Back in November, I did a considerable amount of research diving into the truth about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This stemmed from a fog of historic mystery and to be honest, I did not like much of the discernment content out there because Bonhoeffer’s life is claimed to have undergone drastic theological changes which should be accounted for in research. But my research did not find any meaningful theological development outside of his worst theology being at the end of his life.
I am surprised my findings on Bonhoeffer, which I pushed hard in November to much success, did not garner more backlash. But on the anniversary of his execution, I point out that executing a false teacher who had his hands caught in the cookie jar of treason is hardly unjust, and its unsurprising that a fudgepacker like Richard Grinell would look up to him.
Anyway, Joel Berry and Eli McGowan want to pounce on this based tweet as though pointing out an indifference to Bonhoeffer’s death in light of his heresy makes someone a neo-nazi or something. To the Nazi’s credit, they did presumably destroy Bonhoeffer’s manuscript where he would articulate his seeker-friendly concept of Religionless Christianity, but in the process they solidified him as a martyr to the cause of liberalism under the guise of Christianity. Thus, a homosexual can look up to him.
Joel Berry, the managing editor at the Babylon Bee, states:
The guy behind the anon account celebrating the execution of a Christian pastor by the Nazis is Ray Fava, shown here at the “Christ Is King” conference with Joel Webbon
Joel Berry wants to use me to attack Joel Webbon, but in doing so, he affirmed the heretic who denied the Apostle’s Creed and a pastor who did not clearly articulate a belief in the Resurrection. Joel Berry using me in his engagement farming grift comes at the expense of sound doctrine as he imprudently asserted that Bonhoeffer was a Christian pastor, a position that is historically indefensible.
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I reject all German theologians after Adolf Von Harnack just to be safe.
I mean, why would anyone accept ANY German theologians from the WW2 period? They’re all an absolute mess.
“The guy [is] celebrating the execution of a Christian pastor by the [censored]”
Wasn’t he executed for plotting an assassination? Its not like he was executed for being a Christian. I would applaud if the US government were to execute that freak that tried to assassinate Trump, even if it turned out he was a supposed pastor.
What does it really mean to deny a creed? Whether its the Nicene Creed, Apostles Creed or some other. Neither is verbatim from scripture, and both are abstractions of truth. Early in a Christian’s walk they can be helpful in knowing a few principles while learning to grow and walk with God. However, they are not the panacea some in social media are making them out to be. In fact I’m starting to think they are a stumbling block to real Growth in Christians, because they get taken as Gospel, when they are nothing but an abstraction, (btw this goes for all of the Confessions of faith even more so).
I am becoming convinced that these things, though helpful in a time when printing was not possible, the internet wasn’t imaginable, and that the bible can now be on every device you have in a few minutes, that the abstractions, and the blind following and touting of them are actually constructive to learning and Growing with God. In fact, As I grow myself, I become more convinced that they become sign posts to cling to, a reason to not grow or learn scripture, a reason to be comfortable in ignorance about the full wisdom of Scripture.
I’m not a Bonhoeffer fan, don’t misunderstand, but Ray, you would be wise to look beyond creeds and Confessions, as they start to sound in polemics circles as nothing more than Flag waving to those of us with discernment.