Whenever we have the chance to visit Europe, I end up marveling that the people could have become so secular while their churches are utterly exquisite.
The German protestant church went over to the Third Reich nearly 100% - is anyone surprised why no one participates. My second cousin got his Ph. D. in protestant theology from the University of Erlangen in 1954 - bad career move. His professors visited Minneapolis for the Lutheran World Convention around 1957 - The photos I took of these guys are creepy - especially their eyes. Something went wrong - Bonhoeffer was quite alone and special. Study his colleagues. There are few books about the collaboration.
Sweden was neutral during WW 2, and yet its Lutheran churches are nearly empty on Sundays. The Dutch people were enemies of the Nazis, and yet their Reformed church buildings are also mostly empty today.
Churches and clergy in Europe are funded by the state. The state will arrest any pastor for preaching against Islam and against certain sins such as homosexuality.
If your argument is that people don’t want to support yet another (“woke) government institution - the state church, then no one should be surprised if the churches are empty on Sunday mornings.
Come visit Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church UAC in Milwaukee. We have beauty and use TLH!
I'd love to see some photos
Must be web site limitations- won’t let me paste a photo!
Please send it to our email address. One day I would like to do a little article about our most beautiful Lutheran churches in the US
The German protestant church went over to the Third Reich nearly 100% - is anyone surprised why no one participates. My second cousin got his Ph. D. in protestant theology from the University of Erlangen in 1954 - bad career move. His professors visited Minneapolis for the Lutheran World Convention around 1957 - The photos I took of these guys are creepy - especially their eyes. Something went wrong - Bonhoeffer was quite alone and special. Study his colleagues. There are few books about the collaboration.
Sweden was neutral during WW 2, and yet its Lutheran churches are nearly empty on Sundays. The Dutch people were enemies of the Nazis, and yet their Reformed church buildings are also mostly empty today.
Churches and clergy in Europe are funded by the state. The state will arrest any pastor for preaching against Islam and against certain sins such as homosexuality.
If your argument is that people don’t want to support yet another (“woke) government institution - the state church, then no one should be surprised if the churches are empty on Sunday mornings.