Friday Night at the Humanist Movies

Earlier this past week, Joseph Ben-David, who was our guest speaker in November, sent an invitation to a Humanist film on "The Life and Heroism of Dietrich Bonhoeffer." The film was originally scheduled for a December showing but was rescheduled due to the severe snow that evening.

Despite the bitter cold, Bruce, Jason and I attended the movie, along with Antoinette and Michael. The meeting took place at the Unitarian church up on 76th Street and Central Park West, in a pre-kindergarten classroom. We moved the tiny chairs out of the way and brought in adult-sized chairs for the viewing. I was charmed by the children's artwork and the picture books displayed around the room.

The film itself was a bit dry but it certainly was a profile in courage, a man who could have kept silent and gone along with the Nazi tide but whose morals and religion did not permit him to stand idly by while tyranny rose to unprecedented heights. He and other ministers tried to take a stand against Nazism and against the persecution of the Jews, but they could not prevail against the mass hysteria that swept Germany.

Eventually Bonhoeffer became a spy, travelling to other countries and passing along information on the Nazis' plans. He joined the plot to assassinate Hitler and was arrested when the bomb killed several officers but Hitler was only slightly wounded. In prison, Bonhoeffer worked on his book, Ethics. Sadly, he was hung in the waning days of the war, when the Nazis already knew their cause was lost.

Following the film, Joe led a discussion. I mentioned that one doesn't have to be religious as Bonhoeffer was to be willing to take risks for one's ideals. I mentioned the story of two Ethical Culture leaders who were imprisoned by the Nazis for performing interfaith marriages between Jews and Christians. I don't remember the name of the American Ethical leader who travelled to Germany to secure their release, but all three of them stood up for their ideals without relying on a concept of God.

Next month Joseph Ben-David will be speaking about Humanism and Depression. I am hoping that we will be able to find and forge ties with his and with other humanist groups around New York City. The opportunities to exchange ideas and visit each other's programs can certainly enrich our experiences as members of the Brooklyn Humanist Community.

We're grateful that afterwards Michael and Antoinette drove us home, so we didn't have to do any more walking in that bone-chilling cold.