90 years ago--Association of National German Jews urges support for Hitler

I should have posted this a few months ago on the actual anniversary, but better late than never...On August 19, 1934, 17 days after the death of President Paul von Hindenburg, a referendum was held in Germany on whether to merge the posts of Chancellor and President. 95.65% of registered voters went to the polls, with 89.93% voting "Yes" to the following:

The office of the national president is united with that of the national chancellor. In consequence, the former powers of the national president pass to the leader and national chancellor, Adolf Hitler. He appoints his deputy. Do you, German man, and you, German woman, approve of the arrangement made in this law?

The 10.07% "No" vote was reported in Western newspapers as a triumph for the opposition to Adolf Hitler, who had been Chancellor for less than 19 months. However, that view proved to be inaccurate, as combining the offices of head of government and head of state had the effect of allowing Mr. Hitler to take the title Führer und Reichskanzler (Führer and Reich Chancellor), consolidating his dictatorial power as leader of the Nazi regime.

While looking for contemporary newspaper accounts of the referendum, I came upon the following article, published as "Special Cable to the New York Times and Montreal Gazette," published in the Montreal Gazette, August 18, 1934 (bold, capitals in original):

GERMAN JEWS TOLD TO VOTE FOR HITLER

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Berlin League Says Suffering Necessary to Mend Harm Done

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Berlin, August 17--The League of National German Jews, a small Jewish organization in Berlin, issued today a summons to all German Jews to vote for Chancellor Hitler in the plebiscite Sunday. The league declared the Jews' suffering in Germany had been necessary in order to clear away the damage done by "un-German elements." The statement reads:

"We members of the League of National German Jews, founded in 1921, have always, in war or peace, placed the good of the German people and the German Fatherland above our own good. Accordingly, we greeted the national uprising of January, 1933, although it brought rigors for us, for we saw it as the only means to clear away the damage done in fourteen unhappy years by un-German elements.

"We agree fully with the political testament of Reich President and Field Marshal von Hindenburg, who called the accomplishment of Reich Chancellor Hitler and his movement a decisive step of major historical importance and stated that reconciliation which will include the whole German Fatherland must follow the national awakening and unification of the German people.

"To the German Fatherland belongs body and soul that portion of the Jews who, like ourselves, know no other fatherland than Germany. In the spirit of the dead Reich President's testament, we support the unification of the offices of Reich leader and Reich Chancellor.

"We urge all Jews who feel themselves Germans to vote "yes" on August 19."

Until coming across this article, I had never heaerd of the Verband nationaldeutscher Juden (Association of National German Jews aka League of National German Jews). It was founded by Max Naumann in 1921 and was anti-Zionist, while favouring assimilation of German Jews into the German Volksgemeinschaft (folk community). The Association regarded the anti-Semitism of the early months of the Nazi regime as merely an attempt to stir up the masses. As to the likely future for Jews in Germany as a result of their support for the "Yes" vote in the referendum, it might have become apparent immediately if the following was any indication, as reported by Associated Press, and published in The New York Times, August 20, 1934 (bold in original):

Mueller Hails Hitler's Victory Over Jews: Says Anti-Semitism Is Christian Campaign

Berlin, Aug. 19--Five thousand members of the German Christian Society celebrating Chancellor Hitler's victory tonight heard Reichbishop Ludwig Mueller call anti-Semitism a Christian campaign.

His words left no doubt in the minds of his hearers that the German Protestant church under his leadership will be a racial institution.

"Hitler's fight is a fight for Christendom against Jews, the most savage enemies of Christianity," the Bishop asserted. "The German people, united today, may go through bitterness and distress but will win this campaign for Christianity even if the Jews get together and determine to destroy the nation."

Drawing a parallel between Christ and Chancellor Hitler, the Reich Bishop said:

"As in the days of the old Christians, faith is equal to confidence. Jesus, preaching the gospel, pleaded for confidence. So did our leader when he put the plebiscite as a question of confidence to the nation. We as true Christians had to give him our 'ja,' as only our consent gives him the right to defend our religion."

Bishop Mueller said the election result was "the beginning of the whole nation's Christianity, since it had the courage to vote for and stand behind the leader in his fight against the Jews."

Walter Kinder, Nazi radical church leader, closed the meeting, held in the Friedrichshain Convention Hall, with the German Christian society slogan:

"With God, under the leadership of Hitler, we will march on."

