Paul's Writings Underpin Western Thought

[SteveII]

As noted previously, one has to take the bad with the good, and among Paul's other contributions regarding shame related to the body and natural instinct, one has to count his contribution to anti-homosexual prejudice among the negatives.  Little about any inherent dignity of human life in his condemnation of homosexuality.  As well, in considering his views on women, while there is implicit support for the idea that he had a positive view of women and their role in the church, it must be remembered that it was the misogynistic passages in his writing which stood out and formed the locus of anti-women attitudes throughout the middle ages and into our modern era.  Having an implicitly laudatory attitude is small consolation if the more explicit effects of one's writings are grossly oppressive.  (On a personal note, although I'm not making an explicit argument for it, Paul's concentration on faith versus works perpetuates a religious view which seems to encourage hypocrisy as well as perpetuating a religion that basically rests upon a supposed thought crime.  The enormous amount of devastation that Christianity has left in its wake, both in terms of death and oppression related to people being seen as "believing the wrong things" is enormous.)

How much responsibility does Paul have when he does not address an issue (like women, like slavery)? He was not writing for all time as he penned his words. You have to remember that he was writing to churches with particular problems he was addressing and in a specific culture. The problem (and I don't think it's Paul's problem) is differentiating doctrine (usually introduced with an argument of some type) with practical issues. There is a Wikipedia article on this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_A..._and_women

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What specific Christian-originating strain of thought led to the extermination of six million Jews? Seems to me you would need there to be some pretty substantial ambiguity to make the connection to the Holocaust.

You mean besides anti-semitism in general?

It's hard to see how Paul was anti-semitic or that his writings could legitimately be claimed as the source for it.