The Holocaust wasn't a grand Jewish conspiracy. Millions of Jews did die (though it probably wasn't the 6 million oft quoted) and were actively exterminated by Hitler and the Nazis. This is an undeniable fact in this day and age. If you deny it, you aren't a white supremacist, but you are anti-semetic. We can be anti-Judaism and anti-Zionism without being anti-semetic. Br. Nathanael takes it way too far.
Seeing as the Holocaust accounts record that various other groups were targeted, your logic would imply that a "denier" is likewise anti-Slav, anti-Gay, anti-Mason, anti-Roma, anti-Communist, anti-Jehovah's Witness, anti-Catholic, etc. Whatever happened in those camps (and there are very problematic evidence hurdles out there for those who push the official story), it was not a uniquely Jewish experience. Even if it was, however, it would not follow that a "denier" would be anti-Semite. Any more than denying the moon landing makes one anti-American or denying the Robin Hood accounts makes one anti-English.
But on the topic of Br. Nathanael, is he even a "denier"? I don't really keep up with him anymore, but last I remember, he was in the camp that suggested that Zionists perpetuated it to jump start a much larger Zionist movement.
There is a subtlety in your argument that I am not getting Ioannis.
The subhumans (Untermensch: Slavs, Jews, Roma, etc) were targeted for extermination and culling, primarily by starvation. The Poles and the Jews were the first to go. Catholic sympathizers of the subhumans with Germanic blood would likely not be tolerated as well.
There are two possibilities that I see off hand. (1) A holocaust denier is antisemitic and clueless that Slavs (for example) are subhuman as well. (2) The denier is a "white Aryan" supremacist-type person. I should note that when I was looking for forums that discussed Eastern Orthodoxy back in 2002-3 most of the links seemed to lead to these white Aryan supremacist groups. At least that was my shocked impression.
There are certainly other possibilities and one of them is probably yours.
1) How can you say they are both anti-Semitic and clueless? You are trying so hard to throw people in the anti-Semitic category it doesn't make sense.
2) I've met deniers who are white and are certainly not "white supremacists", and I've met deniers who were black (and even Jews!).
Saying one of them is probably him is very judgmental of a person you do not even know anything about.
You think incorrectly throwing out the term "anti-Semitic" automatically makes there argument moot...it doesn't because you don't know how to correctly use that term.
Some holocaust deniers just question why THAT PARTICULAR incident is more pushed in people's face than any other genocide. I'm not a denier of the Holocaust in any right (although I certainly don't think the number of Jewish deaths were 6 million, as it is impossible) (I don't believe it is right to kill any group of people; Jews, Blacks, Whites, Asians, etc), but I don't think it is fair to say the holocaust was better/worse than any other genocide. If I denied the "holocaust" of Ukrainians or Native Americans NO ONE WOULD COMPLAIN AS MUCH AS DENYING THE BLOODY HOLOCAUST. So you better attack deniers of any genocide the same as Holocaust deniers or you are the world's worst hypocrites.
The actions of the Third Reich will remain among the greatest of crimes against humanity for a number of reasons.
The German people allowed their political leadership to devolve into insanity. Why this is significant from an historical point of view can be summed up rather succinctly - the Germans were probably the best educated people in western Europe coming into the mid-20th century. Their culture, their musical genius, their industriousness, their scientific accomplishments m their philosophers and yes - their military and political acumen placed Germany at the pinnacle of 20th century Western Civilization in the eyes of many commentators of the time and many historians. The way in which such a highly esteemed culture and 'body politic' was able to dive into the depths of evil and depravity should trouble all of us in the west - including the United States. The Jews had, to all appearances, been assimilated into German culture and the German mind-set in a manner not seen in the rest of Europe. While the vile nationalism of Aryanism had some adherents prior to Weimar and the Nazi election (yes - the Nazi's took power via election and were asked to form a government) but never to the degree where anyone thought it had the power to seize power and control the destiny of a great people.
The sheer scale of what the Nazis did over a period of nearly ten years and the manner in which the industrial, communications, transportation and military powers of the state were marshalled to this incredible evil was remarkable - while at the same time engaging in a two continent, multi-front war which ravaged the west for seven years of total war. It is frightening and must be remembered lest we allow such a thing to ever occur again.
Finally, we have documentary evidence from the first hand accounts of tens of thousands of Allied troops who liberated the camps - American, British, French, Russian and other allied soldiers - Christians, Jews, atheists, communists, royalists, whites, blacks, Asian-Americans - you name it.... If you believe it all to be a conspiracy - well so be it - but you and those who think like you - delude yourselves and deny that which is real.
Finally the Holocaust was not just directed at Jews - Slavs, Roma, the mentally ill, the homosexuals, Allied prisoners of war (particularly Russians and Ukrainians), valiant resistance fighters (many of whom resettled in America after the communist take overs in Eastern Europe and men and women I was proud to get to know - the bravery of simple people never ceases to amaze and inspire me) and many, many men and women of Faith - both Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics and Protestants who took a stand against evil when most looked the other way.
Be on the wrong side of history and be on the side of ignorance and fantasy. It's a free country - but beware of the burdens of history - for those who forget its lessons are sure to repeat its mistakes.
I would just close with a link to this article about the German theologians of the time, Niehbur, Tillich and Bonhoeffer - it is worth reading and praying for their souls and the souls of all who suffered persecution under the Third Reich. Deniers dishonor their sacrifice and the sacrifices of millions of our countrymen and our allies who served the cause of freedom in the Great War by giving the last full measure of devotion.
http://www.thefix.com/content/serenity-prayers-desperate-origins-Niehbur-Bonhoeffer-Tillich9965Finally, I know that none of this will change the minds or hearts of the so-called deniers or the minimizers. So be it, but to remain silent in the face of their claims is to repeat the sin of the majority of good Germans who looked the other way until it was too late.
