Religious histories are never isolated; rather, they criscross other cultural trajectories. Thus, we may feel placed in the role of victim or victimizer by historical events, or even bith roles at the same time. Consider, for ezample, the position of German American Mennonites during World War II. They were punished as pacifists and yet also were seen as aggressors by Jewish Americans. It is often important to see the various ways that these histories make religious differences significant.