I was just reminded online that Kristallnacht was on November 9, 1938 – exactly 85 years ago. This was the ‘Night of Broken Glass,’ in which Jews, synagogues, and Jewish shops were attacked in Germany. Tragically however we are seeing it happen all over again. In so much of the world we are seeing an explosion of Jew-hatred and Israel-hatred.
I thought we once had agreed to “Never again.” Another post making the rounds on the social media simply says this: “I can’t explain how it feels to hear people worldwide cheering for your extermination.” I am not sure who first said this – whether a rabbi or someone else – but our Jewish friends have every right to be terrified right now.
And as I have said repeatedly, there are far too many folks who claim to be Christians and conservatives who are aiding and abetting all this. It can simply be by their despicable silence. But too often it is what they say that makes it clear that they need to take a close look in the mirror. Lurking behind too much of what they are saying may well be some ugly and diabolical antisemitism.
Worse yet, they go on and on pushing their pet theological and eschatological views, as if that is a good excuse to stay silent about, or even wink at, the horrible things we see happening to Jews worldwide today. ‘Well, ethnic Israel are no longer God’s people, so it does not matter what happens to them’ and the like is too often heard or implied.
Christians can and do have differing views on such things, and they can feel free to hold to such views. But too many seem to lurk behind their pet theories and use them as an excuse to simply ignore another possible repeat of what happened last century in Germany.
The truth is, I know of far too many of these folks who have NOT ONCE said that what Hamas did on October 7 was utterly despicable and evil, full stop, and that Israel has the right to exist like every other sovereign nation. That complete silence on their part seems to me to be utterly damning. (Sure, they might have said these things somewhere, sometime, but I sure have not seen nor heard them.) The silence is deafening.
With all this in mind I want to share parts of two new articles. I do so by featuring two witnesses: an Anglican convert to Catholicism, and a Jewish convert to evangelical Christianity. An article by Gavin Ashenden begins this way:
A few days ago, as I walked through the Underground a large Muslim, four inches taller than me, barreled up to me and out of nowhere threatened to beat me up if I didn’t get out of his way. . . . The threatened fight didn’t happen. But I spent the next six hours losing the excess testosterone that had flooded me within a nano-second of his threat.
It was only as I looked on twitter later that I saw a clip of Islamic demonstrators mocking two poppy-wearing Englishmen in the Underground and a fist-fight breaking out that I wondered if it had been my poppy rather than my face that he had been triggered by?
The poppy is a sign of a particular culture within our culture. I have always lamented its diminishing symbolic power as sacrifice, gratitude, remembrance, and the rebuke of supine appeasement lose traction. One of the strange side effects of uncontrolled immigration and the presence of Muslims among us in increasingly large numbers is that it seems its power has been recently refreshed. But why?
We may be about to experience a clash of cultures so dramatic and severe that most people won’t have given even the possibility much thought, let alone what strategy might be employed once it happens. Islamic and Palestinian leaders have been organising demonstrations around the world to express their anger.
It turns out from interviews with those kids on the streets chortling with some transgressive glee, “from the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free”, that most have so little knowledge of the conflict that they can’t name the river in the chant. The enthusiastic support of the Palestinian cause among American youth, who do not know any of the history that the competing claims are rooted in, has been traced to the influence of Critical Race Theory.
He discusses the 1996 book by Samuel Huntington, Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. He then says this:
For the Islamic rage directed towards poppies and cenotaphs, as well as anything Jewish, suggests Huntington may be right. The great flaw in the defence of Western civilisation is that it has abandoned the faith that created it. It has voluntarily and energetically orphaned itself from Catholicism.
Christians and liberal secularists are going to face a serious challenge this coming weekend when, as seems likely, Islamic protest marches “spill over” to confront the vestiges of Remembrance culture. Will the secularists realise that pleasure-seeking consumerism is not powerful enough to provide boundaries to contain Islamic expansionism and missionary ambition? They have refused to this far. And if they wake up to their own limitations and existential sterility, which way will they turn?
