…the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. (Hebrews 11: 1&2)
The Persecution Blog links to a newspaper article about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Christian killed by the Nazis in 1945. By the way, contrary to popular opinion, Hitler wasn’t a Christian. He was a Christ-hater.
(Bumped from this morning)
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I think it’s worth mentioning that “Evidence of Things Not Seen” is also one of my favorite episodes of “The West Wing.”
That seemed like important information to share when I posted it.
Thanks for the link! My kind of theologian. I’m going to read up more on Bonhöffer.
La Shawn,
Bonhoeffer is one of the most difficult theologians I have ever read. Not because his writings are hard to understand; on the contrary, it’s because they are. Bonhoeffer points up the fact that most Christians don’t live the way Christ called us to live. “When Christ calls a man,” said Bonhoeffer, “He calls him to come and die.” Christians would be so much better off if we shed our materialistic impulses and die to our desires, as Christ enjoins us. And I’ll be the first to say I need to.
Steve
DOUBLE TOOTHPICKS
Oops, second sentence should be “Not because his writings are hard to understand; on the contrary, it’s because they are all too clear.”
Love that scripture!
Yeah, the left love to put Hitler in their little worldview bag, only to release him at times convenient for their causes. And the “Hitler as Christian” one exists the same way their little hula dance over the incarceration of Galileo ineveitably comes up in academia:
“Hitler hated Jews,” ipso facto “he was a Christian.”
“Galileo disproved a doctrine of the church not in the Bible anyway,” ipso facto “There is no God.”
Yep, those lefties love that empirical evidence.
It’s always bugged me that Bonhoeffer is accused of conspiring to kill Hitler. The only evidence we have that that is true is Hitler and his minions, who’d arrested Bonhoeffer and needed some excuse to kill him. And that’s supposed to be a reliable source?
It doesn’t bother me that Bonhoeffer was accused of conspiring. I’ve done quite a bit of reading. And although he started out as a complete pacifist (though note: this was because he didn’t believe Christian should be killing Christian. Suppose he convinced himself Hitler was NOT a Christian?) — It is believable to me that, over time, and seeing every pacifistic solution FAIL — and the Jews that were dying under Hitler — that he would convince himself that being part of a plot to kill one man that was spearheading all the evil (and wasn’t a Christian) did not break what he believed to be right. and, in fact, may be The Right thing to do in that case.
He certainly was travelling around Europe trying to get support for lenience for Germany if they just managed to get rid of their current leader that was promoting the war.
PS OTOH I don’t think worse of Bonhoeffer if he DID try to kill Hitler.
I disagree with some of what he believed; I think there are situations when killing is justified.
Hopefully we’ll be sending a “team” after the new Iranian president.
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