On 22 February 1943, a 21-year-old woman, named Sophie Scholl, was marched into a courtroom in Nazi Germany. The charge was high treason. Why? She dared to expose the genocidal nature of Hitler's leadership.
Sophie said, "Somebody after all had to make a start. What we wrote and said is also believed by many others. They just didn't dare express themselves as we did". Sophie and her friends had started the White Rose, a non-violent intellectual resistance group.
They had published six leaflets opposing Hitler by detailing his murderous rampage against the Jews and his disregard for human life. Adolf Hitler, as the root cause of World War II, was responsible for 66 million deaths. Interestingly, during the Nuremberg Trials, almost all the Nazi defendants were accused of crimes against humanity, and part of those 'crimes' was the promotion of abortion.
Sophie Scholl had a strong faith in Jesus Christ. She declared, "I will cling to the rope God has thrown me in Jesus Christ, even when my numb hands can no longer feel it". This was recorded in detail in the award-winning film called Sophie Scholl: The Final Days. The film was made by atheist director, Mark Rothemund. Even so, he didn't cut her faith out of the film. Biographies record that her firm belief in God and the inherent dignity of every human being, formed the basis for her resisting Nazi ideology.
The Canberra Declaration says, "The very heart of a humane and civilised society is based on the way it treats its most vulnerable and innocent members, including the unborn and disabled. We therefore insist on the right of all persons, including those who are vulnerable or dependent, to protection from conception to natural death."
We have been delighted by your response to the survey, the first phase of our Double Our Numbers Campaign. We have many great suggestions to now act upon and many volunteers to help us. To make a start on the next phase, today we are launching The Sophie Scholl Appeal. Click on the YouTube to hear all about it.
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| Canberra Declaration - The Sophie Scholl Appeal |
As outlined in the video, we need to raise $50,000 to redevelop our website, make it mobile friendly, rebuild and integrate our data and promotional platforms, build a Canberra Declaration i-phone and android app and produce new video promotional material for the web and social media.
Our principal goal is to resource our volunteers and advocates, enabling them to better tell our story by digital means to prospective signatories. This is all about enabling the process of viral marketing in a rapidly changing digital world. Our survey clearly showed that we need to reach the younger generation!
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Courtroom Scene from
Sophie Scholl: The Final Days
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To double our numbers, we need to raise $50,000, but to
make a start on this project, we have set an initial target of $21,000. This figure represents the age of Sophie Scholl when she was led from the courtroom and immediately beheaded by the Nazis for her courageous stand for faith, freedom and life. She was willing to give her life!
We are inspired by her last words, "How can we expect righteousness to prevail when there is hardly anyone willing to give himself individually to a righteous cause. Such a fine sunny day, and I have to go, but what does death, my death matter, if through us, thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?"
Sophie's words proved quite prophetic. The first five leaflets or declarations had limited circulation in Germany at that time because possession of them meant death or imprisonment.
The sixth White Rose leaflet, however, was smuggled out of Germany, reprinted and dropped from the air all over Germany by the Allies in untold millions. This no doubt helped end the war and save many lives.
Our goal is to raise $21,000 for The Sophie Scholl Appeal by Christmas because we wish to make a start to double our numbers in the New Year. We need your help to do it. Our goal is not impossible. If one thousand of our subscribers give $21 each, we would raise $21,000. Some may be able to give $210 or $2,100 or even more.
The bottom line is, as Sophie said, "We have to make a start". Please donate today (click the button and you will be taken to the donate page of the website where there are several ways you can choose from to make your donation).
Yours for Faith, Freedom and Life,
Warwick Marsh & David Rowsome
