▁The ▁r igh te ous ▁inter ming ling ▁of ▁self - just ification ▁and ▁self - p ity ▁was ▁as ▁important ▁a ▁factor ▁in ▁creating ▁a ▁host ile ▁environment ▁for ▁a ▁public ▁conf ession ▁as ▁were ▁post war ▁fear s ▁of ▁another ▁Vers a illes ▁or ▁Al lied ▁charges ▁of ▁collect ive ▁gu ilt . ▁ ▁One ▁German ▁church man ▁reflected ▁on ▁his ▁contacts ▁with ▁his ▁Swiss ▁church ▁com r ades ▁as ▁those ▁were ▁renew ed ▁after ▁the ▁war ; ▁they ▁had ▁remained ▁in ▁contact ▁even ▁during ▁the ▁war , ▁but ▁there ▁were ▁boundaries ▁still ▁to ▁overcome ▁after ▁the ▁war ' s ▁end . ▁His ▁ref lections ▁are ▁reve aling , ▁both ▁for ▁the ▁revel ation ▁and ▁art ic ulation ▁of ▁those ▁boundaries ▁and ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁post - war ▁attitude ▁of ▁" hel pl ess ness " ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁total itar ian ism , ▁his ▁underlying ▁prem ise ▁that ▁individual ▁Germ ans ▁could ▁do ▁nothing ▁because ▁the ▁obst acles ▁im posed ▁by ▁Naz i ▁total itar ian ism ▁were ▁simply ▁too ▁great , ▁so ▁the ▁cler gy ▁had ▁no ▁choice ▁but ▁to ▁collabor ate : ▁ ▁Many ▁Germ ans ▁raised ▁the ▁practical ▁ob jection ▁that ▁the ▁Dec laration ▁would ▁be ▁interpreted ▁by ▁the ▁Al lies ▁as ▁an ▁expression ▁of ▁collect ive ▁gu ilt , ▁which ▁would ▁in ▁turn ▁justify ▁har sh ▁treatment ▁by ▁the ▁Al lies ▁in ▁the ▁post war ▁world . ▁Most ▁Protest ants ▁were ▁willing ▁to ▁admit ▁some ▁degree ▁of ▁responsibility , ▁provided ▁that ▁the ▁Al lies ▁reci