Trying to Understand

Seems like I've got lots to consider and work through about that trip to Germany.

Their generosity and warmth were genuine, I think. It's their past I have to digest
and find it's like a lump of coal in my gut.

I have this need to understand. How can the Holocaust happen? Why do human beings do things like this? And it's not just the Jews - although that one was a biggie. It's Rwanda, and Northern Ireland. Bosnia and Somalia.

It's easier to label the latter places as ignorant, backward, illiterate, savage etc.
They all have long histories of conflict, rarely have had times of peace and prosperity. Riven by warring tribes, religions, cultural differances.........all explanations that "make sense" although the violence doesn't. But there seems to be an understandable component which is lacking in the German story.

Maybe I haven't read enough. Maybe I don't know what the German concept of Jews was before.........before what? I know that even in the Middle Ages, Jews were outsiders
in Europe. I know that the Crusaders traveling through Europe killed as many Jews as they could find in preparation for the Holy Land. I know that the Roman Empire ultimately lead by Constantine converted to Christianity and the Jews were objects of hate because they hadn't converted.

So when exactly did all this begin?

If you read "Constantine's Sword" - it began with the disciples of Jesus. It began with St. Paul. Hard for me to imagine how a church based on love, peace, hope of redemption could act in the manner of despots and isolate and kill people for not agreeing with them but historically that was true and not just the Jews. Various Christian sects who didn't go along with the "party line" got wiped out too.

But, I still don't understand the human nature of the intimate death. The killing of neighbors, friends, work associates, school friends......and historically that has happened and in the present that has happened. Look at Ireland. Look at Bosnia.

It doesn't say much for human nature. It doesn't say much for the tempering of religion. Fundamentalists everywhere preach death, destruction and the worthlessness of the "infidel" - the non-humantiy of the "infidel"...and I don't mean that in an exclusive Moslem way although the word comes from there - it covers the labeling of human beings as being "less than" and not worthy of life.

Ah well, I'm not going to resolve these problems here. I'm just "trying to understand".