DJT and the KKK

A friend asked me the other day how I could possibly deduce that a man flying a swastika over his house in a wealthy suburb of Philadelphia recently was connected to the outcome of our country’s most recent presidential contest.

Since then, there has been a public Neo-Nazi demonstration in Columbus, Ohio (pictured here) which President Biden has publicly denounced but President-elect Trump has not. Meanwhile, in various places in Indiana (including Carmel, Westfield, and Fishers), the Ku Klux Klan have been distributing flyers (pictured above). The flyer portrays Uncle Sam giving the boot to some folks who have come to the United States from Latin America. In big, bold letters, the flyer reads: “LEAVE NOW. AVOID DEPORTATION.” In his right hand, Uncle Sam is holding a piece of paper that has a “Proclamation” on it. If you look carefully at the proclamation document, you can see it is dated January 20, 2025 (inauguration day). And the proclamation calls for the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. So, Uncle Sam is asking for your help by reporting them to the proper authorities.  

This is why I see a connection between the recent spike in public activity among white supremacists and this year’s election outcome. It is because our President-elect has promised the very thing the flyer is talking about on “day 1” of his presidency.

This gives me chills since it is the sort of thing Nazi Germany did when they wanted to “cleanse” the land of its non-Aryan inhabitants. It is important to keep in mind that, at that time, the German government was able to do this because they enjoyed the cooperation of much of the general populace.

It is sobering to me to contemplate that this was done in the name of Christianity and with the full backing of the vast majority of churches. What gives me hope, however, is that there was an underground resistance movement of Christians during this time. One of the notable figures in this resistance was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, founder of the Confessing Church.

Prior to founding the Confessing Church, Bonhoeffer lived in America for a short time and was influenced by Adam Clayton Powell Sr., pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem (NYC), the largest Protestant church in the country at the time. Here Bonhoeffer heard “the Gospel of Social Justice” preached from the pulpit and he was moved by Christ’s call to rectify the injustices suffered by people in racial minorities.

Returning to Germany in 1931, Bonhoeffer taught systematic theology at the University of Berlin. But then Hitler rose to power in January 1933. In a radio broadcast two days after Hitler was installed as chancellor, Bonhoeffer went on record denouncing Hitler’s leadership and the Nazi party. He warned that German Christians were succumbing to idolatry by swearing allegiance to a leader (führer) who was really a “misleader” (verführer). Perhaps it is no surprise to hear that the signal was cut before he could finish the broadcast.

As you can well imagine, during this time the church in Germany was divided regarding the Nazi party. In the end, the Nazis managed to garner the support of around 80 percent of Germany’s pastors…with just a small minority standing in opposition.

Even if you are not familiar with his story, you can probably guess how it ends. Bonhoeffer was arrested in April 1943 and was hanged about 2 years later in Nazi Germany’s last push to wield their ugly, hate-filled power before the war was finally over.

Key to Nazi Germany’s power was the way the leaders were able to manipulate and guide the social imagination of the general populace. By creating a scapegoat for the country’s troubles, Germany’s new leaders united the people around the idea of a common “enemy within.” Together, they would purge the “poison” from their midst. By laying blame for their societal ills on the backs of others, they were able to nurture the hope of a new age for their fatherland and all those they deemed as true patriots. With the toxic power of a nationalistic mindset draped in the garb of Christian tradition and armed with the malice of scapegoating outsiders, the foundation was laid for a holy war...the Holocaust.

I tell that story because I find the parallels to our country's situation today to be quite striking and sobering. We have just elected a man who has the full-throated support of white supremacists, people who (mind you) invoke the cause of Christianity in their hateful ideology. Indeed, they are counting on the government’s resources and energy to implement their vision to “cleanse” our country of all those they detest. And it is not lost on me that about 80 percent of white evangelicals have given their implicit (if unconscious and unintended) support to this purge by casting their vote for Trump because he will continue to champion the pro-life cause.

In this way, the government and the church have conspired to create a scapegoat. That scapegoat is “the enemy within”...which includes not only those “outsiders” they would purge from our midst but also select “insiders” who do not share the social imagination of the looming power structure. On this front, it is important to keep in mind that the language of “the enemy within” (a phrase that Trump used with increasing frequency as the campaign season progressed) is received by white supremacists as a kind of code, mobilizing their ranks as a battalion in the righteous crusade to “make America great again.” That is why I believe we are witnessing a spike these days in public displays of blatant white supremacy. It is like the commander telling the troops to prepare for the attack. If this is not the intention, someone should tell the President-elect to stop using such an expression. It is the least we can do.

My friend Brian, who comes from a Jewish background and is a follower of Jesus, recently commented on our responsibility to say something when we see demonstrations like these. He has noted with great concern that neither Trump nor Vance have issued statements condemning the Neo-Nazi demonstration this past week in Columbus. When challenged about the views he expressed, my friend Brian replied: “I do not mean to paint all or even most people on the political right to defend or support such right-wing extremism. Sadly, at multiple rallies for Mr. Trump, there were chants of, ‘Jews will not replace us’ and symbols of hate toward Jews and Muslims. These were from a very small portion of the crowd. However, I did not observe anyone telling them to stop, or getting booed. Most people just ignored them. I cannot understand why these extremists cannot be openly condemned by public officials. I am a believer that we must ‘police our own’ and we are failing to do so.”

