ARE INTELLECTUALS A DANGER?
The bloodthirsty hate the blameless, but the upright seeks his well-being» (Proverbs 29:10).
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born in the bosom of a German middle-class family in 1906. From childhood he stood out for his great intellectual virtues. His parents were interested in him having a very good academic background. They also allowed him to make some trips around different places to broaden his worldview on the realities of this world. When the time came, the boy decided to become a religious minister.
Bonhoeffer’s passage through the theological seminary was brilliant. In 1927 he received his doctorate from the University of Berlin (Germany). In addition, his family supported him in carrying out several trips around the world that allowed him to observe the situation of the religious world. The renowned Christian thinker began to write down his keen remarks, which have validated him to be regarded as the model of pastors of the postmodern church.
During those years, a charismatic German leader began to gain enormous popularity among his fellow countrymen. Bonhoeffer immediately detected the disturbing discourse of Adolf Hitler’s radical ideology. Then he began to warn evangelical leaders about this terrible threat. However, much of Germany’s pastors preferred to give bewildering support to the Nazi Party. At this point, Bonhoeffer was already in the sights of the Nazi leaders, who began to press him in different ways for several years. He had to reduce his influence at all costs. The great weapon of this brilliant thinker was his ideas, which he transmitted through his articles published in magazines and his papers produced in various forums. So, once in power, the Nazis banned him from publishing texts and speaking in public.
The beginning of the Second World War led Bonhoeffer to participate in the German resistance. In April 1943, he was arrested for his insistent opposition to the regime. A year later, the discovery of some documents would reveal his involvement in a conspiracy to get rid of Hitler. On April 9, 1945, only three weeks after Germany’s surrender, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed by the Nazis.
Erasmus of Rotterdam wrote in The Praise of Folly: «The great princes see with bad eyes and as enemies’ men that are too intelligent.»
Intelligent men establish the guidelines by which the people are led and participate in the elaboration of the patterns of thought. Never see them as enemies.
Thinking differently is not a sin. We must learn to tolerate the opposite opinion. That is a fundamental element of civics and democracy.
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Take From: Daily Devotions for Youth 2020
«A New You»
From: Alejandro Medina Villareal
Collaborators: Gezer Noria & Misael Morillo
