Amending OUr
History, Fixing
our Future
Jesus!
An Upstander!
And ME!
Holocaust and Human
  Behavior Case Study
We/They
Reign of God
It is not uncommon for humans to attempt to forget those memories that haunt the past. Most everyone can agree that the Holocaust was one of the most vicious crimes committed against mankind. But was this the mindset behind Bishop Richard Williamson’s remarks denouncing the true existence of Nazi gas chambers during that time period?
“Bishop Who Denied Holocaust Ousted” by: Rachel Donadio (class handout 3-30-09)
The denial of the Holocaust was a significant circumstance because it marked one man’s attempt to erase the atrocities of mankind from a very important time period. The case study of Bishop Williams displayed the understanding of a number of other people who could think the same way. In this we realized that his idea of mass murder exceeded “only 200,000 to 300,000 people” who died in concentration camps during the Holocaust.

The case study of Bishop Williams made me realize the significance of being an upstander because it commissioned my thought that large numbers of people do not need to have died for something to be of importance. Being an upstander means standing in the way of something like that happening by putting a stop to it before it gets that far.
The concept of We/They, revisited in class on 10-17-08, enforces the idea that putting people into the “they” category makes it easier for them to be alienated or considered ‘different’. 
The concept of We/They is of significance because it is something that has worked itself into our everyday lives in society. Even subconsciously, we have been conditioned to maintain our own Universe of Obligation (10-17-8), and that alone shows the separation we put between ourselves and others. 
Knowing the meaning of the We/They concept and the consequences it can have on society makes us realize that, with this barrier still in existence, the greater good (I.e. Reign of God) cannot be reached. This obstacle must be removed for progress to be made, and that requires differences to be put aside and for group membership to be ignored so that all are put into the “we” category.
The Reign of God, Jesus’ “one thing”, as discussed on 10-3-08, is the understanding of maintaining a just, right, and loving relationship with God as well as with other people: a communal experience.
The Reign of God is significant because it can be reached only when there exists the presence of unconditional love for one another, otherwise known as Jesus’ central message. Without the compliance of everyone, this time cannot be reached.
The Reign of God is essentially what ties all of the teachings of the Catholic Church together. Throughout the course, we have learned the steps necessary to achieve this heaven on earth, along with the obstacles that stand in its way. When thinking of incidents in history such as the Holocaust and barriers we as humans place among ourselves, such as the concept of We/They, it can be seen that we are the ultimate controllers of our destiny and therefore the ones who have the power to make the Reign of God’s achievement a possibility.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8J_ueH7s90
By: Rojan Kavosh