Of Church and State

Through us infinite wrong was brought over many peoples and countries. That which we often testified to in our communities, we express now in the name of the whole church: We did fight for long years in the name of Jesus Christ against the mentality that found its awful expression in the National Socialist regime of violence; but we accuse ourselves for not standing to our beliefs more courageously, for not praying more faithfully, for not believing more joyously, and for not loving more ardently.  -- From the Stuttgart Declaration of Guilt, October, 1945.

The Pre-WWII German Church/State relationship was very different from that of the US Church/State relationship, but in spite of the differences there are some parallels that should be reflected upon in our current political situation.  Those of faith in a God of love have some inherent civic duty to bring a compassion morality to the attention of the governing authority and into the civil discourse.

History

The German government in the early 1930's recognized the influence the church could have on people's hearts and attitudes.  That government set upon a course to unify and subvert the church's doctrine and structure to support the rise of National Socialism.  Overall, these actions failed in garnering the church's uniform complicity with the Nazis, but they did have the effect of dividing the church.  A divided church is a toothless church.  There did arise a church resistance movement that became known as the Confessing Church.  History has judged the Confessing Church as largely ineffective against the rise and fall of Nazi Germany.  But, from their efforts came the Barmen Declaration and a call to the church (and the whole world) to be more faithful in sheltering the less fortunate and resisting the human propensity to destructiveness.

In Memorium:

The following names are listed here primarily as a memorial to those who founded the Confessing Church.  Most of these people sacrificed their lives to resist anti-semitism, save Jewish lives, and resist the war and autocracy of the Third Reich.

Martin Niemoller, Deitrich Bonhoeffer, Karl Barth, Friedrich WeiBler, Heinrich Grüber, Marga Muesel, Frans Kaufmann, Helene Jacobs, Hans Ehrenberg, Elisabeth Schmitz, and Gertrude Staewen.

Parallels to Ponder

In 1933 Germany the government was attempting to use the church to influence and mollify the people.  In 2018 America the government is not attempting to co-opt the church directly.  Instead, the so-called evangelical wing of the Church has placed itself in a tight relationship with the administration and Republican party.  Those who analyze elections have widely reported on the high numbers of "evangelical Christians" who greatly influenced the election of Donald Trump as president, as well as many conservatives to Congress.  It is important to know that the evangelical wing of the church does not represent the entirety of American Christianity.  Far from it.  There are roughly 240 million Christians in America, it is estimated that 25% are considered "evangelical."(1)  Effectively, however, this split in the American church puts the American church in the same place as Germans found themselves in when it fractured apart between those supporting Hitler, those supporting active resistance to Hitler, and those trying to find neutral space between.

The values represented in the American church today are in conflict as they were in Germany.  The evangelical arm claims in accordance with Romans 13 that a Christian's duty is to respect the ruling authority, and additionally they hold strong social value perspectives on abortion, immigration, LBGTQ, roles of men & women, and education among others.  The current administration and majority of Congress largely align with them on these matters.  Mainline Christianity, on the other hand, has a far more liberal vantage point on many of these issues but it is divided itself over how stridently to oppose the conservative direction the country is going.  Like the German church there are those wanting a neutral place to just pray about it and those who want a louder protesting activism.  As in Germany, the church factions pull into their respective silos and essentially neutralize the Church from having any Biblical or moral authority or voice at all. Some argue the Church should have no place at all in the conversation.  What do you think?

Questions To Talk With Peers & Family About:

1)  Do your politics shape your faith, or does your faith shape your politics?

2) Separation of church and state is a constitutional guarantee.  What role(s) do you think churches should play in politics?
     A. Sponsor particular political candidates.
     B. Hold issue forums.
     C. Stick to helping the poor and needy.
     D. Protest/Boycott/Organize against government policies.
     E. Do nothing but pray.

3) The quote at the top from the Stuttgart Declaration of Guilt came after millions & millions of people were killed in war.  Do you see any possibility for the Church to prevent this from happening again?  If so, what ideas do you have?