Richard Steigmann-Gall, in his book The Holy Reich: Nazi Conceptions of Christianity, 1919-1945 (2003), refers to Reich Bishop Mueller as "a theological moderate among the German Christians" (p. 159).

How did the Association of National German Jews' policy of appeasement and assimilation work out for them? Not too well: the Association was declared illegal and was dissolved on November 18, 1935, and Mr. Naumann was arrested by the Gestapo the same day, and interned at Columbia concentration camp. He was released after a few weeks, and died of cancer on May 18, 1939 at the age of 64. Most other members of the Association were exterminated by the Nazis during the Holocaust in World War II.

The Verband nationaldeutscher Juden wasn't the only Jewish organization in Germany that supported the Nazis; Der deutsche Vortrupp. Gefolgschaft deutscher Juden (The German Vanguard: German Jewish Followers) was founded in February 1933--almost immediately after Mr. Hitler took office as Chancellor--by Hans-Joachim Schoeps, a professor of religions and religious history at the University of Erlangen. The German Vanguard was basically a youth movement of intellectuals, with a membership of 150 students, and regarded itself as a Jewish political movement within a resurgent German nationalism, while disdaining Eastern European Jews, Zionism, Marxism, and liberalism.

The German Vanguard was dissolved in December 1935, the month after the dissolution of the Association of National German Jews. Professor Schoeps, a monarchist, fled to exile in Sweden late in 1938, and spent World War II in that country, while his parents were deported to Theresienstadt concentration camp in June 1942, and his father died there six months later. Professor Schoeps returned to western Germany in the autumn of 1946, resuming his position at the University of Erlangen in 1950. He died on July 8, 1980 at the age of 71.

70 years ago--Archbishop of Canterbury pessimistic about immediate ecumenical unity

Ecumenical speculation from the leading cleric of the Church of England is nothing new, as exemplified in the following item reported by Canadian Press and published in the Calgary Herald, October 12, 1954:

WINNIPEG - The Archbishop of Canterbury said Sunday night the world's churches are getting nearer to one another but he does not anticipate any general reunion of the separated churches into one articulated body, governed by one constitution.

Most Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Fisher, who recently attended the World Council of Churches in Evanston, Ill., and toured Canada, spoke on "Prospects for unity." His address was recorded during a visit to Winnipeg for broadcast in the C.B.C. program, "Our Special Speaker." Dr. Fisher arrived back in England Oct. 4.

"We are all sinful men with our share of wilfulness and wrongheadedness," he said. "This truly shows that every church in Christendom has erred in matters of faith; and that liability to err remains, will remain.

"If there were but one church, its errors would bring final disaster to all. We need our various traditions to continue within the whole church catholic, so that as occasion needs, the insight of one may correct the error of another; and one may hear what the Holy Spirit speaks to the church when others are temporarily deaf to it."

Then, as now, the World Council of Churches was apostate, but the Archbishop of Canterbury spoke as though liberal churches were actually Christian. His skepticism regarding churches uniting into one body has so far been correct; if they do unite, it will likely be under the umbrella of the Roman Catholic Church.

Bad fruit from false prophets in Malawi leads government to consider regulating religious practices

Unquestioningly accepting the pronouncements of alleged prophets instead of being a Berean and checking them against the Bible (Acts 17:11) is always a bad idea. If religious freedom ends up being restricted in Malawi, it will be because of the words and actions of the false prophets. It doesn't say much for the discernment of the followers of these false prophets that they're less able to recognize false teachers than are government authorities. Perceptive readers can't help but notice a disproportionate number of women among the false prophets mentioned in the following articles.

As reported by Thomas Kachere in the Malawi Times News, July 12, 2024:

Fifty-two-year-old Ebel Manyamul has been paralysed for almost his entire life.

His facts of life are that when he was aged three, he suffered from leprosy.

From then on, he has been physically challenged.

Just that, as a member of a Christian fellowship, Manyamula held on to the faith that, one day, he would walk again.

Ans the 'good news' he had been waiting for came on Tuesday, April 16, this year when Manyamula, who comes from Mangirani Village in Chriadzulu District, heard that a servant of God from Nsanje, Prophetess Jersey Window, would be in his village for a night-long prayer session.

Scriptures were recited and songs of praise sang.

Before long, some of the congregants started testifying about what God had done to their lives, changing their lives from bad to good.

When it came to Manyamula's turn, the prophetess prayed for him, surrounded by some congregants who were trampling on his feet, as ordered by the Prophetess.

