The Final Solution as “Here-and-Now”

All around us is clear evidence of the continuing threat of the two-thousand year-long Jewish Problem. From the playground game of “Hit the Jew” in the US to everyday street violence in Europe, antisemitism clearly did not disappear with Auschwitz. Now that my discussion of the Final Solution to the West’s two-thousand year-long Jewish Problem has reached its end I have turned to a more detailed description of Christendom’s Jewish Problem itself. This project necessarily focuses on Christian scripture and theology. Responding to my present blog, Paul’s Conversion, my loyal and usually friendly critic over the years “Philosopher” wonders if we even share the same approach to theology and sociology as approach to Auschwitz.

A Note to my readers: By signing in with social media I find it difficult to insulate my “handle” from my professional identity. Until I am able to put in place a firewall between the two I will not be responding to Commenters. I have always enjoyed and encourage the exchange!

“Philosopher”:

Off topic, David. Do you [approach] theology or sociology of religion, exactly like myself?”

My approach is neither, “Philosopher”. I begin with the latest manifestation, Auschwitz as the Final Solution to the Jewish Problem. I then ask, What is the Jewish Problem which has a long history in Christendom with abundant anti-Jewish scriptural examples clarified and expanded upon, almost codified in Augustine?

Upon this base I describe the new and emerging second century religion facing crisis, an existential doubt: the “theological challenge” of Jews and Judaism, the survival of those described as murderers of Jesus in scripture. The conundrum: either God has a reason; or scripture, the very foundation of all Christian claims, is wrong. And since the latter is entirely unacceptable the search was on for an explanation which Augustine provided in his Witness Doctrine: “the Jews” would “prove” Christianity by eventually seeing its Truth, and converting.

Now all that remained was to “solve” the Problem through conversion, which “the Jews” overwhelmingly declined over the millennia. Resulting in centuries of frustration, rage and, under Western secularism (inheritor of the culture, social tradition and memories of both in stereotypes) arrived at a clean break with that pestilent Other, the Final Solution.

My approach, “Philosopher”, is descriptive. I take little interest in theology except as it describes its nemesis, “the Jews.” And regarding “sociology,” again my approach is not academic. I do, and this is necessary, discuss non-technically, the transition from anti-Judaism (religion) to antisemitism (secular), a “social-psychological” transformation. I do describe such as “stereotype” and “social frustration.” I even describe the “cult of personality,” all as necessary ingredients for rationalizing and operationalizing the final solution: the extermination program. But even here my approach is descriptive, not theoretical.

As I have explained to you from the beginning, “Philosopher”, I am not an academic. I see a clear and present danger to Jewish existence and facing such an imminent event one does not enter a deep discussion of the mechanics of combustion. One shouts FIRE!