Note: From the Editor
It is the practice of the Journal of Lutheran Ethics to consider for publication letters written to the Journal about current or past issues or in regard to current events. Letters to the editor should be sent to the email address linked here for consideration by the editor. Authors will be contacted by the editor if the letter is chosen for publication. Letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the views of the ELCA or the Journal of Lutheran Ethics.
[1] Various ways of resisting polarization in the face of crises today are important and need to be ongoing, including through theology. However, the chaos we now face in the U.S. and throughout the world, must be countered. What is going on now is deep and systemic.
[2] There has been an international rise of autocracies, or oligarchies–which have similar effects to autocracies. As many have noted, these twist information and create confusion within a façade of democracy as they seize power. They do not overthrow democracy through military coups but by undoing core democratic principles, weakening the rule of law, and eliminating checks and balances between branches of government.
[3] The rise of the autocratic regime may seem chaotic as it lashes out at nearly everything, often basing its actions on misinformation or little evidence. Even though these actions may seem political, the acts are often cloaked with a misuse of religion. “Religion” has been misused to gain power. This must be countered theologically.
[4] Lutherans too often remained silent as Nazi atrocities were arising in Europe in the 1930s, but they cannot now. As those who stand with Martin Luther insisted, we must fear, love and trust in God above all things. To do otherwise is idolatry. Too many of us have been silent and inactive in the face of the injustices that our institutions and governments have perpetrated.
[5] Sincerely held religious perspectives have been ruled out. Even mercy for the vulnerable is under attack, as it has been through many centuries and in many places. Some contend that this is the onset of a rivalry, between the “god” of autocrats and their followers, and the God to whom the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament regularly testify. This is an opportunity to speak theologically and bear witness.
[6] Now is a crucial time for religious institutions (including the ELCA) to offer different worldviews and to move from theological platitudes to connect systematically and actually transform current realities. Idolatries must be countered! This includes the narcissism, imperial motives, and transactional logic that are now transforming the nations and world.
