Protestantism, Luther, and the rise of Nazi Germany

Catholic Answers participants are exploring Protestantism, Luther, and the rise of Nazi Germany. It's an interesting read (though often meandering). What always fascinates me about these sort of discussions from Romanists is the irony of Roman magisterial anti-Semitism... you know, the elephant in the room (see also, this post and this post).

One aspect of this discussion did catch my attention: "How could the two churches [Roman and Protestant] have prevented the rise of Hitler? How could they have better worked together? Hind sight is 20/20, but that does not mean we can't try to learn from the past."

Well, whatever one wants to consider "church" it's certain to me that no large scale lesson was really learned from Nazi Germany, at least here in the USA. I say this because, while the majority of those folks who call themselves "Christian" abhor the Nazi atrocities and think if they were there- they would never allow it... how many of those same people (and I include myself) are actively trying to stop the daily murder carried out under the technical term, "abortion"? I mean, this morning, I didn't get up, go down to the local abortion clinic, and try and stop a murder.

Why? Because I would probably be arrested? The lesson here (at least as I apply it to myself), is that in society the overwhelming majority of us don't want to stick out in society and face potential hardship for ourselves and our families.

As the Catholic Answers participant says,"hind sight is 20/20." History is tricky thing. We look back and we're so righteous and intolerant of previous recorded evils, thinking that if it were "me" or "us" we're enlightened enough not to engage in moral atrocities and failures. I'm not so sure we are. It seems like when a wide-spread moral evil occurs, the majority follow along like sheep, with only a few brave souls standing out from the masses, for example).