I think of my uncle Ivan when it comes to standing up to hateful bullies like these. Ivan was one of the many soldiers in WW2 who fought on D-Day. I cannot tell you how proud I feel just being part of his family and sharing the same last name as him. I can only imagine the horror he witnessed, the courage it took for him to charge that beach, and the endurance that was required to get him through it all…to see the light of another day.

It is important to remember that Ivan did not do this for himself. He did it for the sake of others. He did it because a power even greater than the white supremacists of Columbus held the fate of millions of people in their hands. And he did it because the Nazis had already sacrificed millions of beautiful souls on the altar of Christian nationalism, their vision of the ideal empire. I think of how Ivan would respond today if he were to witness the complacency of the new President-elect regarding the demonstration in Columbus. I can see in my mind’s eye the anger that would grow within him and the utter disgust he would express at such complacency. Is this why he risked his life on that fateful day in 1944? Certainly not! Someone should say something! Someone should do something! To do nothing, to say nothing, is to approve of it.

I think we fail to speak up because we ourselves benefit or, at the very least, are not affected when we remain silent. We are fond of invoking the familiar saying that describes the scenario of those in power coming to oppress various people groups while we fail to speak up…until they come for you and your own people group. It is a wonderful saying (I’m sure you’ve heard it) but the problem with it is that there is always one group that those in power do not come for: themselves. Those on the inside will never be adversely impacted by these oppressions because they are the oppressors (whether they realize it or not) through their action or their inaction. This is the problem with scapegoating: it fails to extract the poison of hate from the scapegoater. It always locates the problem outside oneself. So, the oppression just continues.  

How is it, though, that we fall for a tactic like scapegoating? I think it happens for good reasons. It is fueled by a hopeful picture of a better tomorrow, to be sure. The problem with the picture, however, is that it is too narrow. It leaves out the suffering that will be caused by our “good reasons.”

In this instance, it must be noted that the reason many people voted for Trump was because of his policies and promises that support the pro-life movement. I bring this up because I in no way wish to imply that those I know who are vocal advocates for pro-life legislation identify with hate groups like the KKK, the Proud Boys, or other white supremacist groups. On the contrary, it would be a sure bet to say otherwise. All of them, if asked, would unequivocally condemn them—of this I am sure. This is why what I want to say next to my pro-life friends is offered in the spirit of love…with gentleness, respect, and genuine care.

As you think about just what it means to be pro-life and how far-reaching such a posture extends, I am sure you can understand why I feel that this program of cleansing (which is dreamt about by white supremacists and will be carried out with government resources/personnel) is far from “pro-life.” And, if you feel otherwise, I encourage you to sit down with some of these immigrants and hear their stories first-hand. It would not take long to realize that these are people in need of compassion and care. Indeed, to help them by providing a safe haven from the terror they are fleeing is to be pro-life in the purest sense of that term.  

Now, I know this may feel upsetting to hear, so believe me when I say that I know what a difficult spot such a challenge puts us in. And believe me when I say I hear your concerns about the question of immigration itself. I know you are passionate about people living here legally. I know you are concerned about the toll the influx of immigrants is taking on our economy and public schools. I, like you, feel the emotional anxiety that comes with the change that comes with such demographic shifts, and I am aware of the potential of criminals to exploit such a vulnerable situation.  

I know all these things that are on your heart…AND I am asking you to trust that there is a better way than the white supremacist vision of mass deportation and detainment. As I think of “a better way,” I appeal to the witness of those heroes of the faith who have gone before us when they were faced with similar circumstances in which their country just wanted to purge the “outsiders” from their midst. In addition to Bonhoeffer, I think of Corie ten Boom, that great heroine of the church who risked her life to hide people who would otherwise have been arrested, detained, and, eventually, snuffed out. You may have even read her book, The Hiding Place, and been inspired by her bravery. And she was not the only one who did this. There are many stories like hers of bravery in the face of such challenges.

This is why I consider myself to be one of the few (20 percent) who object to the program of mass deportation/detainment. And I am writing this in hopes of encouraging my fellow “20 percenters” to stay the course. And I am writing this in hopes of explaining why, from the standpoint of my faith, I stand with the minority. I am writing to share why I feel it is not only legitimate to dissent…but entirely Christlike. And, so, I am writing to those in the 80 percent who also want to live a Christlike life…in hopes that I might be able to persuade you to open your hearts and change your mind regarding our country’s collective posture towards immigrants. I’m not asking you to regret voting the way you did. I’m simply asking you to take a stand against the cruel treatment that will surely come if we just stand by and do nothing.

So, in keeping with the open heart, this is also an invitation to all (no matter who you voted for) to share our resources and open our very homes (like Corrie ten Boom did) to provide shelter and safe haven for those who will be harassed and helpless by the powers that be should this planned purge come to pass. May we stand with the likes of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Corrie ten Boom, dear friends. As it was with them, so may it be with us. Amen and amen.

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DJT and the KKK

reflections by rev. troy cady

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