Was Hitler a Christian?

Question

I keep hearing people on here say that the pope should apologize for Christianity's violent past, and cite Hitler as an example. Well, was Hitler really a Christian? Why don't we ask him?:

19th October, 1941:
The reason why the ancient world was so pure, light and serene was that it knew nothing of the two great scourges: the pox and Christianity.

13th December, 1941:
Christianity is an invention of sick brains: one could imagine nothing more senseless, nor any more indecent way of turning the idea of the Godhead into a mockery. When all is said, we have no reason to wish that the Italians and Spaniards should free themselves from the drug of Christianity. Let's be the only people who are immunised against the disease.

Night of 11th-12th July, 1941:


National Socialism and religion cannot exist together.... The heaviest blow that ever struck humanity was the coming of Christianity. Bolshevism is Christianity's illegitimate child. Both are inventions of the Jew. The deliberate lie in the matter of religion was introduced into the world by Christianity.... Let it not be said that Christianity brought man the life of the soul, for that evolution was in the natural order of things.

14th October, 1941:
The best thing is to let Christianity die a natural death.... When understanding of the universe has become widespread... Christian doctrine will be convicted of absurdity.... Christianity has reached the peak of absurdity.... And that's why someday its structure will collapse.... ...the only way to get rid of Christianity is to allow it to die little by little.... Christianity the liar.... We'll see to it that the Churches cannot spread abroad teachings in conflict with the interests of the State.

Johnny, Oh yeah, I dea with the Crusades in another question. Truth is, the Crusades were a long-delayed response to 400 years of Muslim aggression against the Christian world. I think that is a demonstration of utmost restraint, not a sign of being prone to violence.

Answer 1

Actually, Hitler's mother was a Jew.

Answer 2

My grandfather stood beside him (at gun point). He was Christian, Catholic. All Nazi's were (you would be shot if you weren't). Nice/evil do not determine your religion, call him untrue christian, but Hitler was still christian.

BTW the crusades had nothing to do with muslims (that was a front like their being weapons of mass destruction in Iraq). It came down to economics of the time. The nobles had too many sons, so when they died, by the time the inheritence was split up (majority went to first son, the second biggest went to second son), the last couple of sons often got very little. These sons often had nothing bar the armour they wore. As they were well armed they would rob the surrounding villages, and become outlaws. To get rid of these people they were whipped up into a frenzy by the pope (the elder sons being able to stay to look after the lands) and sent into islamic land - the crusafes. The idea was if the crusade was sucessful, they could keep the land and they wouldn't cause a problem back at home (much like the convicts who were sent out to America and australia) or they would die trying, so they won't be coming home anyway (a win win situation for the king). That the muslims were attacked was really a matter of misfortune for the muslims and a bit of luck (in terms of convenience) for the pope.

Also for the same reason, christianity has been good for society. If the average person knew that there was nothing better and they would work till they drop dead, most western societies would stop. Fortunately they think by working hard they will get riches in the next life, so those of us who are smart enough to use it (like the pope) can have a peachy life. Muslims and Jews are no different. Though Judaism, like budhhism, was founded not as a religion but way of life - so that you would live a long healthy life - e.g. don't eat pork, in those days pork was forever infested with worms which couldn't be cleaned hence most people who ate it got sick (much has changed since).

Answer 3

The Vatican signed an accord (concordat) with Hitler in 1933 and I think with Mussolini. The meaning of this is apparently still hotly debated. My understanding was always that it was to ensure that Hitler let the Vatican remain an independent state.

Since Germany had a state Church, Hitler was able to control the Church and the clergy. Among other things I think he tried to get rid of the Old Testament since it was Jewish. Still, a group called the Confessing Church tried to fight Hitler. But, since it was a dangerous thing most buckled under. There were a few exceptions such as theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer who fought Hitler and was even convicted in an attempt to assassinate him. To get some sense of this read Eberhard Bethge's biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bethge was involved in this fight and he was there so this is the best biography to get and a used one of the first edition can be had for cheap. Also, Bonhoeffer wrote many works throughout the Nazi period.

