Dr. Brown shares practical insights on what we can learn from the past on this Holocaust Remembrance Day, takes your calls, and brings a kingdom perspective on recent major news. Listen live here 2-4 pm EST, and call into the show at (866) 348 7884 with your questions and comments.
Hour 1:
Dr. Brown’s Bottom Line: Human beings are guilty of committing a holocaust in every generation if not for the intervention of a merciful God!
Hour 2:
Dr. Brown’s Bottom Line: If we do not learn the lessons of the past as other wise men have said, then we’ll just repeat the same ones again in the future!
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The Catholic Church didn’t proclaim the Eucharist to be the actual body and blood of Christ only in 1215. This belief goes back all the way to the Apostles (actually, to the words of Christ himself, recounted in John, but I know non-Catholics will interpret the text differently). One need only consult the writings of St. Ignatius of Antioch to establish the historicity of the Catholic belief in the Real Presence. The Church began to utilize the term “Transubstantiation” in the Middle Ages. That much is true. The Greeks had several other words to describe the change of substance in the Eucharist after consecration, but in the Latin Church, the favorite term was the aforementioned, championed by St. Thomas Aquinas.
Amen. Dr. Brown!
I totally agree that the root of the holocaust were hatred towards the Jews. People who hate will believe even the most outrageous lies. And lies can lead to terrible things.
In that spirit, I would encourage you to put a damper on callers who express their hated for President Obama and/or say lies about him. You had two callers today who needed to be corrected but you led what they said about Obama stand.
Nicholas,
I’m one of those people who don’t interpret John that way.
Yes, I’m a Protestant but I am pretty sure that lots and lots of Catholics believe exactly as I do.
In fact, you are the first person I’ve heard, in a long time, who defends transubstantiation. Do you honestly believe that the communion bread and win literally — in some sort of scientific sense — turn into flesh and blood?
In my church, we think of it like the phrase “here in the flesh” and we believe that Jesus comes among us as we take communion. Yes, in a real sense but not in a scientific sense.
Unlike a lot of churches, we don’t put any membership or doctrinal requirements on communion. We view it more like other churches view an “alter call” — anyone who wants to encounter Jesus is welcome.
That was an amazing testimony of the Holocaust survivor who had a guard come up to her and ask forgiveness.
The most humbling was that she still wanted to kill him, even after she has just spoken on forgiveness! Yet, words of forgiveness came out of her mouth, even as she had revenge in her heart.
I think this may be a prime example of the commandment in Philippians to “work out your salvation in fear and trembling.”
While the saving work of Jesus is final and eternal, we humans still have a lot of work to do!
And, for victims of horror — it’s a lot more work than for most of us. It’s wise to stay humble about other people’s struggles in their Christian walk.
RE: >>From Holocaust Remembrance Day to Gay “Marriage” at the Grammys
It strikes me as a perfectly reasonable linkage. Tolerance of Jews and gays are almost completely parallel in Europe all the way up until the Nazi tried to exterminate both.
But John Boswell, in his important book documenting this, said it better than I can:
“Most societies, for instance, which freely tolerate religious diversity also accept sexual variation, and the fate of the Jews and gay people has been almost identical throughout Euripean history, from early Christain hositility to extermination in concentration camps. The same laws which oppressed Jews oppressed gay people.; the same groups bent on eliminating Jews tried to wipe out homosexuality; the same periods of European hsitory which could not make room for Jewish distinctivelness reacted violently against sexual nonconformity; the same countries which insisted on religious uniformity imposed majority standandards of sexual conduct; and even the same methods of propoganda were used against Jews and gay people—picturing them as animals bent on the desctruction of the chilfren of the majority.”
Greg,
As always, I appreciate you listening, but I have no clue what you’re referring to re: callers and President Obama. First, he’s hardly a topic of discussion of my shows; second, no one today brought him up in any substantive way.
Re: Jews and gays, the comparison is quite off target for many, many reasons.
Greg,
Perhaps I should not have brought this up in the first place. I’m glad Dr. Brown spoke about the false accusations leveled by the Catholic Church against the Jewish people. This is something that Catholics should not run away from but confront openly and honestly. I think the Church has been doing a good job repairing relations with Jews, even on behalf of all Christians. In any event, I do believe and affirm that the body and blood of Christ, with his human soul and his divinity, are truly and really present in the consecrated host. I cannot speak for the beliefs of all Catholics but this is what the Church teaches. Moreover, the Church has always taught this, and this was my point in the first place. Our common baptism makes us brothers in Christ to be sure, but we must understand that there are serious doctrinal differences which continue to separate us, which cannot be marginalized.
If I had my choice of touring any two places in this world, one would be the Holy Land, and the other would be Hitler’s death camps.
