296
PARTISAN REVIEW
all
that the world needed. Millenia of
intolerance on principle
ended in
this: that the human bond is the most precious thing that we have on
this earth, more precious than all the religions put together. And if
we had to choose between the religions and this (which we do not)
we should let the religions go. It doesn't make any difference
who
says this. The death camps say it, and their authority outweighs all
else.
Hitler was the Angel of Death, identified by Christians with
both Satan and the Antichrist. The dehumanized total death which
he brought, severing human beings from every relation to fellow
humans, is the culmination of centuries of intolerance and hatred,
evoking a result even more negative. Only the God of humanity can
bring the nightmare to a close: the long night of Christian persecu–
tion ofJews and other Christians, the old and still continuing hostili–
ty between Christians and Muslims, the ever growing bitterness and
terror between Jews and Muslims, the ancient drawn-out con–
descension and contempt cast on the great spiritual traditions label–
led
pagan
and
heathen.
There
is
a meaning to Dachau, Auschwitz, Buchenwald and
the other camps. And everyone knows what it is (though we are not
sure whether the present generation can
say
it).
It
is that nothing
comes before humanity (and this means ordinary given humanity,
not traditionally and exclusively defined humanity). Nothing comes
before humanity in its fullness and greatness. Neither Judaism, nor
Christianity, nor Islam, nor communism, nor God, nor Christ, nor
Buddha, nor Torah, nor Israel, nor Germany, nor Europe, nor
America, nor Truth, nor Reason, nor Revelation.... But humani–
ty does not exist yet. It has to be
made,
and it has to be made as ac–
tually and concretely as the death camps were actual and concrete.
Even more so. There is no other answer. And we do not have much
time.
Lionel Abel Replies
What surprises me about Professor Finch's communica–
tion is his conviction - to me so odd - that he is right. I cannot help
noting that he contradicts himself right off-in his first three