Catholics and other Christians will be faced with the challenge of re-articulating the virtues of faith. This will involve the deeply uncomfortable task of beginning to face up to the demands of real evangelism again. And that means explaining why the character and agenda of Jesus Christ, the redeeming sacrificial lamb, is more appealing than the character and agenda of Mohammed the warlord. The truth is, this is not so much a clash of cultures as a clash of gods. But few people are brave enough to say so. https://catholicherald.co.uk/this-is-not-so-much-a-clash-of-cultures-as-a-clash-of-gods/
Messianic Jew Michael Brown gives us (not unexpectedly) an even stronger and more urgent warning about what is now taking place globally:
I am urging you. I am pleading with you. I am imploring you. Wake up! The irrational hatred of the Jewish people and the demonizing of Israel is reaching proportions so dangerous that if people of conscience do not stand up, speak out, and push back, Jewish blood will start flowing in America, England, and many other countries around the world. Wake up!
When Muslims in Sydney Australia are chanting, “Gas the Jews” you know that violence is near. When Jewish students at a university here in America have to hide in a library in fear for their lives, you know that violence is near. When Jewish children in Germany are afraid to go to school and parents warn their children not to wear the Star of David in public you know that violence is near.
When I post an image of the Israeli flag on Facebook and draw comments like, “Children killer. Hospital bombers” you know that violence is near. When a BBC headline reads, “British Jews are ‘full of fear, like I’ve never seen before’,” you know that violence is near.
When Rep. Rashida Tlaib can post a 2024 election warning to President Biden, featuring crowds chanting “From the river to the sea” – meaning, no more State of Israel – you know that violence is near. Wake up! A Jewish friend of mine in Australia wrote to me saying, “I don’t even feel comfortable going to the city because I know that people think ‘I look Jewish.’ I think it’d be dangerous for me to go there. Sad world we live in!”
He continues:
According to the FBI, “Jewish people make up 2.4% of the U.S. population but are the targets of about 60% of hate crimes linked to religion.” And this has been building for years. Even as I write, massive crowds around the world are gathering (or have already gathered) to denounce the nation of Israel. And they are not just calling for a cease fire. They are not even calling for a two-state solution. They are calling for the elimination of Israel. Wake up!
And sadly, at times like this, even some Christians show their ugly side, casting the most evil aspersions on Israel’s actions, branding all Jews as Christ haters (or Christ killers or antichrists), and giving theological justification for Jewish suffering. At the very least, they claim that Israel has no divine right to be in the land. This, too, should bring a fresh wake-up call, as the history of the Church’s persecution of Jews is written in Jewish blood.
In light of all this, and with tremendous urgency in my spirit, I urge every person of conscience, every lover of justice, everyone who fears and honors God. Please, today, speak out against the demonization of Israel and the Jewish people.
Categorically denounce Hamas and distance yourself from those who support Hamas (and Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah and the rest of these terrorist groups). And unequivocally affirm Israel’s right to exist as a nation and to live in peace. At the same time, you can express your grief over the suffering of the Palestinian people.
You can pray for Israel to do its best to avoid civilian casualties. You can affirm that Palestinian blood is as precious in God’s sight as Israeli blood. You can advocate for whatever arrangement you feel is safest and best for all parties involved in this decades long Middle East conflict.
Yes, it sure is. We thought things like Kristallnacht were history. But we have refused to learn from history, and so we are now repeating its mistakes – and its sins and satanic evil.
