Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German theologian and pastor during the World War I and II eras. He actively participated in the plot to assassinate Hitler and as a result paid for it with his life.
From his father, Bonhoeffer learned to bring a “critical and ‘scientific’ attitude to all questions of faith and theology.” [1] Why? The reason was he “wished to arrive at answers that could stand up to every scrutiny because one would have to live out those conclusions. They would have to become actions and would have to become the substance of one’s life. . .And actions in Germany at that time had serious consequences.” [2]
Should we not have the same attitude today? For most of us, unlike Bonhoeffer, our lives are not on the line but there are other reasons to scrutinize our faith. In my book we quote David Elton Trueblood who has Bonhoeffer’s mind set but gives us a slightly different perspective.
“There is really no hope for the Christian faith apart from tough-mindedness in matters of belief. If God is not, then the sooner we find it out the better. If belief in God is not true, it is an evil and should be eliminated from our entire universe of discourse. False belief is evil because it diverts energy from practical tasks that require attention. If prayer is not an objective encounter with the Living God, we shall do well to make this discovery and give up the nonsense as soon as possible.” [3]
How many Christians have this attitude? Do you?
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[1] Eric Metaxas. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010. p. 54.
[2] Metaxas, p. 127.
[3] David Elton Trueblood. A Place to Stand. New York: Harper & Row, 1969, p. 19.
