Part 6 (1/2)

”Our Committee [for help to Jewish refugees] had clashed vigorously with the Government on this point, notwithstanding our good relations and good co-operation with it. However, we had public opinion with us.” [134]

The last part of his statement is doubtful, at least regarding a large section of the Protestant press. [135]

A national collection was held on December 3, 1938, and recommended by the Synodal Committee of the DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH:

”The Committee, concerned about the bitter sufferings resulting from the persecution of the Jews, considers it to be the duty of the Church to practise Christian mercy. It urgently recommends that all local churches should take up a special collection, on behalf of the victims of this persecution, so that their suffering may be alleviated.” [136] <45>

Here help to the persecuted Jews in general was recommended, not just to Christians of Jewish origin.

In November, 1938, the Executive of the Dutch Ec.u.menical Council turned to the World Council of Churches, Geneva, requesting it to organize immediate action on behalf of the German Jews. [137]

9 BELGIUM

The Protestant Churches in Belgium are minority Churches, together comprising less than half a percent of the population.

The following statements are all from the year 1933. To the best of my knowledge no other statements were issued after this year.

On April 4, 1933, the Federation of Protestant Churches of Belgium sent the following letter to Dr. Kapler, the President of the Protestant Federation of Germany:

”The Federation of Protestant Churches of Belgium has directed us to send a fraternal message to the Protestant Federation of Germany. We would ask you, Mr. President to accept it in the same Christian spirit, and to do us the honour of transmitting it to your Executive Council.

We are much distressed by the events of recent weeks during which the German Jewish population has been subjected to discriminatory measures; the situation threatens to deteriorate even further.

Our German co-religionists, imbued with a sense of justice, must certainly be equally distressed by these excesses. It certainly cannot be pleasing to them that, in most countries, spontaneous public opinion has espoused the cause of German Jewry.

We would therefore ask you, Mr. President, if it would not be possible for the Federation of German Evangelical Churches itself to intervene, discreetly as they may deem fit, on behalf of the German Jews so that they may be reinstated in all their rights of citizens.h.i.+p.

Would it not be a great triumph for the spirit of tolerance, which is certainly a Protestant attribute? Would it not mean a re-establishment, in the eyes of the world, of that reputation which your country has enjoyed for so long, of being a highly cultured country?

May one not say that German Jews have, up till now, been much attached to their country; that they have added to its distinction in the field of science, art and literature. <46> In short, that they are known for their adherence to the principles of freedom of conscience?

Inspired as we are by purely Christian and humane sentiments, we have no doubt that you will accept the above message in the spirit of grace.”

Yours faithfully, Henri Anet, Secretary; A. Rey, President. [138]

This letter was certainly not lacking in courtesy and we get the impression that it was written in a spirit of moderate optimism. Apparently it was some months later that the President of the Synod of the Evangelical Protestant Churches of Belgium sent the following letter to the Chief Rabbi of Belgium:

”Time has pa.s.sed since, during the first explosion of hate throughout Germany, it might be supposed that a period of calm would follow. But according to accounts in the press, it seems that a general and lasting exclusion of all Jewish intellectuals cold-bloodedly continues.

This illegal and cruel oppression of a highly respectable minority shows that the new Germany is descending into a mental att.i.tude fit only for the Middle Ages.

The destruction of such an out-grown mentality had been, until now, the n.o.blest work and the most imperishable glory of the new spirit of the last four centuries.” [139]

Even more outspoken was the address of Rev. Schijns, the President of the Federation of Protestant Churches, at a Meeting of Protest in Bruxelles, on April 6, 1933:

”You have heard the lay protests against anti-Semitic persecutions in Germany.

You have heard the Catholic protest. May I be permitted to speak on behalf of the Protestant Churches of Belgium.

It is true that the voice of Christ, who clearly proclaimed the inviolable rights and imperative demands of justice, has not always been listened to over the centuries; on many occasions Christians themselves have had recourse to violence; I cannot forget that in the 16th century my ancestors, the Huguenots, and the Beggars, [140] also suffered cruel persecution...

Nevertheless, thanks to a clearer understanding of the demands of the Gospel, as well as to the progressive evolution of the lay conscience, we had become sincerely convinced that henceforth violence, which was unanimously condemned by public opinion, is morally inconceivable. Yet now we discover that violence has been 'honourably' reinstated, so that even today it is still attacking innocent victims.” <47> We never supposed that, in our times, any person, on religious grounds, could be accused of a political offence! Yet, now we hear that in Germany a religion (the Jewish religion) is being formally and coldly proscribed, by the civil authorities.

This inhuman att.i.tude, inspired by a narrow, sectarian nationalism, stands in absolute contradiction to the Gospel: it is a monstrous heresy, which cannot but dwarf all other crimes.

The ancient Jewish law contains the following beautiful maxim: 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy G.o.d with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might'. It is therefore with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my might that I deliver here, in the name of my Protestant co-religionists, a message of vigorous and profound sympathy for all innocent victims of violence.

The sufferings of today, like those in the past, tragically ill.u.s.trate the struggle of brute force against the forces of the spirit. But just as moral strength has triumphed in ages past, we are sure that to-day also, by virtue of an eternal law, victory lies with the powers of the spirit!” [141]

10 FRANCE

Though a small minority, numbering altogether not more than 800,000 souls, the spiritual sons of the Huguenots early and unequivocally protested against the persecution of Jews. They themselves had been persecuted.

Rev. Marc Boegner, President of the Protestant Federation of France, sent the following letter to the Chief Rabbi of France, in 1933:

”The Council of the Protestant Federation of France which rea.s.sembled to-day, for the first time since the beginning of the period of the great sufferings of your coreligionists in Germany, has asked me to a.s.sure you that the Protestants of France whole-heartedly a.s.sociate themselves with the indignation of their Jewish compatriots and with the distress of the victims of such base fanaticism.