12 Replies to ““Never Again” – Will the Real Christians and Conservatives Please Stand Up”
This is EXACTLY what happens when “Mr Nice Guy” Christians and “Mr Nice Guy” conservatives refuse to speak the truth and fight the culture wars but would rather be LIKED than be RIGHT. “Can’t we all just get along??” No we can’t. Satan doesn’t want to get along or COEXIST or whatever other claptrap is spewed out there. You either rule or are ruled over. And if the truth isn’t ruling it’s be ruled over. WE HELPED CAUSE THIS. We refused to engage when we could’ve made a difference in the path the nation, whatever nation we were in, was taking. Then we got married to conservative parties that quickly became about economy so we became about “living your best life now” “God wants you to be rich” “Happiness is Gods destiny for everyone” etc. and we lost sight of the Bible and more importantly we lost sight of God. As a church we sold our souls for a 30,000 pieces of gold and a bunch of cheap but sweet sounding words. As a great man of God said “the PULPIT is RESPONSIBLE”!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t think many Germans understood what they had allowed till word of the killing of Jews started circulating. (Soldiers talked when coming home so it was known by the German people long before the allies showed them the camps.) I have a feeling people in the west aren’t going to understand what evil THEY have unleashed until the killing camps are revealed. And far too many will not care. “Frankly my dear I don’t give a damn.” With the church divided between the liberal church that is a lapdog to whatever the godless regimes want and the conservative church which is split between go along to get a long, don’t rock the boat, maybe people deserve this side and the remnant of true believers many churches won’t even object to Christians being killed – well they were those ultra-MAGA Christians so they deserved it or we’ll they were hold society back with there archaic views so they needed to go. Just like in “first they came for” they’ll go after the most objectionable first the one most dislike or hate or don’t want to be seen defending and slowly work their way tow the least objectionable but by then there won’t be anyone left to object to they’re be rounded up.
Here in America we have a man named Alex Jones now he has said some pretty wild things but when the tech companies colluded to ban him from all their platforms most CONSERVATIVES were silent. Most found his words/views so objectionable they didn’t want to defend him. Now they may think because their views are more mainstream conservative that people would defend them. But if they can’t defend HIS RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH why should others DEFEND THEIRS???? If you can’t defend the rights of those you disagree with or dislike or even hate you shouldn’t expect ANYONE to defend your rights when it comes your time to face the same thing. Too many will gladly watch the rounding up of anyone who is a Trump supporter or truly conservative, anyone who takes the Bible as literal truth and anyone with a moral compass that says there are ABSOLUTES – such as TRUTH, BEAUTY RIGHT, WRONG MALE AND FEMALE. They will cheer the knuckle-draggers being hauled away. They won’t realize the danger until a knock comes at the door and THEY ARE HAULED AWAY to cheering crowds. It’s too late then. It’s like allowing the enemy to breech the walls and draw their swords and put them to your throat and ONLY THEN SHOUTING “to arms men to arms” and hoping to defend your town and defeat your enemy. A bit late.
When societies forget God it always in badly and in much blood. Human sacrifice is the price satan always asks for in exchange for giving a nation or a civilization “freedom”. When you decide to go down the path of arrogance, stupidity, self indulgence, self delusion and “fundamental transformation” millions, even billions, of deaths are simply the price of admission. We didn’t all ask to go down this path no but those in charge and those who put them there did. We did stop this from happening so we pay the admission price too. One day they’ll realize “there’s a monster on the throne”. While we might retort “ if there’s a monster on the throne it’s because you put him there” they might, rightfully, answer back “you didn’t try and stop us”.
It’s hard for a Christian to see much difference between Islam and Judaism. Both religions revere Moses and Abraham and have similar scriptures. Both are religions of the sword, but Israel has better weapons, including bulldozers. Both engage in killing each other. Neither side seems interested in a peaceful resolution.
Why should we take sides? Serious question.
Thanks Owen. But any discerning and aware Christian knows there are massive differences between Islam and Judaism. Islam does not revere Moses and Abraham, but merely appropriates them for their own purposes. Anyone who has actually read both the Koran and the Tanakh know they are utterly different and have nothing in common. Islam is most certainly a religion of the sword – Judaism is not. Modern Israel is doing all it can to survive, surrounded by 22 Arab nations, most of whom have vowed to drive Israel into the sea. Islamists kill in the name of Allah, while the IDF seeks to defend its land and people from the murderous jihadists. Israel has repeatedly offered land for peace in the hopes of reaching a peaceful resolution, while the Arab nations have repeatedly rejected that. Sorry but there is no moral equivalence here whatsoever. That is exactly why we should take sides. Serious answer.
