A BONHOEFFER MOMENT?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Christian who opposed Adolph Hitler. He broke with the mainstream German church which supported Hitler. Bonhoeffer said Hitler’s racist, anti-Semitic, Nazi ideology contradicted the Christian confession that Jesus is Lord. And Bonhoeffer paid with his life. Hitler executed him.

Today, a number of Christian leaders believe the American church  faces another “Bonhoeffer moment.  Is that right?

Not exactly – – although there are some parallels that we must ponder.

There are substantial, reassuring, differences between Germany in the 1930s and the USA today. In the 1930s, Germany had just experienced a devastating war (World War I, 1914-1918) and a humiliating defeat. The victorious allies had imposed a huge penalty on the German nation and Germany faced a terrible economic situation.. Just a decade before Hitler’s election, hyperinflation in Germany was so bad that a loaf of bread cost 200, 000, 000, 000 German marks (the German currency). When German Christians elected Adolph Hitler as Chancellor in 1933, the economy was in total collapse.

The US today is quite different in many ways. We have not  just suffered a total national military defeat. The US military is still by far the most powerful in the world. COVID-19 has sent our economy into a severe depression, but it is slowly recovering and inflation is clearly not a problem at all. And unlike Germany in the 1930s, our democratic institutions are still strong.

So let’s avoid apocalyptic rhetoric. Our situation is not nearly as desperate as that of Germany in the 1930s.

But we need to remember both what Hitler said  and the fact that large numbers of German Christians elected him as Chancellor in spite of his racist, dictatorial views. Long before German Christians elected Hitler, Hitler had clearly stated his vicious, anti-Jewish ideology in his book Mein Kampf  (1925). Hitler denounced Jewish-German intermarriage because it defiled “pure Aryan blood.” He said racial purity was absolutely essential to a revitalized Germany. He slandered all Jews as Marxists. He even blamed the Jews who “bring the Negroes into the Rhineland, always with the same secret thought and clear aim of ruining the white race.“  Hitler  denounced “majority decisions,” insisting that in the new Germany he wanted, decisions “will be made by one man.” And he claimed God’s authority for all this: “I believe I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jews, I am  fighting for the work of the Lord. “

In spite of  that clearly published evil agenda, , German Christians elected Hitler. And there  are just enough similarities between what German Christians said about Hitler and what many white evangelical Christians say about Trump today to make one uneasy.

German Christians said:

   *“[Hitler] the most German man, is also the most faithful, a believing Christian. “

*“If the German who truly believes in Jesus could find the spirit of the kingdom of God anywhere, he could find it in Adolph Hitler’s movement. “

   *“[God has granted us an] hour of grace… through Adolf Hitler.” (For references, see THE SPIRITUAL DANGER OF DONALD TRUMP, p. 111.) 

   And here is what white evangelical Christians are saying today about Donald Trump:

   * “Donald Trump represents a supernatural answer to prayer “ (James Robison)

   * “Donald Trump actively seeks God’s guidance in his life” (James Dobson)

   *Trump’s victory “showed clear evidence of the ‘the hand of God’ on the election” (Franklin Graham) 

   * Trump “does look like he’s the last hope“ (Phyllis Schlafly)

   *“God was raising up Donald Trump as he did the Persian king Cyrus the Great “ (Lance Wallnau)

   *“God has raised up {Trump} for  such a time as this” ( Stephen Strang)

   * “We thank God every day that he gave us a leader like President Trump” ( Robert Jeffress) (For references, see SPIRITUAL DANGER, p.112)

I reject the idea that Donald Trump is Adolf Hitler or that  America today is in the same situation as Germany in the 1930s. But there are enough parallels to raise concerns. Trump stokes racism and appeals to a white nationalism that is horrified with the fact that the  white majority in the country is declining and the fact that white Europeans will be a minority in this country in a couple decades. He blames many of our problems on non-white immigrants. He speaks of “Shit-hole” African countries.

Central to American democracy is the separation of powers which serve as a check on presidential power. But Trump has repeatedly undermined other centers of political, administrative, and judicial power designed to check the power of the president. He claims to know more about almost everything than anyone else. He even refuses to say that he will accept the results of the November 3rd election if he loses.

Trump regularly  repeats the lie (as did Hitler) that his political opponents are Marxists. (See my blog, “Is Biden a Socialist?, 8/8/20)

In spite of all that and much more, many white evangelicals still say Trump is God’s anointed one and the divinely given Cyrus.

I understand some of the reasons white evangelicals give for supporting Donald Trump.  Vast numbers of white evangelicals think that  on balance, they should vote for Trump. In a couple of instances, I see some substance in their arguments – – although  on balance I vigorously disagree (see my blog, “Why I am Voting for Joe Biden,” 8/28/20). But even if one thought  that  on balance one should vote for Trump, one ought  to clearly condemn his awful statements and actions-- precisely in order to make it clear that Jesus is one’s Lord and that  biblical values are more important than political calculation.

Trump lies regularly. He often treats women as little more than sex objects. His personal sexual life is disgraceful. He stokes racism and appeals to white nationalists. He promotes a vision of “Christian America” that is nearly idolatrous. His approach of “America First” violates the biblical truth that God cares  equally about all people and all nations. His policies contradict the biblical demand that God’s people have a special concern for justice for the poor.

Unless white evangelical supporters of Trump clearly, publicly, repeatedly state that,  in these and other similar areas, they disagree with Trump and demand that he change; unless they do that, clearly THEY have a Bonhoeffer moment.  And they are failing the test. They are imitating the German Christians who supported Hitler rather than Bonhoeffer who courageously opposed Hitler’s racist, dishonest, dictatorial actions.

For more on all this, see the book I edited: THE SPIRITUAL DANGER OF DONALD TRUMP: 30 EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS ON JUSTICE TRUTH AND MORAL INTEGRITY.

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