The Arizona post., 1953-09-18
Christian-Jewish ConciIiatory Efforts
Probe Significance Of Religious Conflict

raels Election" is not a reward, but a special
meaning, mediation between God and mankind.
Jewish existence is a reflection of the homeless
and exiled life led by this earth Their fate
is warning against injustice to man and disoyaI
ty toward God a symbol of the bad conscience"
and the "disgraceful failure of German Christian
ity" itself The recent Jewish tragedy it appears
to Christian theoogians, is an omen that our world
has become more estranged from God than ever
before. The worlds tendency to forget" the Nazi
holocaust seems to them sign that mankind has
been blinded by the extremity of evil. The Jewish
question: they state therefore, is today more cru
cial than Cancellation with Israel is impera-
tive to reaWakening of the worlds conscience.
Jews remaining in Germany have gained a
greater sense of sef-realZation and have rejected
the road of assimilation. They do not wish to re-
turn to orthodoxy but while attempting to under
stand the recent disaster, they have begun to
search deeply into the roots of Judaism. Jewish
theologians in Germany maintained that there can
be no hasty forgiveness for the Church's failure to
protect the Jews, but add that an utter denial of
the possibility of concaton with Christianity
would be negation of the humanitarian and mes
sianic character of Judaism itself
German Jewry Responds
In their efforts to improve Christian-,JeWis re.
lations, the Jews have in the past generally con-
fined themselves to defending Judaism against the
accusation of having crucifed Christ German Jews
have abandoned this path. They insist that the
Church once and for all accept the Synagogue on
basis of equality.
The Jews continue to repudiate Jesus as the
mountaineering savior pointing out that a ere
deemed world must look different than ours" Is
rael, they add, does not require the mediation of
Christ because, as the bearer of the devine laws it
is already joined with God German Jewish theo-
logians point out however, that this rejection of
Christ does not place Judaism into competition"
with Christianity. God they assert concluded sew
eral covenants with humanity which function to
bring the various sectors of mankind on different
roads to the One God.
For centuries Christianity has attempted to
missionize Israel but only recently have Geman
Jews themselves become conscious of their own
world-historical mission to Christianity. This call
ing does not demand the propagation of Mosaic
Law, but rather the fulfillment of the God-willed
purpose of Jewish existence God chose Israel not
to give it a privileged status among nations but
to make Israel His own Representative" on earth
and at the same time the witness of the worlds
corruption.
The Jews, great German rabbi recently stated,
can only fulfill their special mission to humanity
by recapturing and Strengthening their Judaism.
The Jewish sacrifice has not been in vain if it re-
wives mans conscience and reestabshes his rea-
tionship to God. When mankind has been led back
to God, then the Jewish existence will no longer be
witness to humanity's suffering and fall, but to
humanitys love and righteousness
1t is difficult to determine to what extent these
discussions reflect the feelings of German Chris
tianS and Jews as whole. Nevertheless, it is per
tinent and vital to German life, having grown di
rectly out of the traumatic experiences of recent
years. Congress Weekly.