▁their ▁churches ▁for ▁Naz i ▁Germany . ▁One ▁prepared ▁a ▁draft ▁lay ing ▁bl ame ▁on ▁" our ▁fellow ▁citizens " ▁in ▁Germany , ▁thus ▁implicitly ▁den ying ▁or ▁diff using ▁the ▁responsibility ▁of ▁the ▁church . ▁This ▁language ▁was ▁str icken ▁from ▁the ▁draft , ▁and ▁Niem ol ler ▁ins isted ▁on ▁the ▁language ▁" T hr ough ▁us ▁infinite ▁wrong ▁was ▁brought ▁over ▁many ▁pe op les ▁and ▁countries ." ▁ ▁... H ans ▁As m ussen , ▁Martin ▁Niem öll er ... ▁and ▁Wilhelm ▁N ies el ▁... ▁needed ▁no ▁pro dd ing ▁to ▁express ▁l ament ▁over ▁their ▁own ▁and ▁the ▁church ' s ▁failure ▁to ▁speak ▁out ▁loud ly ▁and ▁clearly ▁against ▁Naz ism . ▁Nevertheless , ▁the ▁Stuttgart ▁Dec laration ▁was ▁not ▁simply ▁an ▁act ▁of ▁conscience . ▁Pers istent ▁pressure ▁by ▁foreign ▁church ▁leaders ▁for ▁... ▁recognition ▁of ▁the ▁... ▁in ade qu ate ▁response ▁to ▁Naz ism ▁played ▁a ▁significant ▁role . ▁ ▁Re actions ▁The ▁Dec laration ▁was ▁viewed ▁by ▁many ▁Germ ans ▁as ▁a ▁further ▁capit ulation ▁to ▁the ▁Al lies ▁and ▁a ▁bet ray al ▁of ▁German ▁interests ; ▁one ▁sign atory ▁asked ▁the ▁foreign ▁church men ▁to ▁ref rain ▁from ▁publishing ▁the ▁Dec laration , ▁entirely ▁contrary ▁to ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁obtain ing ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁place . ▁Vari ous ▁interpret ations ▁and ▁arguments ▁were ▁raised ▁by ▁some ▁members ▁the ▁E K D ▁Council ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁def lect ▁the ▁critic isms ▁raised ▁against ▁them ▁by ▁ir ate ▁parish ion