proc ated ▁and ▁admitted ▁their ▁own ▁wrong do ing . ▁ ▁O thers , ▁who ▁saw ▁the ▁Dec laration ▁more ▁in ▁the ological ▁than ▁in ▁practical ▁or ▁political ▁terms , ▁recognized ▁that ▁conf ession ▁is ▁made ▁before ▁God ▁and ▁not ▁before ▁men , ▁and ▁that ▁such ▁" cond itional ▁conf essions " ▁were ▁the olog ically ▁wrong - head ed ▁and ▁misunder stood ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁Christian ▁conf ession . ▁As ▁one ▁Protest ant ▁rather ▁w ry ly ▁noted , ▁neither ▁the ▁Al lies ▁nor ▁the ▁World ▁Council ▁of ▁Church es ▁" are ▁our ▁father ▁conf essor ." ▁ ▁H ock en os ▁ident ifies ▁three ▁basic ▁reasons ▁that ▁Germ ans ▁were ▁rel uct ant ▁to ▁conf ess ▁wrong do ing : ▁ ▁Many ▁Germ ans ▁had ▁in ▁fact ▁supported ▁the ▁Naz is ▁and ▁were ▁in ▁fact ▁un rep ent ant . ▁Their ▁rac ist ▁and ▁national ist ▁ment ality ▁was ▁int act , ▁perhaps ▁even ▁height ened ▁by ▁the ▁defeat ▁which ▁triggered ▁feelings ▁of ▁anger ▁and ▁res ent ment . ▁The ▁nature ▁and ▁extent ▁of ▁the ▁Naz i ▁bar bar ities ▁was ▁difficult ▁to ▁compreh end , ▁even ▁for ▁some ▁of ▁those ▁who ▁participated ▁in ▁them . ▁B yst and ers ▁were ▁rel uct ant ▁to ▁take ▁responsibility ▁for ▁a ▁campaign ▁that ▁was , ▁in ▁both ▁quant itative ▁and ▁moral ▁terms , ▁nearly ▁in com pre hens ible . ▁Germ ans ▁were ▁suffering ▁also ▁and ▁they ▁naturally ▁gave ▁priority ▁to ▁their ▁own ▁suffering . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁Karl ▁Bar