The Thought Police

It is Near

Thirty-one years ago we took on an emergency family project -- we wrote a point for point rebuttal of a full page newspaper ad placed by Holocaust denier Bradley Smith in the Ohio State Lantern. In this podcast, I read the article we wrote, which was also published at the University of Michigan and other places where Smith had spread his lies. Objective truth is often the only way to challenge lies -- especially when the lies are bold, outrageous, and dangerous.
After a summer break, this episode marks the first in a new series of episodes that will explore significant areas of disagreement about what is true. We will try to avoid the common pitfall of painting those who disagree with us as the ones who are liars or believing falsehoods. But we will discuss all the tools we have for determining the truth of a claim. We will call in question what Christians have been doing lately, and attempt to contrast our cultural norms with what the Bible says in its writings about law, ethics, character, and prophecy.

It is Near focuses on the alarming and the hopeful; the frightful and the forgotten; the blinding glare of giant problems, and the dark secrets that lurk even more menacingly in the shadows of global trends. "Amazing Grace" may have taught our hearts to fear, but for most Christians and non-Christians alike, divine grace as commonly conceptualized does not those fears relieve. It is Near will be informative, accessible, comforting, and challenging to every thinking person. It will call Christians to account and provide a breath of fresh air for secularists who, for once, would like to hear a conciliatory and intellectually honest message from a thoughtful Christian voice. Owen Kindig of Sitka, Alaska is your host, and is responsible for the content.
"Even the bad news is good news."

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1. Intro - 31 years ago ... (00:00:00)

2. We wrote the ad. What did we call it? (00:07:14)

3. "He who forgets the past is condemned to repeat it." (00:10:43)

4. Fact: Jews were not enemies of Germany, but good citizens (00:11:45)

5. Fact: Germany established a policy of exterminating Jews in Europe (00:14:51)

6. Fact: Germans established several camps that were designed and built for the deliberate gassing and cremation of Jewish people. Rudolph Hoess, Commandant of Auschwitz, and Adolf Eichmann were in charge of finding a method. (00:18:00)

7. Fact: Jews did not promote anti-German hate propaganda. They did not, but they did try to flee, and were often sent back to Germany by allied countries. The allies were sympathetic, but usually did not increase their immigration quotas. (00:20:03)

8. Fact: American government officials knew of the death camps and work camps, but military planners chose not to bomb the tracks to the death camps because they considered other military targets more important. (00:21:46)

9. Fact: Courts have proven the truth of Holocaust eyewitness accounts multiple times. (00:23:12)

10. Fact: Those who deny that gas extermination was even possible, are entirely discredited and disproven by photo and eyewitness evidence. (00:24:42)

11. Fact: Eyewitness testimony is the most credible tool of courtroom truth-seeking, and thousands of eyewitness accounts are what make the Nuremberg Trials one of history's most important historic works. (00:26:56)

12. Is there no standard for truth? (00:29:09)

13. Cursed Memory (00:30:05)

14. The greatest crime in history (00:32:10)

15. Yes, Disbelief (00:33:48)

16. Outrage is NOT Hate (00:36:44)

17. A Remarkable Comeback (00:37:55)

18. What Makes Israel Special? (00:41:13)

19. "You Can't Handle the Truth"... (00:45:21)