Everett B. Clinchy, director of the National Conference of Jews and Christians, analyzes the relations of the “German Christian” group among the National Socialists to the Protestant churches in Germany, with particular reference to the attempt of the Nazis to de-Judaize the Christian church. His statement follows:
“It is estimated that the distinctly Nazi wing of the Protestant churches, which refers to itself as the “German Christians”, represents 40 percent of the Protestant clergy. It appears to be gaining in numbers. For several years this Hitlerite minority has been manoeuvering in church politics for power. It is this group of Nazis, whose primary enthusiasm is Germanism, which desires to make the Christian church an instrument of the Party. The moves to abolish Jewish religious writings and heroes from the Christian tradition, came from this section of the churches. The action of the churches in the last few days indicates some open resistance to the “German Christians’ ” plans, but the power of the Nazi clergy is mounting. No one can foretell to what lengths the Nazi Christians, in their present fanatical state of mind, will go.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
