On the Jews and their Lies

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“In fact, they hold us Christians captive in our own country. They let us work in the sweat of our brow to earn money and property while they sit behind the stove, idle away the time, fart, and roast pears. They stuff themselves, guzzle, and live in luxury and ease from our hard-earned goods. With their accursed usury they hold us and our property captive.” Martin Luther (1483 -1546) was a German priest, professor of theology and father of the Protestant Reformation. On the Jews and Their Lies was written in 1543. In the first ten sections, Luther compares Jews and Judaism to Christians and Christianity, and in the remainder of the book, advises that unless Jews give up Judaism and become Christians, they should be expelled from all Christian lands. He called for the burning of synagogues, the destruction of their religious writings, the execution of rabbis, for the abolition of usury and for Jews to be made to do manual labour.