibbon is an outdated source.
Petr[/QUOTE]Gibbon's pretty good...he also points out the jew cult had a major cult center in Alexandria, Egypt. I'm sure you know, St. Paul also, points out numerous centers of the jew cult around the Med.
Did you know that modern archaelogy has identified 55 jew cult temples that existed in the City of Rome at the time of Christ??? :eek:
2005-08-22 18:35 | User Profile
Judaism was a recognised religion, not just a cult, and for far over 400 years after Christ Christianity was still being considered a sect of Judaism. Though times have changed and people have gone on their seperate ways. Judaism has grown up in the East, Christianity (as we know it) mainly in the West. I have nothing against Christianity viewing itself as a non-Judaic religion but the idea of eradicating the Old Testiment is just ridiculous. It's basing your life on a great man, who was a capitalist and then saying that "We have to erase all trace of capitalism in 'The Books' because we're communist." Looked in that light it's just editing for propaganda purposes. Christianity is based on Judaism, you can't ignore that. One does not have to base their religion on Judaism but they might as well leave the Old Testament in for Historic reference.
2005-08-22 21:15 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Rhynome]Judaism was a recognised religion, not just a cult, and for far over 400 years after Christ Christianity was still being considered a sect of Judaism. Though times have changed and people have gone on their seperate ways. Judaism has grown up in the East, Christianity (as we know it) mainly in the West. I have nothing against Christianity viewing itself as a non-Judaic religion but the idea of eradicating the Old Testiment is just ridiculous. It's basing your life on a great man, who was a capitalist and then saying that "We have to erase all trace of capitalism in 'The Books' because we're communist." Looked in that light it's just editing for propaganda purposes. Christianity is based on Judaism, you can't ignore that. One does not have to base their religion on Judaism but they might as well leave the Old Testament in for Historic reference.[/QUOTE] If you take the jews for what they are, and, what they were, a cult with a marriage taboo, circumcision of the male penis as some sort of a cult religious rite, removal of a child's foreskin by the teeth of the rabbi in some sects of the jew cult, the various food taboos a/k/a kosher, a cult that still in its jew homeland practices animal sacrifice, not to mention ritual slaughter of animals everywhere else where allowed, including in the US, Cult mystery and cabal practices, possible ritual slaughter of non-jew children by some of the cult's sects...the list goes on and on...
2005-10-25 00:55 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Hyperborean] On the one hand there are those on the so-called "New Right" who reject Christianity as a Semitic religion and propose to replace it with some sort of paganism.[/QUOTE]
The greatest irony is that pagans were the biggest multi-culturalists around. They mixed their traditions with whatever came their way. Theres evidence that even the pagan Vikings worshipped Christ alongside Thor for quite some time, so much for Odinism for you.
2005-10-25 01:17 | User Profile
[B][I][FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Red"] - "The greatest irony is that pagans were the biggest multi-culturalists around. They mixed their traditions with whatever came their way."[/COLOR][/FONT][/I][/B]
That's true. Like pointed out on this thread, there is little[I] survivalist stamina [/I]in pagan cults, for they are usually not taken seriously enough to be considered really worth dying for:
[url]http://www.originaldissent.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19340&highlight=burkert[/url]
[QUOTE=]Walter Burkert, one of todayââ¬â¢s foremost experts on ancient polytheism, writes in his book [B][I]Ancient Mystery Cults[/I][/B]ââ¬Â (p. 53): [B][COLOR="DarkRed"] ââ¬ÂThe basic difference between ancient mysteries, on the one hand, and religious communities, sects, and churches of the Judeo-Christian type, on the other, is borne out by the verdict of history. Jewish, Christian, and Islamic sects have demonstrated astounding capacities of survival, even as minorities in a hostile environment. The Samaritans, split from Jewish orthodoxy, have survived in the world for about 2,400 years; the Mandaeans are about as old as Christianity; the Albigensian movement survived even the European Inquisition; countless sects have been active ever since the Reformation. Christian outposts in Ethiopia, Armenia, and Georgia are no less remarkable with this tenacious vitality.
ââ¬ÂIt was quite different with the ancient mysteries, whether those of Eleusis, Bacchus, Meter, Isis, or even Mithras, the ââ¬Âinvincible God.ââ¬Â With the imperial decrees of 391/92 A.D. prohibiting all pagan cults and with the forceful destruction of the sanctuaries, the mysteries simply and suddenly disappeared. There is not much to be said for either the Masonsââ¬â¢ or modern witchesââ¬â¢ claim that they are perpetuating ancient mysteries through continuous tradition. (120) Mysteries could not go underground because they lacked any lasting organization. They were not self-sufficient sects; they were intimately bound to the social system of antiquity that was to pass away. Nothing remained but a curiosity, which has in vain tried to resuscitate them.[/COLOR][/B]
Monotheistic religions are simply, Darwinistically speaking, more fit for survival than polytheistic cults. When pagan religions lose the backing of the state, they roll over and die more often than not, for they donââ¬â¢t know how to survive in the opposition.[/QUOTE]
Also, I argued in here that the true origin of this obnoxious "totalitarian tolerance" that reigns in most Western countries today does not lie in Christianity but actually in[I] imperial polytheism[/I]: [COLOR="Blue"][FONT="Arial"] "So you see, even if modern empires like USA may sometimes pay lip-service to God of the Bible, for all intents and purposes their ideology is polytheistic. They are already[I] de facto [/I]pagan. "[/FONT][/COLOR]
[url]http://www.originaldissent.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20621&page=2&highlight=polytheistic[/url]
In religious matters, ancient Roman empire "tolerated everything except intolerance" (i.e., everything that did not seriously challenge the ruling statist ideology) - sound familiar?
Petr
2005-10-25 01:21 | User Profile
I still love Hilaire Belloc's assestment of neo-paganism the most:
** [url]http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/SURVIV.HTM#5[/url]
"The Paganism of the Mediterranean basin, from which all our culture springs, was not originally affected very much by the Paganisms of Asia; by the Paganism of the Black races it was affected hardly at all: not because they would not have had some natural affinity with any other Paganism, but because there was little physical contact between them. Today such opportunity is universal, and is increasing in effect. [u]Today the barrier, the only effective barrier, against such infiltration of Pagan ideas from races other than our own, is a strong anti-Pagan moral system and creedââ¬âand there is none such outside the Catholic Church.[/u]"**
So Belloc clearly defined neo-paganism as a vehicle for infiltrating foreign religions into European society and that Christianity was the main barrier to perserving Europe's spiritual heritage. Quite the opposite of what neo-pagans like to claim.
2005-10-25 01:24 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Petr]
In religious matters, ancient Roman empire "tolerated everything except intolerance" (i.e., everything that did not seriously challenge the ruling statist ideology) - sound familiar? [/QUOTE] True. A common argument made against Christianity is that the Romans were tolerant therefore Christians mustve done something to piss the Romans off. Yet Christians were not the only people persecuted for religious reasons. I even pointed this out at Phora that astrologers and even mathematicians were persecuted by the Roman state for religious purposes. Those these persecutions were rare, nevertheless they did occur.