The Third Reich is one of the strongest arguments around for separation of Church and State.

There are quiet a few books out on the Nazis and the Occult. I think I just saw one with an introduction by Norman Mailer so it could be found under his name.

In my understanding Hitler was more interested in the occult and Nordic or Aryan Paganism than in Christianity (or at least most of his Nazi entourage were). But, I think he probably didn't believe in anything but power so he manipulated believers in both. This is why you will have contradictory statements and actions.

I guess, in short, you can say that religion can be used as an ideology rather than a true religion. Therein lies the problem. Much of this is due to most people only having a vague knowledge of their own religion.

PS:
Someone mentioned the Swastika as a pagan solar symbol. It is a backwards version of Kwan Yin's symbol. She is a sort of Buddha (Bodishattva - sorry I can't spell it). A backwards spinning solar symbol would be indicative of negative or "black" magic.

Answer 4

I don't think you need my answer because it seems you have done your own research, but my understanding is that he was some kind of pagan superstisious person, the swastika and the aryan race are both words borrowed from sanskrit.

The Swastika is a sanskrit good luck symbol, and the aryans were an indo-european tribe, not the germanic blonde blue-eyed aryans that hitler envisaged, but anyone who pointed this out was declared an intellectual and executed.

Hitler was a pagan, and a vegetarian, who didn't know the difference between germanic and aryan.

Edit:it seems on reading some of the below evidence that Hitler may have been born Catholic, yet despite (perhaps because of) this I rest assured he was not Christian.

Answer 5

Just because Hitler was not Christian, does not mean Christianity is any more valid. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
There are other examples of Christian violence, eg the crusades. But that is true of other religions as well. Bottom line, the world would be safer without religion , period. What would the middle east be like without the Hebrew religion and Islamic religion?

Answer 6

Hitler was Christian at least in his upbringing, but he wasn't practicing ever since. Killing Jews, running a country and making war with everyone he could get a hold of is a full time job. He held close ties with the roman catholic church and mentioned at several meeting with representatives sent by Rome that he sympathizes with their stance on Jews. The Jews were treated pretty badly until Pope Pius IX.

Answer 7

First, Hitler was born into a Roman Catholic family, was baptized and confirmed a Roman Catholic. His troops had badges that professed the faith that God would fight on their side and support them. It is known that priests would bless troops with the okay of Hitler. Did that stop him from also professing socialist beliefs concerning religion? No.

Final fact, Hitler was not Jewish. His grandmother may or may not have been made pregnant by a member of the Jewish family she worked as a housekeeper for. His father was born illegitimate, but even if he had been fathered by a Jewish person, a person was only considered 'born Jewish' if his mother was Jewish. There is no way to prove who fathered the father of Hitler.

Answer 8

Hitler did not believe in any religion ..he was an atheist .
the reason why the catholic church should apologize is that the pope Pius XI (he was the pope from 1922 till 1939) and the pope Pius XII (from 1939 till 1958.).did not help or support the jews during that time .
Nore did the critize the Nazi Regime

Answer 9

Interesting question, never thought about it. i did not read your entire statement the question caught my eye, because I know that the Catholic Church backed Hitler for some time, with the Popes sanction. Did the church know what was going on? how could they not?Hitler first got everyone to agree that the Jews were bad, then got on with the business of killing.

Answer 10

Hitler was not a christian. He was a pagan and an anti-christ.

By the way any and every christian alive will condemn Hitler. The same cannot be said of muslims, who try to make excuses for the extremists.

Answer 11

All I know - from what history reports -

Hitler was a male, with a dream for society, that was never fully realized . . .

and the rest of THE/HIS story?

Whatever historians care to report, which will become twisted and convoluted, over time and retelling, moving further from whatever the truth and reality actually was, in those days and years. . .