This is because being Jewish is also a matter of ethnicity. If you have a Jewish mother you are a Jew regardless of your faith.[./quote]
You will find most of these same people will also list their faith as Jewish.
So what? Christian theology holds that everyone sins, so these people were still christians regardless of their actions.
The Bible also states that we will know people by their fruits. (by their actions) James states that if you claim to have faith, but arn't willing to help someone when they need it, then your faith is dead. (AKA you arn't a real Christian.) Jesus said that not everyone who called him "Lord" would enter the kingdom of heaven.
Christian theology also holds that your actions are meaningful.
Why should we sort out your doctrinal messes? There are thousands of christian denominations, all claiming to the the ONE TRUTH. To illustrate my point, would you consider Martin Luther a true christian? Even with his extremely hateful view of jews and minorities (comparable to those of Hitler)?
There is no doctrinal mess in terms of actions.
And yes it is true that Luther was not a huge fan of the Jews. But where you lie, (or are ignorant) is the extent of it. In what Luther thinks how the Jews should be treated, he never mentions "kill them all". Luther never believed in genocide. He did advocate stripping them of their rights at the end of his life. Although the idea of universal liberty in that time was completly unheard of, so if you view him in the scope of his time one can understand his mindset.
He did however not like them a single bit, that is very apparent. That is a sin he carried. He failed to love them.
*Edit* From
On the Jews and their lies by Martin Luther
Part XI, Paragraph 17
And you, my dear gentlemen and friends who are pastors and preachers, I wish to remind very faithfully of your official duty, so that you too may warn your parishioners concerning their eternal harm, as you know how to do, namely, that they be on their guard against the Jews and avoid them so far as possible. They should not curse them or harm their persons, however. For the Jews have cursed and harmed themselves more than enough by cursing the Man Jesus of Nazareth, Mary's son, which they unfortunately have been doing for over fourteen hundred years. Let the government deal with them in this respect, as I have suggested. But whether the government acts or not. Let everyone at least be guided by his own conscience and form for himself a definition or image of a Jew
Now Martin Luther's suggestions on dealing with Jews:
That the government (not individual citizens) should:
1. Burn their synagogues and schools so as to prevent their spreading of the Jewish faith.
2. Destroy their homes. (As he considers them a people in exile)
3. Take away their religious materials and prayer books
4. Forbid the rabbi's from preaching
5. Do not give them safe conduct on the roads. (As he belives they use it to spread their faith.)
6. Usuary should be prohibited to them. (To prevent them from becomming too wealthy and spreading their faith)
7. Regulate them to only low level work.
(All of this taken from
On the Jews and their lies by Martin Luther)
It should be noted that Luther feared their faith but not their race as he also said
"Whenever a Jew is sincerely converted, he should be handed one hundred, two hundred, or three hundred florins, as personal circumstances may suggest. With this he could set himself up in some occupation for the support of his poor wife and children, and the maintenance of the old or feeble."
So no Luther was not a fan of religous liberty. And he was not terribly loving towards non-Christians. But genocide, like what Hitler was into. . . no that wasn't him.
If we now take a broader step and look upon his whole fruits. He devoted his life to the church and to freeing people from the dictatorial power of the Roman Church at the time. He prayed consistantly, taught and spread the word of God. His faith was at the very center of his life. It in many respects was his life.
The difference in what I am speaking of is more apparent. I like many of us carry sins and weaknesses on me. Ones that I have committed many times before and probably will again in the future. I'm no better then Luther.
However at the same time, one can clearly tell that my faith is an important part of my life. The question that needs to be asked is if the people who often committed these acts of genocide made the faith an important part of their lives? Or was most of it done to keep up appearences?
These days one does not have to "keep up appearences". A person can claim to be a Christian, maybe show up to Church on Christmas and Easter. But do they really believe in it? Is it really important to them? Or is it just a side hobby?
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