Molly's Thoughts (January 25, 2016)
Quite a few years ago I bought a biography by Eric Metaxes called Bonhoeffer. It startled me quite frankly. I felt in my gut, that it perfectly described the apathy and blind obedience of the Christian church in America. Not blind to God, but blind obedience to charismatic speakers without considering the words being spoken. This is how Hitler came to power in a self-professed christian nation. Largely voted in by christians who did not read their bibles or use critical thinking skills. Those who stood against Hitler from the get-go, were intellectual and independent. Their warnings early on were unheeded. Because Hitler's Germany was so productive. He corralled them into a top-notch, spit-spot, hard-working group of people. They looked good, smelled good, and talked good. Just like the people in Calvary Temple.
Being of German decent, and having discussed this with my gramma while she was alive, I have always been interested in how such a hard-working, clever people could be so hoodwinked with such profoundly devastating results. Nowadays, when you hear the word Germany, you don't think of anything but the wars and the Holocaust. All the rest of their good history is obliterated in the crimes against mankind perpetrated during WW2. How sad. Bonhoeffer's biography addressed the damnable blindness inside the church world at that time. And I now see what Calvary Temple is doing to its people, as the same thing. It practices religious hogwash, which unfortunately is destroying good and promoting evil all in God's name. I was raised religious, but became born again as a teenager, old things passed away, and all things became new. No church can produce that. But lots of churches try to emulate it. Unfortunately the imitation of 'new life in Christ', is dangerous. Dangerous to those who think they are right with God, and not. Dangerous to those they try to enforce their 'religion' onto. The only way to highlight the danger to unsuspecting persons is to speak for others to hear. Bonhoeffer did, and paid with his life. But Jesus said, that greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life, for his friend.
Thinking of the many pastors and deacons and heads of households who have walked away from the wicked deeds of Calvary Temple, yet remain silent to the ongoing abuse of power, reminds me of a quote by D. Bonhoeffer himself.
Being of German decent, and having discussed this with my gramma while she was alive, I have always been interested in how such a hard-working, clever people could be so hoodwinked with such profoundly devastating results. Nowadays, when you hear the word Germany, you don't think of anything but the wars and the Holocaust. All the rest of their good history is obliterated in the crimes against mankind perpetrated during WW2. How sad. Bonhoeffer's biography addressed the damnable blindness inside the church world at that time. And I now see what Calvary Temple is doing to its people, as the same thing. It practices religious hogwash, which unfortunately is destroying good and promoting evil all in God's name. I was raised religious, but became born again as a teenager, old things passed away, and all things became new. No church can produce that. But lots of churches try to emulate it. Unfortunately the imitation of 'new life in Christ', is dangerous. Dangerous to those who think they are right with God, and not. Dangerous to those they try to enforce their 'religion' onto. The only way to highlight the danger to unsuspecting persons is to speak for others to hear. Bonhoeffer did, and paid with his life. But Jesus said, that greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life, for his friend.
Thinking of the many pastors and deacons and heads of households who have walked away from the wicked deeds of Calvary Temple, yet remain silent to the ongoing abuse of power, reminds me of a quote by D. Bonhoeffer himself.
We have been silent witnesses of evil deeds; we have been drenched by many storms; we have learnt the arts of equivocation and pretence; experience has made us suspicious of others and kept us from being truthful and open; intolerable conflicts have worn us down and even made us cynical. Are we still of any use? What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, and straightforward men. Will our inward power of resistance be strong enough, and our honesty with ourselves remorseless enough, for us to find our way back to simplicity and straightforwardness?” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Letters and Papers from Prison)
Gretel sent me this song today. It made me think, if more Christians realized their Father's eyes were on them, they would be strong, and courageous, and do valiantly despite the pressure to cave in to evil ways.
