A Tyrant as a Saviour?

 

John Kelly, former chief of staff for then President Donald Trump has made the shocking assertion that his boss admired Adolph Hitler and wished he had generals like the Nazi leader, a mass murderer who plunged the world into war and killed six million Jews.

Kelly described Trump as a fascist and former joint chiefs of staff, General Mark Milley, has offered a similar asssessment. In a presidential race too close to call one of the candidates is considered a threat to the constitution and the American people by those who worked in his previous administration. 

A couple of years ago I read a book about the rise of Hitler and fascism in Germany called The Nazi Menace. One of my biggest take-a-ways was that many in the hard-nosed military considered Hitler a buffoon initially and by the time they realized the level of threat he posed the momentum of support could not be stopped.

 We know that in Germany the Fuhrer was supported by many Christians who participated in the persecution of Jews. In the United States there are millions of right-wing Christians, labelled Christo-fascists by some, who have pledged blind support to Trump despite his reprehensible character. One of them is Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham. There seems to be nothing Trump says or does that deters them in their fealty which borders on idolatry.

I have refrained from labelling Trump as a Hitler wannabe yet it sounds as though he was and likely still is wistful about the dictator's absolute power. He has become more open about the tyrannical reprisals he will undertake if re-elected. 

As the Nazi's rose to power in Germany there were Christians who saw what was unfolding, including Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Niemoeller. They were courageous in their opposition and in 1934, five years before WW2 commenced they issued a theological statement, written largely by theologian Kar Barth, meant to counteract the false loyalty of church leaders to Hitler. The Barmen Declaration includes six theses:

1. The only source of revelation is the Word of God — Jesus Christ. Any other possible sources (earthly powers, for example) will not be accepted.
2. Jesus Christ is the only Lord of all aspects of personal life. There should be no other authority.
3. The message and order of the church should not be influenced by the current political convictions.
4. The church should not be ruled by a leader ("Führer"). There is no hierarchy in the church (Mt 20, 25f).
5. The state should not fulfill the task of the church and vice versa. State and church are both limited to their own business.
6. Therefore, the Barmen Declaration rejects (i) the subordination of the Church to the state (8.22–3) and (ii) the subordination of the Word and Spirit to the Church.

I wonder who would pen a cogent and uniting theological statement challenging Trump and those who bow the knee to him? There are certainly plenty of Christians in the United States who oppose what Trump stands for but their voices seem to be drowned out by those who claim allegiance to Christ yet want a tyrant to be their saviour. 

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist. 

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. 

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. 

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Martin Niemoeller