How did the Nazis use Martin Luther's writings at the Nuremberg Trials?
At the Nuremberg Trials, the Nazis used Martin Luther's writings to substantiate what they had done to the Jew. They cited him as a great religious leader, appealing to his anti-Semitic statements, including that killing a Jew was doing God a favor and burning down Jewish businesses.
Les explains that Martin Luther was totally anti-Semitic and hated the Jew with a passion, despite his great spiritual enlightenment. Luther said it was doing God a favor to kill a Jew and burn down his businesses. At the Nuremberg Trials after Hitler's Holocaust, the Nazis used Luther's writings to substantiate what they had done to the Jew, pointing to him as 'our great religious leader.' Only in the last year or two have some Lutheran bodies officially apologized for that. The Roman Catholic Church also referred to Jews as Christ killers for centuries and has been apologizing and making amends with present-day Israel. This is the context surrounding Peter's accusation that the nation of Israel delivered up and denied the Holy One, desired a murderer Barabbas, and killed the Prince of Life.