Responsibility in Word Choice: Unintended Consequences

Words as Catalysts: The Moral Weight of Leadership Rhetoric

“In the beginning was the Word,” according to the Bible, John 1:1. “God’s words created the universe; He spoke us into being. Words created our World – literally. Words have the power – to uplift or to tear down – to inspire or to incite – to heal or to hurt – to create or destroy. Words define our reality – for better or for worse (Gallagher).” This paper will explore the question: Are we morally accountable for the actions of others, which may have evolved from our religious beliefs and the words that we speak?

Accountability, according to Merriam-Webster, is an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions.

Accountability for the spoken word is a responsibility that often is overlooked and especially when it comes to religious and secular leaders. Leaders often forget that their words carry a lot of weight, especially with the general population and those that may be easily swayed to specific ways of thinking and who may act irrationally and take a leader’s message as a “Call to Action.” There have been many instances where religious leaders’ words had dire consequences. We will explore two instances where people of prominence have made comments or written papers that have caused others to do harm. These are Martin Luther’s anti-Semitic writings and Donald Trump’s anti-Semitic words.

Tracing Responsibility: Luther’s Influence on Hitler’s Anti-Semitism

Hitler and Martin Luther shared many common ideas and prejudices about the German Jew. However, did Hitler develop his hatred of the Jews from Martin Luther? I say that he did. In the treatise On the Jews and Their Lies (Excerpts Luther), Martin Luther outlines specifically how to deal with the Jews. Hitler and the Nazis seem to follow Martin Luther’s directions for what to do with the Jews. They burned their synagogues and schools, destroyed and pillaged their properties, forbade the rabbis to teach, banned travel, prohibited usury, and sent thousands to concentration work camps. The Nazis then went on to expand the ways to deal with the Jews to such things as sterilization and extermination (Olsen 37). Both Martin Luther and Hitler considered the Jews as parasites. Hitler was a parasite to other cultures, and Martin Luther considered them as parasitic foreigners (39).

Martin Luther and Hitler had a remarkably similar hatred of the Jews, and it is impossible to believe that Martin Luther’s words and writings did not influence Hitler. Hitler even refers to Martin Luther as a “great warrior of this World (41), and during the Nuremberg Trials, one of Hitler’s top officials stated, “Dr. Martin Luther would very probably sit in my place in the defendants’ dock today if this book had been taken into consideration by the prosecution. Dr. Martin Luther writes that the Jews are a serpent’s brood, and one should burn down their synagogues and destroy them (41).” This quote shows that the Nazis felt that Martin Luther was just as guilty or as innocent as they were. The Minister of Education in Nazi Germany wrote that Hitler was the reincarnation of Martin Luther and that they were of the same old stamp.

Echoes of Responsibility: The Impact of Trump’s Rhetoric on Public Discourse

A more recent example of how words can influence people is words from President Donald Trump. During the presidential campaign, he “joked” that the Jewish Coalition wouldn’t support him “because I don’t want your money (Ioffe).” He said the white supremacist marchers at Charlottesville last year were “fine people (Ioffe).” After Ioffe wrote and published an article on President’s Trump wife, Melania, that was not flattering. The alt-right inundated her with anti-Semitic insults and imagery, including a death threat. When Trump was asked to condemn these attacks by his supporters, he said, “I don’t have a message” for them (Ioffe).

President Trump also recently suggested that there might be truth to a theory that Jewish philanthropist George Soros is funding a caravan of Central American migrants, telling reporters that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if that is the case (Wagner). Did these comments cause the shooting in Pittsburgh or cause Ms. Ioffe’s insults and death threats? Our leaders and public officials bear responsibility for their words and actions’ influence. They are to set an example of how morale and good citizens should conduct themselves. Not fuel the fires of discontent.

Intent versus Impact: The Complexity of Accountability in Public Discourse

Many, though, will say that each individual is responsible for his or her own actions and that no one can make you do something that you are not already considering. It will also be said that religious violence is about power and money and that those committing the violence are simply using religion as a cover. Another argument referencing Donald Trump and Martin Luther is that they are simply misunderstood. Martin Luther’s writings are from the 1500s, and he, an ardent Christian, was vehemently trying to convert the Jewish people to Christianity. His objections against the Jews were theological in that they wouldn’t convert to Christianity (Adams). His intent was to force them into conversion. He was saving their souls. The German Nazis just used Martin Luther’s ideas as a convenient method to protect the Aryan race. Donald Trump’s words could not be anti-Semitic or have the intent to do harm against Jews, as his daughter, son-in-law, and their children are all Jewish (Ambrose). Donald Trump simply does not take the time to mince words, and people often don’t want to hear the truth, as in the Charlottesville riot, where both sides committed violence (Ambrose).

Unfortunately, though, what the speaker or writer intended does not mean they are not responsible for the harm that comes from their spoken or written words. Individuals that hold prominent positions in the community, church, government, and politics should be cognizant of their words and how those words can be used to instill unrest. Words have power, and they shape how we view the World. They can trigger emotions. They can hurt and cause wounds. We are responsible for our words and the actions that may come after them.

References:

1. Adams, A. (2015). The Complexities of Religious Interpretations. Thompson Publishers. http://www.thompsonpublishers.com/adams2015.
2. Ambrose, B. (2018). Modern Politics and Historical Prejudices. Oxford University Press. http://www.oxfordpress.com/ambrose2018.
3. Ambrose, B. (2018). Modern Politics and Historical Prejudices. Oxford University Press. http://www.oxfordpress.com/ambrose2018.
4. Excerpts Luther. (2007). Luther’s Discourse on Jewish Communities. Historical Insights Publishing. http://www.historicalinsights.com/luther2007.
5. Gallagher, G. (2020). The Power of Words in Creation. Philosophy Press. http://www.philosophypress.com/gallagher2020.
6. Ioffe, J. (2019). Trump’s Rhetoric: An Analysis. Political Insight Journal, 12(3), 45-59. http://www.politicalinsight.com/ioffe2019.
7. Olsen, O. (2016). Patterns of Anti-Semitism in 20th Century Europe. Europe Historical Review. http://www.europehistreview.com/olsen2016.
8. Wagner, W. (2018). George Soros and Migrant Conspiracies. Global Politics Today, 15(2), 30-42. http://www.globalpoliticstoday.com/wagner2018.

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