The National Synod, which included all the German provincial churches, met at Wittenberg on 27 September and elected Ludwig Muller Reich Bishop by acclamation. Over Luther’s tomb in the castle church, the German Christian leader (Joachim) Hossenfelder extolled him: “I greet thee, my Reich Bishop!” (Franz) Hildebrand whispered to Bonhoeffer that now Luther “really would turn over in his grave.”

(Ferdinand Schlingensiepen, Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906-1945: Martyr, Thinker, Man of Resistance, 140).

For the Church’s new task ‘of being a Volkskirche of the Germans’, in the present situation, ‘the occupation of its ministry by persons of Jewish origin generally would be a severe burden and a hindrance’. Therefore the Church must ‘require the withholding of its Jewish Christians from office’.

That with these words the two professors were, retrospectively, calling for Jesus, the Apostles and New Testament authors to be ‘withheld’ from the German Evangelical Church, does not seem to have entered their minds!

(Ferdinand Schlingensiepen, Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906-1945: Martyr, Thinker, Man of Resistance, 139-140).

…the Confessing Church was built from the beginning on cooperation among many pastors and members of local churches. The members of the Emergency League were, first of all, to commit themselves anew to the Scriptures and Confessions; secondly, resist any violation of these; third, to give financial help to those affected by Nazi laws or by violence; and fourth, to reject the Aryan paragraph. In a very short time as many as 2000 pastors signed up to the commitments of the Emergency League. By the end of the year (1933) their number had grown to 6000, and was still to grow by a further thousand.

(Ferdinand Schlingensiepen, Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906-1945: Martyr, Thinker, Man of Resistance, 137-138).

This is good

We are children of the light. Abortion is a work of darkness. The apostle Paul said, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:11).

Our aim, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ, through the authority of his word, is to glorify God by making much of his image in the unborn, and his mercy in forgiving sinners.

We would like to give you a free eBook based on three sermons I preached on abortion. We hope it helps you speak out. Please feel free to download it, print it, copy it, and share it with as many people as you like.

Here’s a sample sentence:

God is calling passive, inactive Christians today to engage our minds and hearts and hands in exposing the barren works of darkness. To be the conscience of our culture. To be the light of the world. To live in the great reality of being loved by God and adopted by God and forgiven by Christ (yes—for all the abortions that dozens of you have had), and be made children of the light. I call you to walk as children of light.

Thanks for caring,

John Piper

Being personally pro-life but otherwise passive is a cowardly and shameful position!

(John Ensor, Innocent Blood, 42)

(Ferdinand Schlingensiepen, Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906-1945: Martyr, Thinker, Man of Resistance, 137).

We answer: We too are concerned for those outside the church, but the church does not sacrifice a single one of its members. It may even be that the church, for the sake of a thousand believing Jewish Christians that it is not allowed to sacrifice, might fail to win over those millions.

But what good it do to gain millions of people at the price of the truth and love for even a single one?

(Quoted in Ferdinand Schlingensiepen, Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906-1945: Martyr, Thinker, Man of Resistance, 137).