First Thoughts on Walther Movie – Necessary Roughness:
'via Blog this'
***
GJ - I asked Dan at NR about the movie. Just as I suspected, the propaganda piece is more deceitful than one of Stalin's own efforts.
There is no mention of Walther rushing to take an early ship because he was wanted by police, who had arrest warrants, for kidnapping his niece and nephew - who died in America.
He involved his lawyers, Vehse and Marbach, in hiding the children from the authorities.
He also involved his future mother-in-law, who was arrested for that very reason.
Walther organized the mob of 300 who came to Perryville to threaten, rob, and kidnap the bishop - while deposing him.
There was a plan to send Bishop Stephan across the Mississippi in a rowboat, but the flood-swollen and debris-choked river did not allow for that. Stephan reported that he was taken across on a ferry, guarded by armed men. In other words, Walther arranged a third kidnapping, unrepentant (but forgiven!) about the first felonies.
The mob stole all of the Stephan's gold coins, all his books and clothing, except for a few things. They had not paid his salary, but they decided he owed them all that money.
Portraying Walther as a brave and faithful leader is simply deceitful, because the insiders know better. Stephan probably had syphilis, which can spread to partners while the carrier is symptom-free. He had many ailments, which could have been from VD. He had three deaf daughters, suggesting that he gave it to his wife, who suffered herself and passed it on to her daughters.
The police investigated Stephan over a long period of time. Court testimony just before he went to America shows that he had multiple flings while also keeping one mistress and rejecting his wife.
Walther had to know this before leaving for America, but he had his demons, and Stephan had his own.
However, Walther's unethical and unChristian behavior became the template for the Synodical Conference. Whenever it suits a Syn Conference leader, someone is denounced as a false teacher, robbed, and driven away.
Walther alienated many Lutheran groups with this approach. Stephan was a "false teacher"? Why did the pastors crossing the ocean pledge their obedience to Stephan as their bishop?
The Missouri leaders were "schocked" about his infidelities? Please. He was famous for living with his mistress at the spa, his late-night walks with ladies, his girfriend installed in the attic - all in Dresden. He arranged for his mistress to come over on the ship but left everyone else, except his son, in Dresden.
