• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Good Amongst Evil

rocala

Well-Known Member
I once worked with an elderly man who had been taken prisoner by the Japanese during the fall of Singapore. He spoke well of his first POW camp. It was run by the Japanese Navy. He spoke of the guards being decent men, and that on one occasion they had even smuggled in some whisky for the prisoners.

In the book 'Asphalt Soldiers' a British soldier talked of the kindness he received from the SS, unlike that which he received from the civilian police.

Both the Japanese military and the SS had grim reputations in that period. Especially in regard to prisoners.

So such stories do give me a great sense of hope.I wonder what other stories of unexpected decency have come to us over the years?
 

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
Both the Japanese military and the SS had grim reputations in that period. Especially in regard to prisoners.

Well deserved reputations, too.
But just as even a 'fair' system has it's bad apples (there were war crimes on both sides of the conflict) so too does it make some sense that there are good apples amongst the rotten ones. Still, the kindness shown to prisoners should be kept in context. Not all prisoners are likely to have been shown similar kindness, and at best those displaying kindness in either the SS or the Japanese Army to prisoners probably also stood by whilst mistreatment occurred.

I like looking on the bright side as much as the next guy, but I'm not doing so amongst the Waffen SS.
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
I once worked with an elderly man who had been taken prisoner by the Japanese during the fall of Singapore. He spoke well of his first POW camp.
How many POW camps he had been in?
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
It takes an exceptional person to go against a system which encourages and even mandates evil including wanton cruelty. Such people exist in all situations. I'm reminded of John McCain refusing early release from a prison camp.
 

rocala

Well-Known Member
SS or the Japanese Army to prisoners probably also stood by whilst mistreatment occurred.

I like looking on the bright side as much as the next guy, but I'm not doing so amongst the Waffen SS.

Well I never mentioned the Japanese Army or "Waffen" so I would appreciate some accuracy in a reply.

I get a strong sense of being considered 'naive' from your post. Not the case. I am ex military and I once lived on an Israeli Kibbutz founded by concentration Camp survivors .
 

Left Coast

This Is Water
Staff member
Premium Member
I once worked with an elderly man who had been taken prisoner by the Japanese during the fall of Singapore. He spoke well of his first POW camp. It was run by the Japanese Navy. He spoke of the guards being decent men, and that on one occasion they had even smuggled in some whisky for the prisoners.

In the book 'Asphalt Soldiers' a British soldier talked of the kindness he received from the SS, unlike that which he received from the civilian police.

Both the Japanese military and the SS had grim reputations in that period. Especially in regard to prisoners.

So such stories do give me a great sense of hope.I wonder what other stories of unexpected decency have come to us over the years?

Although I'm not Catholic anymore, the story of Maximilian Kolbe (specifically, his death at Auschwitz) still impresses me.

Maximilian Kolbe - Wikipedia
 

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
Well I never mentioned the Japanese Army or "Waffen" so I would appreciate some accuracy in a reply.

True enough, it was the Japanese Navy. Apologies.
But the book you referred to was on the Waffen-SS, I believe.
In any case, my points were more generalised.

I get a strong sense of being considered 'naive' from your post. Not the case. I am ex military and I once lived on an Israeli Kibbutz founded by concentration Camp survivors .

No, I'm sorry if I came across that way.
I think there is a lot of value in looking for positives in all situations, and think resilient people can have that skill as a way of dealing with difficult situations.
I just wouldn't personally make a general point about finding the best in bad situations in the way you did. But that's purely a personal thing and I have no issue with you, or a broad point around perspectives.

My issues are purely with the specific examples you gave, in that I think they need to be very specific (as in, have a lot of context, and refer to specific situations) or they're confusing in terms of your intent. But that's just my opinion, and I didn't mean to come across as testy.

Perhaps I shouldn't post late at night!!
 
Top