Thanks Bill, we should be standing up for the Jews in our country and praying for their worldwide protection and peace for Jerusalem. There is another palestinian protest in Sydney again this weekend I believe, because Israel is still attacking Gaza. Well, Israel will keep attacking Gaza until those Israeli hostages are returned but these people don’t seem to care about Israeli hostages nor the fact that Hamas, their leaders, started all the bloodshed. What this has also highlighted is the other threat us peace-loving Australians have in this country and that is the Sharia Law/Islam/Mohammad followers – there are thousands to millions of them and they are showing their real colours out in the open now.
I am a former soldier, and a Christian. I am reminded of the Scripture by Paul, who said: If possible, so long as it lays with you, live peacefully with all men.
Sadly, the other side of that coin is, if the other refuses to allow you to live peacefully with all, then the only alternative is total and absolute war.
I will gladly stand with Israel against those who wish genocide against it. If that means war, because politicians are failures at their duty of care, so be it, war it will be.
Brililant as always, Bill.
Thankyou – I have much reading to do of your other articles in regards to God’s Covenantal Nation and her people and the horrific rise of anti-semenitism – I have just had to completely rest in Our Lord.
I have been spiritually knocked out (and physically exhausted) by the events of Oct 7, 2023.
I arrived back from Blessed Israel (Northern Region) for the 2nd time this year in mid September – and just had to do MUCH Resting in the Lord.
The prejudice outside of our home (in Regional Victoria) has been minimal maybe just because people understand how much Israel means to God’s People BUT most likely – People in Australia just don’t get it…….
One exception however, is the Israel Flag which I have had hanging (outside our front door) since just before Easter. Returning home one day I found it neatly folded into 32 squares s and pinned back on my wall – What?@&
Unfortunately, our 22yr old son is one of these maddened, threatened individuals who has been really hard to deal with the last month or so. His jab-induced lymphatic cancer (which has reared it’s ugly head again) is not a valid excuse – people who demonstrate their hatred of the Jews appear to be demonically possesed – they are irrational and inhumane.
Please keep informing Christians of how important the Jewish People are to God, Our Western Culture and each other.
Love your Work – In Jesus Precious Name, Melinda
Thank you Bill for this much needed article, and for the very necessary response to Owen Jacobsen.
There is so much to commend in your article and in Paul Wilson’s words that I cannot comment on these further. What comes sharply into focus for me is the question,’What has happened to our educators, and parents who have caused grown children to be without discernment and basic historical, and Biblical knowledge’?
We all know the answer but don’t want to acknowledge the truth of the matter. One answer is “nice” Christians who turn away from conversations which require hard answers of objective truth, and political leaders even preachers who are people pleasers looking after their comfy positions.
I feel compelled to remind you, there is a huge difference in Christian and conservative.
Of course there is Ranger. I never said the two are identical. There are secular and atheistic conservatives, just as there are Christian liberals and lefties. The two are not the same, but often Christians with conservative theology are also politically conservative, just as often Christians with liberal theology are also politically liberal. But I have discussed that elsewhere, eg: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2007/09/13/religion-and-the-political-spectrum/
Thought I would mention they are renaming the Anne Frank Daycare in Germany because migrants find it hard to explain about the name to their children. More bend over backwards to appease the illegal immigrant muslims while not caring about Jews. The worst part is that this is happening in Germany. Of all countries not named Israel THEY should know where this type of appeasement leads. They know about the suffering the Jews have gone through.
Thanks Paul.
Gavin Ashenden raises concerns about increasing Islamic power in your above article.
