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Lvov pogrom: Women being chased by men and youths
armed with clubs on Maduba Street, 1941
(Many of the Jews were refugees from
Poland, fleeing Nazis,
who were in turn murdered by
Ukrainians who did not want them.)
Evidenced online among 'closed' groups of Traditional-ist Catholics.
First, I apologize for the photo of the poor Jewish woman chased by Ukrainian antisemites in WWII. This image popped up as I was researching another image used in a Crisis article, written by a priest. The priest was writing about how 'nice' people murdered Jews, or looked on without protest, or just looked away. The priest suggested the victim in his photo - 'looked defiant and not 'nice''. It impressed me as wrong for the author to attempt to impute what the man's thoughts were before execution, and to use him like that to contrast the 'niceness' of the Nazi soldiers with the 'not so nice' look of the victim. In our attempt to humanize-relativize contemporary issues, we can end up exploiting the sufferings of others. Despite the fact these photographic records can help us to truly 'never forget'. (Hence my own apologies for using the very sad and frightening photo at the top of the post.)
That said, recently on Facebook a longstanding feud exploded between some bloggers who have always disliked Mark Shea and several other Patheos bloggers. I don't follow these feuds very closely, I like Mark Shea and some of the Patheos writers just fine, their opponents are mostly people I wouldn't be friends with in the first place. Those in the group who do know of me do not like me anyway. (I have deleted some of those I know who are friends or associated with the group and/or members of the group, simply to avoid involvement with all of their traditionalist crisis propaganda.)
Long story short, I saw screen shots containing blatant antisemitic remarks as well as hate-filled mockery against some of the Patheos writers - specifically one woman. (Here) The literary assault reminded me of the photo at the top of my post. It has nothing to do with being nice or not nice. It portrays terror. It is a historical record illustrating how the stuff these people write or support in and through their 'friending/following' these people online, on FB, is in fact a form of terrorism. Hounding people online and calling for them to be raped or beat up is easily recognizable as a form of terrorism, as depicted in the photo I used here. These holy people claim not to know what Pope Francis is talking about when he addresses the wicked online exchanges, calling detraction and gossip terrorism and even assassination, yet they engage in it day after day, hour after hour online, on FB, on Twitter, on whatever social media site they can hide behind.
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People pretend it's not happening but it is here and it is growing, and those who write about not being 'nice', not being 'kind' are enabling the more creepy people online who flatter themselves for their orthodoxy and impeccable moral superiority.
Happy indeed is the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked, nor lingers in the way of sinners nor sits in the company of scorners, but whose delight is the law of the Lord and who ponders his law day and night. - Ps. 1
I don't understand ... never will how anyone can be antisemitic. Our Lord was a devout Jew as was our Lady and St. Joseph. The early Church was Jewish. Catholicism is the daughter of Judaism - nothing will ever change that one truth.
ReplyDeleteHow can we say we love our Lord Jesus who was Jewish but proceed to smear the Jewish people? I remember Papa Francis getting bashed for defending that truth.
Too sad ... that poor woman in the picture. The fear and the terror she must have felt. I am going to pray for her and for the ones who committed such evil against her.
James 1:26 - Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
ReplyDeleteHorrific, on every level.
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