S

While reading an article about German theologian, pascifist and  Nazi concentration camp martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I came across this terrifying quote:

"The time is fulfilled for the German people of Hitler. It is because of Hitler that Christ, God the helper and redeemer, has become effective among us. … Hitler is the way of the Spirit and the will of God for the German people to enter the Church of Christ." German pastor Hermann Gruner.

It seems that, whenever discussing nonviolence -and on the other end of the spectrum, submission to authority-  Hitler is quickly brought up to 'prove' the dissenting opinion.  Conversations usually go something like this:

"Scripture tells us all authority comes from God. We need to be careful about complaining about our leaders."

"Oh really? Well, what about Hitler?"

Or...

"Christians are called to a lifestyle of nonviolence."

"Oh really? What if a Christian had had the opportunity to kill Hitler?"

 Which is where Bonhoeffer comes in. His situation was not merely an exercise in the logical fallacy called 'appealing to extremes'. He truly was faced with this moral dilemma. A life long preacher of nonviolent Christianity, he led a failed rebellion to assasinate Hitler. Then, having been arrested, he was sent to the Flossberg concentration camp and was executed day's before the fall of Berlin.  The seemingly oxymoronic decision for a pascifist to plot a murder is best explained by Bonhoeffer himself with his famous quote, "It is a sin to murder Hitler, but is a bigger sin to let him live." 

Perhaps, though, this was a choice Pastor Bonhoeffer wouldn't have had to make if the churches in Germany had stood up to the Furher in, say, 1930. However, like Pastor Gruner's quote shows above, the churches by and large saw Hitler as God's solution to a poor economy, poor national morale, and restoring Germany's world influence. Some estimates say Hitler had support of 95% of the German churches, at least at first. So instead, in 1944, the Lutheran pastor believed he had no other option than to choose the "lesser" sin of murder.

So it is Pastor Gruner's scary quote that makes me say "YIKES".  When self- appointed prophets speak for God about governments, it rarely ends well. Likewise-from Constantine to Hugo Chavez - when politicians use the church for their own ends, the church loses its very power. It causes the church to be like a sumo wrestler trying to compete as an Olympics gymnast: not overplaced, but dreadfully misplaced. "My kingdom is not of this world," Jesus taught. 

Which is why Paula White makes me cringe when she says, "I think God calls all of us to fill different roles at different times and I think that he wanted Donald Trump to become president, and that's why he's there."  It makes me cringe to hear Pat Robertson (why is he not in the old folks home already!) calling Donald Trump "God's man for the job." It makes me cringe when Jerry Falwell Jr. says,"We need street fighters like Trump at every level of government."  Sounds a lot like something Pastor Gruner would have said 75 years ago. Once again,  Evangelical "leaders" are willing to deceive and be deceived, to look the other way, and dare I say bow to idols, in order to get what we want from the "world". But we are not of the world. 

I would like to say it is hyperbole to compare President Trump to Adolph Hitler, but I'm no longer sure that's the case. Like Hitler, Trump villianizes immigrants to gain support. Like Hitler, Trump,objectifies entire races of human beings, created in the image of God. Like Hitler, Trump is an explosive megalomaniac. Like Hitler, Trump is sure he is always right. And worst of all, both used and manipulated the church to gain power. Now I admit, I don't think  a Hitler type dictatorship could rise to power in 2019 America. Our Constitution is too strong, our checks and balances are too strong, our press is too strong, our courts are too strong. But the similarities between the church of 1930s Germany and 2000-teens America are alarming. 

As the 2020 election approaches, American churches need to wake up and realize God is not glorified by our adoration of a lying, adulterous, racist, arrogant bully. This time, Vote for a Democrat. Or vote for an independent. Or dont vote. And If, God forbid, you feel all the candidates are horrible, and decide that  you have to vote for the Donald, hold your nose as you check his name on the ballot. But if you do, do us all a favor and acknowledge that he is a horrible choice among other horrible choices. Dont adore him; don't excuse him; dont hold him up as a good President or even a good man.

And please don't blame God for him.