Nazis and the Church - The difference between Protestanst and Catholics

A recent study (What We Knew: Terror, Mass Murder, and Everyday Life in Nazi Germany: An Oral History) examined the feelings of German citizens during World War II. They did this by interviewing Germans who were still alive that had lived through the Nazi reign prior to and during World War II.

Peter Dykema notes the following in his review of the book in the Winter 2007 Issue of the World History Bulletin:

Among non-Jewish Germans, at least one-third were relatively well informed about the mass murders as they occurred, while half or more of Germans had some awareness of the atrocities (397). It is no surprise that among Jewish residents and refugees, the level of knowledge was higher still. On the question of the popularity of Hitler and teh Nazis, the authors show that, depending on the city, memories of support for the Nazi regime ranged from just oer a third of German respondents to just over half (333). Memories of support are highest among respondents living in Dresden, a Protestant city at the time and now formerly Communist, while supoort was lowest in Catholic and western Cologne.

This section prompted me to examine whether we Protestants conform too quickly to the world. We might not be conforming to Nazi rule, but we are quick to change when culture changes. I see it in issues such as woman's role, birth control, church structure, etc. Maybe these are not all bad changes, but I do see a tendency to conform to the winds of culture within the Protestant church in areas where the Catholic church remains firm (and that does not mean that the Catholics are always right).

Our sensitivity, when it is not conformity, is a benefit at times. Some times the church is wrong and society brings about a needed change in church. Other times we recognize what parts of the gospel can be more relevant to certain groups of people. This sensitivity to culture is one of our greatest assets, but it can also be our biggest albatross. Culture is not always right, but some times it is.

I look at the Amish who look at technologies and question whether they will be a benefit to their community. How do we measure whether a cultural change will be beneficial? What is our measuring stick? Or will we be just like the Protestant churches in World War II and support the government despite their great atrocities because that is what the culture is doing?

Let us remain firm where we need to remain firm and be changing where it would benefit the kingdom to change. And may God help us to discern when to do what.