See this claim made by jailed Muslim cleric Anjem Choudary:
This is EXACTLY what happens when “Mr Nice Guy” Christians and “Mr Nice Guy” conservatives refuse to speak the truth and fight the culture wars but would rather be LIKED than be RIGHT. “Can’t we all just get along??” No we can’t. Satan doesn’t want to get along or COEXIST or whatever other claptrap is spewed out there. You either rule or are ruled over. And if the truth isn’t ruling it’s be ruled over. WE HELPED CAUSE THIS. We refused to engage when we could’ve made a difference in the path the nation, whatever nation we were in, was taking. Then we got married to conservative parties that quickly became about economy so we became about “living your best life now” “God wants you to be rich” “Happiness is Gods destiny for everyone” etc. and we lost sight of the Bible and more importantly we lost sight of God. As a church we sold our souls for a 30,000 pieces of gold and a bunch of cheap but sweet sounding words. As a great man of God said “the PULPIT is RESPONSIBLE”!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t think many Germans understood what they had allowed till word of the killing of Jews started circulating. (Soldiers talked when coming home so it was known by the German people long before the allies showed them the camps.) I have a feeling people in the west aren’t going to understand what evil THEY have unleashed until the killing camps are revealed. And far too many will not care. “Frankly my dear I don’t give a damn.” With the church divided between the liberal church that is a lapdog to whatever the godless regimes want and the conservative church which is split between go along to get a long, don’t rock the boat, maybe people deserve this side and the remnant of true believers many churches won’t even object to Christians being killed – well they were those ultra-MAGA Christians so they deserved it or we’ll they were hold society back with there archaic views so they needed to go. Just like in “first they came for” they’ll go after the most objectionable first the one most dislike or hate or don’t want to be seen defending and slowly work their way tow the least objectionable but by then there won’t be anyone left to object to they’re be rounded up.
Here in America we have a man named Alex Jones now he has said some pretty wild things but when the tech companies colluded to ban him from all their platforms most CONSERVATIVES were silent. Most found his words/views so objectionable they didn’t want to defend him. Now they may think because their views are more mainstream conservative that people would defend them. But if they can’t defend HIS RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH why should others DEFEND THEIRS???? If you can’t defend the rights of those you disagree with or dislike or even hate you shouldn’t expect ANYONE to defend your rights when it comes your time to face the same thing. Too many will gladly watch the rounding up of anyone who is a Trump supporter or truly conservative, anyone who takes the Bible as literal truth and anyone with a moral compass that says there are ABSOLUTES – such as TRUTH, BEAUTY RIGHT, WRONG MALE AND FEMALE. They will cheer the knuckle-draggers being hauled away. They won’t realize the danger until a knock comes at the door and THEY ARE HAULED AWAY to cheering crowds. It’s too late then. It’s like allowing the enemy to breech the walls and draw their swords and put them to your throat and ONLY THEN SHOUTING “to arms men to arms” and hoping to defend your town and defeat your enemy. A bit late.
When societies forget God it always in badly and in much blood. Human sacrifice is the price satan always asks for in exchange for giving a nation or a civilization “freedom”. When you decide to go down the path of arrogance, stupidity, self indulgence, self delusion and “fundamental transformation” millions, even billions, of deaths are simply the price of admission. We didn’t all ask to go down this path no but those in charge and those who put them there did. We did stop this from happening so we pay the admission price too. One day they’ll realize “there’s a monster on the throne”. While we might retort “ if there’s a monster on the throne it’s because you put him there” they might, rightfully, answer back “you didn’t try and stop us”.
It’s hard for a Christian to see much difference between Islam and Judaism. Both religions revere Moses and Abraham and have similar scriptures. Both are religions of the sword, but Israel has better weapons, including bulldozers. Both engage in killing each other. Neither side seems interested in a peaceful resolution.
Why should we take sides? Serious question.
Thanks Owen. But any discerning and aware Christian knows there are massive differences between Islam and Judaism. Islam does not revere Moses and Abraham, but merely appropriates them for their own purposes. Anyone who has actually read both the Koran and the Tanakh know they are utterly different and have nothing in common. Islam is most certainly a religion of the sword – Judaism is not. Modern Israel is doing all it can to survive, surrounded by 22 Arab nations, most of whom have vowed to drive Israel into the sea. Islamists kill in the name of Allah, while the IDF seeks to defend its land and people from the murderous jihadists. Israel has repeatedly offered land for peace in the hopes of reaching a peaceful resolution, while the Arab nations have repeatedly rejected that. Sorry but there is no moral equivalence here whatsoever. That is exactly why we should take sides. Serious answer.
