This article by Paul D. Miller is pretty good. Better than most around this topic. A friend sent it to me and I kinda made myself read it. Shared most of these thoughts with him but thought I would share with you all as well.
History doesn't repeat itself but it often rhymes
~ maybe Mark Twain
I don't think we are near Weimar Germany of course but I get the comparison.
Miller's thought is that we often focus on the actions of the church in Germany during Hitler's rule instead of the years after the "Great War" and the Weimar republic. He discusses how it was a divided time where you had both Fascists and Socialists seeking power. Both guilty of evil and both very dangerous. His point seems to be that instead of picking sides the church should have shown a better way. He seems to me to be point toward centrism.
Its funny, as I've been learning more church history from different traditions lately. I keep finding out that the disagreements of today's church are not new. They are often very old. There are a few different views on the relationship of the Christian (church) and the state. Then when I read the Bible I see that the same positions were all the way back in the Old Testament. When the people asked Samuel for a king and God told him they are not rejecting you, they are rejecting me. Christians are still rejecting God when we put our hope in man made centralized power systems, like the modern democratic state even.
In the article Paul D. Miller says,
"The Nazi Party platform of 1933 did not advocate genocide or international aggression. The Communist Party platform did not advocate slave labor camps, forced disappearances, and starvation. Yet that was the real fruit of each party’s actions."
Yet all governments have the seeds of these things in them. They teach a system of belief in the people that the state has god like authority to do things that is considered immoral for any individual to do. They put themselves in the place of god and expect full allegiance. When you dig a bit deeper into US history you can learn that our heroes were not as great as we have been told. Many of the most popular presidents did acts that if they were done today would be compared to Hitler and other tyrants. This is why I personally view the US government and whoever is at the head to be a Roman Caesar. Sure, it is possible that they would use their power to do some good but the temptation is to abuse that power. They usually justify it and wrap it in the flag.
"Before 1933, Nazis and communists obeyed the outward requirements of democracy by running for office in various elections. "
I reject elections or democracy. A plurality of people's vote does not legitimize immoral behavior. Theft, murder, and idolatry are wrong for the Christian. Put in a humanist frame, "my rights are not up for debate, let alone a vote". The ideals of democracy are rarely challenged so most people don't think about how ridiculous they actually are. When did each of us agree to this system? We didn't. There are worse systems but simply voting and having a constitution does not justify what is done.
For the believer, the answer is Jesus. Jesus is king. No other. Period. We need governance, order, and hierarchy but it can and should be voluntary, distributed, and decentralized. The opposite of what we have now. But there will always be a god. Either it is the true God or the state.
Miller goes on to advise the Christians of each party on how they should respond. For republicans...
"Yours should be the loudest voice condemning Trump’s pardon for January 6 rioters"
... clearly this person hasn't looked into how many of these people were railroaded by the oppressive state. Just as Trump is doing now with people being shipped to a foreign prison without due process.
The problem with most Christians that aren't bought into the right/left Trump anti Trump thing is that they don't realize just how deeply wrong most of the info being pushed in the media actually is. J6 was stupid. It has played out like I figured it would. Gullible fools fighting for the orange man and then railroaded by the state.
Its interesting how Miller points to J6 on the right but doesn't really point to anything specific on the left like... school teachers pushing trans ideology, or cultural Marxism, or abortion, or any number of specifics. Guessing his audience would be triggered by this.
And... in short this is why I don't vote any more. My conscience will not allow it. And... it doesn't make any difference if I did anyway. Still convinced of that. Trump isn't the problem. Humans are the problem. I don't even think Trump is all that extreme or even those opposing him. No where near as extreme the fascists and the commies of the Hitler era. Honestly, if Trump is a fascist so was Bush and Obama.
What are we to do? Love Jesus. Love others like Jesus showed us. Our fellow man is not our enemy. Jesus and the gospel is the answer. Not politics or economics or technology. Those are all tools but not the answer. The real shame is that so many that say they believe in Jesus seem to have more faith in democracy or a strong man like Trump.
As was once was said by a very wise man, there is nothing new under the sun.