If I meet anyone who doesn’t believe the suffering and killing was as bad as they say, I think I should ask if they have visited any of those places.
Dr. Brown,
On today’s show you had one caller blame “the Obama regime” (I’m pretty sure thats a quote) for the 50 million abortions and perpetrating another holocaust.
This is just unfair — abortions rates are considerable lower under Obama than during the “Reagan regime” for example.
But, you just let that comment stand.
Another caller accused Obama of arming terrorists who attack Israel. I don’t know what she was referring to but, again, you let the comment stand.
This is just irrational hatred of our president.
No offense, Dr. Brown, but if you are really against irrational hatred, you should be sensitive to it, even when it isn’t directed at you.
Do unto others… and all that.
Dr. Brown,
>>Re: Jews and gays, the comparison is quite off target for many, many reasons.
The comparison is this — in Western Europe, gays and Jews have been persecuted by the same people, at the sames times, in much the same way.
Re-read the quote. It’s hard to argue against.
I just recently read John Boswell’s “Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality” and he documents this parallel quite thoroughly. It won the National Book Award and I assume you read it in your research.
“This is just unfair — abortions rates are considerable lower under Obama than during the “Reagan regime” for example.”
> As governor or California Reagan made abortions legal in California in 1967, 6 years before the rest of the country. How do you like him now Reaganites? Reagan raised the debt ceiling 18 times during his time as president. That’s hilarious! This guy napped and watched cowboy movies all day while his wife and an astrologer made every important decision made for 8 years! Reagan NEVER made a major decision without consulting the stars. What a fine Christian man he was! Hahahahahahahaha… It’s all true!
Van again your facts are through very dark glasses.
Thank you to Church in the city (Michale Walker)
who gave a correct and good message on the Christian responsibility in the holocaust.
We must stand and face the truth of the matter to understand not only how to avoid this evil in the future, but to know the truth about what God is doing today for Israel for the whole world. This is a revival that is teaching the christian church to the heart of God. This movement is all on the same page!
Website churchinthecity.org
click on media (audio recordings) to hear message of high importance.
It’s true, Reagan was not such a great Christian after all. All of these Republicans are hypocrites. Do you folks know that the Bush family co-founded Planned Parenthood? Anyway, Dr. Brown doesn’t identify as a Republican.
Just so few years removed from this tragedy have these dark deeds ceased to horrify us is that we are accustomed to it. What are the causes of our indifference, our lukewarm attitude to such deeds, to such signs of the times, ominous of an unenviable future? Is it our cynicism, is it the premature exhaustion of intellect and imagination in a society that is sinking into decay, in spite of its youth? Is it that our moral principles are shattered to their foundations? or is it, perhaps, a complete lack of such principles among us? I cannot answer such questions; nevertheless they are disturbing, and every citizen not only must, but ought to be harassed by them.
When we think of the Holocaust shouldn’t we think about hell also? It seems to me that the Holocaust should remind us of hell.
>> It’s true, Reagan was not such a great Christian after all. All of these Republicans are hypocrites.
Not “after all” – it was perfectly clear, at the time, that Reagan was what is commonly called a nominal Christian. (I prefer the term cultural Christian.)
Reagan was deliberately _marketed_ as a devout Christian and conservative Christians fell for it hook-line-and-sinker.
I am not even criticizing Reagan’s Christianity. I think that a cultural Christian could make a fine president.
But, I do criticize my fellow Evangelicals for being such dupes, politically, who fall for the most transparent attempts to market to them.
>> Do you folks know that the Bush family co-founded Planned Parenthood?
I did not know that. (Obviously, this doesn’t bother me because I’m pro-choice, myself.) I see from Wikipedia that was Prescott Bush and a long time ago. Birth control was a very different issue back then.
>> Anyway, Dr. Brown doesn’t identify as a Republican.
I can’t imagine him voting for a Democrat!
Dr. Brown is clearly up to his ears in political conservatism, especially the “culture wars” wing of it.
I think this is where he makes his most mistakes, biblically.
Like a lot of self-styled bible scholars, he tends to start with his own personal identity and experiences and expand out from there.
This would include his own personal disaster with 60s liberalism. A LOT of “culture war” conservative activists had a bad experience with the 1960s! It’s remarkable, to, now common that story is.
In Dr. Brown’s case, he can’t seem to read the bible outside of that experience.
But, obviously, the Bible was written in the 1960s and much of the “culture wars” is not directly addressed by the bible. So, Dr. Brown reads those issues into the bible. (unwittingly I suspect)
Is Dr. Brown a Republican? I don’t know. Is he part of modern conservatism? Through and through. Just look where he posts his articles!
World Net Daily! Talk about a cesspool of irrational hatred and lies. It’s one of the worst. Yet, Dr. Brown sees no contradiction in posting an article about irrational hatred on WND!