Thanks Bill, we should be standing up for the Jews in our country and praying for their worldwide protection and peace for Jerusalem. There is another palestinian protest in Sydney again this weekend I believe, because Israel is still attacking Gaza. Well, Israel will keep attacking Gaza until those Israeli hostages are returned but these people don’t seem to care about Israeli hostages nor the fact that Hamas, their leaders, started all the bloodshed. What this has also highlighted is the other threat us peace-loving Australians have in this country and that is the Sharia Law/Islam/Mohammad followers – there are thousands to millions of them and they are showing their real colours out in the open now.
I am a former soldier, and a Christian. I am reminded of the Scripture by Paul, who said: If possible, so long as it lays with you, live peacefully with all men.
Sadly, the other side of that coin is, if the other refuses to allow you to live peacefully with all, then the only alternative is total and absolute war.
I will gladly stand with Israel against those who wish genocide against it. If that means war, because politicians are failures at their duty of care, so be it, war it will be.
Brililant as always, Bill.
Thankyou – I have much reading to do of your other articles in regards to God’s Covenantal Nation and her people and the horrific rise of anti-semenitism – I have just had to completely rest in Our Lord.
I have been spiritually knocked out (and physically exhausted) by the events of Oct 7, 2023.
I arrived back from Blessed Israel (Northern Region) for the 2nd time this year in mid September – and just had to do MUCH Resting in the Lord.
The prejudice outside of our home (in Regional Victoria) has been minimal maybe just because people understand how much Israel means to God’s People BUT most likely – People in Australia just don’t get it…….
One exception however, is the Israel Flag which I have had hanging (outside our front door) since just before Easter. Returning home one day I found it neatly folded into 32 squares s and pinned back on my wall – What?@&
Unfortunately, our 22yr old son is one of these maddened, threatened individuals who has been really hard to deal with the last month or so. His jab-induced lymphatic cancer (which has reared it’s ugly head again) is not a valid excuse – people who demonstrate their hatred of the Jews appear to be demonically possesed – they are irrational and inhumane.
Please keep informing Christians of how important the Jewish People are to God, Our Western Culture and each other.
Love your Work – In Jesus Precious Name, Melinda
Thank you Bill for this much needed article, and for the very necessary response to Owen Jacobsen.
There is so much to commend in your article and in Paul Wilson’s words that I cannot comment on these further. What comes sharply into focus for me is the question,’What has happened to our educators, and parents who have caused grown children to be without discernment and basic historical, and Biblical knowledge’?
We all know the answer but don’t want to acknowledge the truth of the matter. One answer is “nice” Christians who turn away from conversations which require hard answers of objective truth, and political leaders even preachers who are people pleasers looking after their comfy positions.
I feel compelled to remind you, there is a huge difference in Christian and conservative.
Of course there is Ranger. I never said the two are identical. There are secular and atheistic conservatives, just as there are Christian liberals and lefties. The two are not the same, but often Christians with conservative theology are also politically conservative, just as often Christians with liberal theology are also politically liberal. But I have discussed that elsewhere, eg: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2007/09/13/religion-and-the-political-spectrum/
Thought I would mention they are renaming the Anne Frank Daycare in Germany because migrants find it hard to explain about the name to their children. More bend over backwards to appease the illegal immigrant muslims while not caring about Jews. The worst part is that this is happening in Germany. Of all countries not named Israel THEY should know where this type of appeasement leads. They know about the suffering the Jews have gone through.
Thanks Paul.
Gavin Ashenden raises concerns about increasing Islamic power in your above article.
See this claim made by jailed Muslim cleric Anjem Choudary:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fze8elKXgAAAjpS?format=jpg&name=small