This is according to the version from the court that handled the case.

A medical report in our possession shows that, after the activities of April 16 this year, Ebel had 12 stitches for wounds on both legs.

According to Ebel's brother Joseph, Ebel became physically challenged when he was...3.

"We were saddened with the development," he said.

Times, which was the first media house to break the story online--nmely on Times 360 Malawi--managed to engage the prophetess on the issue before she was arrested and taken to court.

In that interview, Window indicated that she was ready "to die for Jesus Christ."

Before long, Chiradzulu Police Station officers arrested her.

The prophetess was remanded to Blantyre Prison, also known as Chichiri, as confirmed by Edward Kabango, spokesperson for South East Region Police.

They also arrested two more suspects, namely 32-year-old Veronica Wyson and 30-year-old Marita Wyson from Mangirani Village, Traditional Authority Nchema, in Chiradzulu District for causing grievous bodily harm to Ebel.

Then on Thursday, May 30, 2024, Chiradzulu First Grade Magistrate Smart Maruwasa convicted the three and ordered them to pay K150,000.00 each.

He ordered that the money be used for compensating the victim.

Meanwhile, Centre for Human Rights Education Advice and Assistance Executive Director Victor Mhango has condemned men and women of God who go beyond limits.

"Justice should be seen to be done, even on people of God who go beyond the limits," Mhango said.

As reported by Pemphero Malimba of the Malawi Times News, August 14, 2024:

Amid troubling incidents involving harm or death in the name of religious healings and exorcisms, the Centre for Human Rights Education, Advice and Assistance (Chreaa) has renewed calls for the government to regulate practices of religious leaders in the country.

Last month, a four-year-old child, who was purportedly a prophetess in Kasungu, allegedly instructed her 40-year-old mother, Ireen Banda, to flog four children who had sickle cell anaemia and Down syndrome as a supposed cure.

Banda, who remains in police custody, is alleged to have severely beaten the children all over their bodies, leading to their deaths.

In April this year, police in Chiradzulu arrested a 74-year-old female preacher, Jessie Window, for allegedly directing members of her ministry to straighten the legs of a man with a physical disability in an attempt to heal him through "prayers."

The man sustained injuries and was hospitalised for several days.

These incidents, among others, have ignited debate about regulating religious practices while respecting the freedom of worship.

In an interview Tuesday, Chreaa Executive Director Victor Mhango said such regulation would help alleviate the challenges some Malawians face due to the misconduct of certain religious leaders.

"Many Malawians are being deceived and some have been assaulted, harassed and even sexually abused by so-called men of God.

"We believe the government is aware of these issues; so, we are calling on it to ensure that these religious institutions are regulated," Mhango said.

He added that many people in the country accept whatever comes from religious leaders as the true word of God.

"It is high time Malawians recognised that many of these individuals are false prophets, merely advancing their own agendas," Mhango charged.

Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) General Secretary Reverend Francis Mkandawire supports these calls.

Mkandawire emphasised the need for increased dialogue between the government and religious bodies.

"Regulation is unavoidable at this point. The government must implement it.

"However, we recommend that if regulations are introduced, there must be extensive consultations with religious bodies to address the issues," Mkandawire said.

He cautioned that failing to consult may infringe on the rights of legitimate religious groups.

"If the government introduces regulations without consultations, it may impose restrictions on religious bodies that are operating properly," he added.

Public Affairs Committee Publicity Secretary Bishop Gilford Matonga prefers self-regulation within the religious sector.

Matonga said if all churches or institutions were affiliated with religious mother bodies, such as the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, the Malawi Council of Churches and EAM, these organisations could discipline members who act contrary to religious teaching.

"At present, people can choose whether or not to join these bodies," Matonga said.

He also highlighted the need for a dedicated government ministry for religious affairs.

"Currently, we have only a presidential adviser on religious affairs, which is inadequate. A ministry that could formulate policies would be more effective if the policies were developed with input from the community," Matonga said.

Minister of Information Moses Kunkuyu said the government would consider calls for the regulation of religious practices, provided it does not impact legitimate spiritual practices.

"Any criminal activity by a pastor or an ordinary person is punishable by law. If a sector, perceived as sacred, requires regulation to prevent it from evading legal scrutiny, we need to address it.

"However, if the regulation does not affect genuine spiritual practice, we should engage in that conversation," Kunkuyu said.