Oops
>> But, obviously, the Bible was _NOT_ written in the 1960s and much of the “culture wars” is not directly addressed by the bible.
jon,
>>Just so few years removed from this tragedy have these dark deeds ceased to horrify us is that we are accustomed to it.
You are speaking for yourself, not me. I am still horrified by the Holocaust. The people I know are still horrified by it. Lots and LOTS of people are still horrified by it. Not just Christians and Jews, either.
FYI — when I hear people use “us” and “we” language, I assume they are projecting their own worldview on to everybody. (as we all do 😉 )
But, I know you better. You do care about these issues.
So why do you include yourself in such broad and dubious generalizations?
Ray,
>> When we think of the Holocaust shouldn’t we think about hell also? It seems to me that the Holocaust should remind us of hell.
How so? Do you think the Jews were being punished by God for their sins, like in hell?
I would disagree with that in the strongest terms.
As for me, I see Hell and the Holocaust as very different. (except, of course, that they both are horrible.) They certainly have different theological explanations.
The people in hell are their because of their own sins. The people in the concentrations camps were they were victims of the sin of others. Very different.
Christians insist God is always in control. So how does the holocaust fit in with God’s plan?
Van,
There is passage after passage prophesying that Israel will be punished for their sin and rebellion against YHWH and that they will be scattered into all the nations of the earth and be persecuted and that in the last days they will be regathered to the land of Israel…rapidly…miraculously. Now they are back in the land miraculously. A nation and people that was completely obliterated has been resurrected. The Holocaust was instrumental in the birth pains of Israel being born.
All that said, there are also prophesies about what will happen to those that abuse Israel. These we have seen come to pass over and over. Germany was taught a great lesson, as was Babylon, and Rome, and Assyria, and Egypt and we and the rest of the nations of the world would do well to learn from history and prophesy.
When are you going to stop dodging and man up and answer the charge that you lied and misrepresented Schweitzer? In case you and others have almost forgotten, here is a gentle reminder of the challenge:
Why should anyone listen to you when you have been proven wrong and won’t admit it? Why should we listen to a troll?
“troll
One who posts a deliberately provocative message…with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument.”- http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=troll
When are you going to answer the charge that you took Scweitzer out of context? Did you do it intentionally or were you duped by someone and then just regurgitate the lie? At least admit that you were wrong, even if you won’t tell us your motive. Don’t dodge or ignore this if you are an honest man. To refresh you memory, here is the challenge:
Below is one of many examples of Van’s deception technique. He has been asked repeatedly to either admit that he has posted false testimony or to produce verification of his assertion. After being called on the carpet, he conveniently ignores all rebuttals and continues to regurgitate deception mixed with a huge amount of rhetoric, vitriol and insult. He is not to be taken seriously as scholar or a commentator. He is a troll, and nothing more.
Van wrote:
“’There is nothing more negative than the result of the critical study of the life of Jesus. The Jesus of Nazareth who came forward publicly as the Messiah, who preached the Kingdom of God, who founded the Kingdom of Heaven upon earth, and died to give his work its final consecration, never had any existence.’ – Albert Scweitzer (1875-1965)
You just accused Albert Schweitzer of being classless, unqualified, and simple minded. Par for the course for people who have no respect for intelligence and education.
Many scholars have tried to find evidence from outside the Bible that Jesus really existed. They came up with nothing, absolutely nothing as Dr. Schweitzer said.
You people have bought into all the lies of religion and then you repeat these lies without any hint of a conscience. Calling me a liar when all I do is speak the truth just shows how backward your evil religion really is.”
Sheila responded:
“Well, it’s a classic move by you to rip a quotation out of context. Who is it you’re listening to? It makes no sense for you to drop what you think is a bombshell when all you’ve done now is make yourself look more foolish because you never considered that Google just might have Schweitzer’s book on line.
Anyone who cares to can read further down the chapter and see that Schweitzer was referring to the historic Jesus as He was portrayed by the modern theological historians of his own time. His thought was that “That” Jesus never existed… His point was that we end up molding Him according to our modern way of thinking categorically. We essentially risk minimizing the astonishing profundity of His teachings.
This link begins with the quote you gave us and then explains exactly what Schweitzer was getting at. The man made the cross he wanted on his own grave, for Pete’s sake.
http://books.google.com/books?id=uzRXxvPsylkC&pg=PA478#v=onepage&q&f=false ”
To date, Van still ignores the proof of his irrelevancy. He continues to persecute in the only way he as power to do. That power, in this instance, being the grace of Dr. Brown. Be sure to thank YHWH that Van is not in any governmental position where his bigotry and prejudice can do more harm.
2 Timothy 3
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.