This story is an exceptionally good lens for me to look through, as with Wobbe and Hubener, I also am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Before you sneer, consider this: This isn't necessarily a churchy book or a "Mormon" book either; though the protagonists remain true to their faith, the goal of this book isn't to preach.
And, as with my own observations, it doesn't put all member of the church in a good light; some of them supported the Nazis either through enthusiasm or through simply trying to get along without making waves -- something Hubener and his friends didn't shy away from.
An aside: I don't know how true to the story this movie is. I haven't seen it. I've just read Wobbe's book.
The parallels: Though support of Donald Trump today certainly doesn't rise to the level of supporting the Nazis, there are troubling similarities in members of the church choosing to support, either wholeheartedly, or through a desire not to make waves, what's going on right now. We're on the cusp of something that could turn pretty sinister, and I think it's up to us to decide what side of the fence to be on. I know what side my Dad would have me be on, waves or not. so that's where I lie.
Wobbe's book isn't shy discussing this either. Even after immigrating to Utah, he finds some resistance to the idea of resisting tyranny. We have to be very, very careful in electing whom to support outside of God.
I see members of the church cling to some messages by past prophets as justifications for serving God and mammon. I can't do that. It's Jesus or nothing. If our government chooses to do the wrong thing, we can't go along with it just because one of the tenets of our faith is that we support government. Government does wrong, and we can't support wrong.
As I read this book, I see how easy it is to twist messages. Wobbe shares this from the White Rose Movement, an anti-Nazi organization active during the war:
There is a point at which the law becomes immoral and unethical. That point is reached when it becomes a cloak for the cowardice that dares not stand up against blatant violations of justice. A state that suppresses all freedom of speech and which, by imposing the most terrible punishment, treats each and every attempt at criticism, however morally justified, and every suggestion for improvement as "plotting to high treason," is a state that breaks an unwritten law.
Wobbe concludes that unwritten law is God's law of agency, where it lies in the conscience and heart of each person to decide how to act.
Some look at these words as treasonous. Some look at these words as an excuse to commit treason. It's the contradiction of all contracictions. Wobbe can't explain it, but he saw the result: Many, many people justified their actions out of righteous desires: Patriotism, freedom, loyalty, love.
Part of that unwritten law is do unto others as you would have other do unto you. It cannot be an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth, as that leaves us all blind and toothless.
Wrong should be dealt with and punished. But wrong should be agreed upon, not made whim to whatever political winds blow. I've seen both major US political parties justify wrong in the name of doing something right, or wrong in the name of "The other side is doing it; we have to do so as well or we'll fall behind."
So I'm not a Republican. I'm not a Democrat. Nor am I a libertarian or whatever other political alliances are out there. They're all corrupt and try to justify their wrongness with a cloak of righteousness.
I'd rather go to prison like Wobbe than fall in league with that kind of fiction.
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