Can Christians Be Threatening?

Can Christians be threatening? Damn right, they can!

Many Christians today are frightened of Muslims. They see Muslims as dangerous, a threat. These Christians would disagree but I feel they suffer from Islamophobia and Islamophobia can prove dangerous to Muslims. Almost an entire Muslim family in London, Ontario, was killed by a young Christian man who drove his car into the family while they were out for a summer evening stroll.

Listening to these frightened Christians go on and on about Muslims inspired me to look into Christians and fear of the other. I did not have to look farther than the Second World War. There are more recent examples I could have examined but being I was born just a few short years after the war, the question of German Christians and their involvement in the "Final Solution" has always been an open question. I decide to look for an answer.

The answer is ugly, nasty and disheartening. Christians can be, and often are,  absolutely terrible people. This comes as no surprise to lots of folk. The United States, a country many claim has a long history as a Christian nation, is not known only for its good deeds. At best, the United States has a very checkered history when it comes to adhering to and promoting Christian values.

But, I am not talking about the Yanks here but about the actions of the Christian Germans before and during the Second World War. Throughout this period, Germany was overwhelmingly Christian, easily over 90% of the population. In comparison, in 1933 it is estimated there were only about 500,000 German Jews or less than 1% of the population.

The fear, suspicion, prejudice and open hostility of the antisemitic Christians toward the Jews has a long history in Europe. For centuries, Jews were portrayed as "Christ-killers", moneylenders and untrustworthy businessmen. In these Christians' eyes, Jew was synonymous with greedy.

As the Nazis ramped up their attacks on the Jews, the Christian leadership in Germany and in much of Europe mostly failed to speak out strongly against the rampant and growing violence towards Jews. In Germany,  a faction calling itself the "German Christians" made every effort to Nazify the church. Even the mainstream churches remained largely silent or, worse, were actively complicit.

If there were only 500,000 Jews in Germany, how did the Nazis slaughter millions and million of Jews in pursuit of the "Final Solution"? The answer is obvious. For the most part, Christian countries controlled by the Nazis collaborated.

By the end of the war, approximately two-thirds of all European Jews had been murdered. Poland alone accounts for about 3 million of the deaths. Hungary adds another 560,000 or so. The German Nazis provided the leadership and physical support for the Final Solution operation, but it took the cooperation of millions of European Christians to make the operation successful.

 Sadly, and shockingly, as one learns more, it becomes clear that the Final Solution only succeeded to the degree it did because it was conducted in countries where nearly everyone was Christian with a long tradition of antisemitism.

Danish Christians see religion as a matter of national identity.

Were there any countries that did not quickly fall inline? Yes. Denmark. The Lutherans, which made up the majority of Danish Christians, were able to save almost all Danish Jews. The government and the Danish citizens organized the escape of  approximately 7,000 Jews to Sweden in 1943. The Danes showed some spine.

 

At this point, my inquiry takes a surprising turn -- there is a lesson here for today's Muslim-fearing Christians, the oh-so-pious Bible thumpers.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark was a broadly inclusive state church. It wasn't highly dogmatic but instead it was a cultural as well as a religious movement. Most of its pastors combined traditional Christians beliefs with an adherence to civic duty overlaid with national pride.

The Danish Lutheran Church's actions were rooted in their belief in a shared humanity. Jews were seen as fellow human beings and not just feared as members of another religious group. The Danes were able to skirt the fear-of-the-other.

The Danish church showed true Christian generosity by providing

 crucial assistance by hiding Jews and by protecting their sacred religious symbols such as Torah scrolls.

 

Do masks work?

N95 masks outperform all other types of masks

 

Are you up to the challenge? If you think you can make health decisions for you and your family independent of the advice given by experts -- maybe even going contrary to the opinions of the experts, answer the following question.

 

Do masks work for fighting covid-19? 

 

If you answered, "No, they don't", you flunked the test. Read on for the correct answer.

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, and the main route of transmission is through the air—especially in the form of fine aerosols and respiratory droplets exhaled by infected people when breathing, talking, coughing, or sneezing.

• Masks filter inhaled and exhaled air. Depending on the mask type (cloth, surgical, N95/KN95/FFP2), the fit, and how consistently it’s worn, the degree of filtration varies. Even if not perfect, a mask always provides some reduction in exposure, both for the wearer and for others nearby.

• Effectiveness is a spectrum. A loose cloth mask is a weak barrier; a properly fitted N95 is a strong barrier. Poor fit, gaps, or wearing it under the nose reduce effectiveness, but even then there is partial protection.

The question isn’t whether or not masks work, but rather how well do masks work. The degree of benefit varies.

In “real-world” settings, much depends on how well the mask is worn (gaps, slipping, reuse, moisture), the type of mask, and for how long it is used or reused.

1. Masks reduce risk, but by how much depends on several factors.

• Wearing a mask is associated with a reduced risk of infection. The reduced risk is variable.

• Always wearing a mask or respirator in public settings is an improvement over never wearing one. The type of mask is important. Wearing an N95/KN95 mask is better than wearing a surgical mask and both are an improvement over not wearing a mask.

• Well-fitting respirators (N95/FFP2 etc.) outperform surgical and cloth masks in terms of filtering aerosol particles.

• It is believed that a “duckbill” N95 blocked almost all exhaled particles from infected individuals.

• Studies suggest that if many people wear masks, even moderately effective masks can have substantial community-level impact on transmission. 

The following is only anecdotal evidence but I am going to mention it anyway. 

During the peak of the covid-19 pandemic, I always wore an N95 in public. As the danger from covid waned, I switched to well-fitted surgical masks. I also got vaccinated. As the virus has mutated, I have gotten my covid-19 booster shots regularly. I have now had nine covid-19 vaccinations. 

Neither I nor my wife have ever had covid. And a good thing, too, as my wife and I are getting up in years.