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Films with a Religious ThemeSchindler's List - Kim Furey's Thoughts
Religious IssuesIs there any relevance in continuing religious rituals (such as the wedding ceremony and the Sabbath celebration) in the face of such horror?Of course! Where would their hope be without observing their faith? How can people still maintain a religious belief in the face of such suffering?They remember God is still God, and people are evil. Where is God? The Jews were the 'chosen race'. How could God allow such suffering?God is with them. He sent Oskar Schindler. People perpetuate suffering by acting on their desire for power; to be their own God. Moral issuesHow can one group of humans inflict such horror on another?An ideology can be built to staggering, incomprehensible proportions if someone has the words and charisma to gain power with enough scared and/or greedy people. Does any race have any right to 'lord it' over another race as the Nazis did with the Jews?No, but that does not prevent such arrogance from developing a blindness in the masses who fear for their own livelihood. Are bribery and corrupt practices, as employed by Schindler, ever justified if it helps others?Yes. I believe God will use such 'skills' when it is for an ultimate benefit. Look also at the fact that Schindler became wealthy with those abilities to schmooze up the ladder, and how God put him back in his proper place by turning those same skills into a means to save over a thousand Jews. It is justice. While penalizing Schindler for getting rich at their expense, God exalted him by the Jews' counting him among the Righteous, and letting him plant a tree. They will never forget that he was responsible for helping them. Should the Jews who acted as a 'police force' have agreed to work for the Nazis?It depends. When survival is all that matters, being in the police force loses its sense of wrong; also, sometimes God will use such 'infiltration' (whether or not the individual is aware of it!) to help those who would otherwise never be helped. Goldberg, the turncoat, was used to help Schindler buy Jews' freedom from the extermination line. Kim Furey, Canada |