The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-05-27
PROJECT NAH
CHURCH DRIVE
Would Fuse. Protestant
= Theology With Reich
Political Doctrine

Nazi party is preparing ahoihe =,
.Ih;~ eatnnafgn to win the churches
,.:,,1,pott for Hitlerism. :,
The campaign lis to be based
upon the motto: "Ihe aims o.
Naziism and Christianity are es-
sentially the same" Meetings are
TO be held over Germany where
this thesis will be Impressed upon
church members. :, .,.,., ,s
The doctrine that Fuehrer Adolf
Hitler's work for Germany is IRE.
,demption'' in the full BIBLICAL
sense Of the world has, of course,
long been preached by the Germ
an Christians in the Evangelical
church. Their aim has always
been to fuse .Nazi doctrine and
Protestant theology together. This
involves double reform of ira
rditional Christian teaching, name
lv,.the elimination of Jewish ele-
ments and the introduction of
nationalism and racialism. a
This "German Christian" the
ology will undel'lie the Nazi cam
lpaign to win over the churches.
it is heard that the campaign will
be opened with a mass meeting
In Berlin where the former Reich
Bishop Ludwig Mueller, one Of the
most uneompromising German
Christians, will speak.
TIME CONSIDERED
OPPORTUNE
/ The timeis considered ripe for
a new campaign in favor of Ger
man" Christianity because Nail
+ fication has made great striedes
in the church. under Minister
Hans-Kerrl's administration. Con
fcssionals are being gradually eli
minated from church positions
and German Christians substitute
cd.
What "G erman' Christian"
preaching is like was demonstrat-
ed recently at a funeral in a little
town in Saxony. 1t. was the burial
of.an old married couple who
had died peacefully one the same
day. The pastor, a German CHRIS,
tian, pointed out the peculiar and
"Providential character of this
coincidence, and went on to say:
"That, such divine favor has
been bestowed upon this couple is
due to our ,Fuehrer, Adolf Hitler.
Since he has come to power Gods
grace has visibly been with our
people from which all grace had
gone under. the earlier regime"
THE Nazis' aim is to assure that
all preaching in churches should
follow along these lines, and it is
this style and manner Of preach
ing the Confessionals are trying
to keep out of the church.
HORE DRASTIC .
COURSE SEEN
Thus, the peace and co-opera-
ton Nazis are offering to the
church is subject to terms which
are unacceptable to the Confess
SIGNALS. Accordingly, the new
propaganda campaign stressing
the essential identity of Christian !
ity and Naziism is likely to be &C I
companied by a sharper course
against the Confessional move
ment. 1t may be recalled that the
REV. Martin Niefnoelfer, zone of /,
the most active Confessional lead
ers, is still. in ;2thet concentration
camp Of Sachsenhausen.
With regard to, the Catholic !
church the Nazis' course is likely |
to be, different; Hopes for recon- F,
Citation between the Catholic
church and the. Reich were! thwart-
ed when it. became evident that
bishops in the Reich ASSOCIATED
themselves from the Greater
Germany" pfebiscite fApril Is.
The Nazi party is not likely to
forgive this. slight, and Hitler, de-
spite lintimations from Rome that
the Holy, Father would gladly re-
ceive fhiln, edecided to iavoid the
on his visit to Rome.
'HOPEEUL. OF CATHOLICS
Nevertheless, ! The, hope is ex-
int Nazi quarters that the
reconciliation campaign also will
have certain success among
Catholics. These quarters expect
much lof Austria. The concessions
Theodore Cardinal Innitzer made
to the Nazi viewpoint are taken to +
indicate that the incorporation of
100000, Austrian Catholics will
weaken rather than Strengthen
CATHOLIC, opposition against the
Nazi regime.
Moreover, although most impor-
tant church leaders. IN Germany
are, adamantly opposed to any re-
taxation Of the. stiff Catholic
stand on important questions Of
principle, Nazis declare that there
is an Important minority of
Catholic bishops who would well
comea more compromising course.
Thus, although the Catholic clergy
in the Reich thus far has been
outwardly solid in opposing Nazi- .
fication, Hitlerites believe it pos
sible that some bishops will choose
to Compromise @iththe state rath-
er than to risk -reprisals by back !
ign Michael Cardinal Faulhaber's
"diehard" course. ,l
In quarters close to the Catholic
church, however, this version is
discounted, and it is asserted that !
the German Catholic bishops will
remain. united in face of persua-
sioIE4s, well as secretion. /