Was Adolph Hitler a Christian or Atheist?

Question

I've read many answers that use Adolph Hitler like a foam bat to batter the opposition.
"Hitler was an atheist!"
"Hitler was a Christian."

But over the course of his reign of terror, he made many an animated, passionate speech. Here are a few quotes:

"My feelings as a Christian point me to my Lord and Saviour as a fighter." Adolf Hitler, in a speech delivered in Munich, 12 April 1922

"Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord."
Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, Ralph Mannheim, ed., p. 65, New York: Mariner Books, 1999

"We were convinced that the people needs and requires this faith. We have therefore undertaken the fight against the atheistic movement, and that not merely with a few theoretical declarations: we have stamped it out."
Adolf Hitler, in a speech delivered in Berlin, 24 October 1933

Any doubt now, he was Christian? Just asking ...

Answer 1

Hitler was a Christian. It's a common misconception that Hitler was an atheist because of the evil things that he did.

Answer 2

Actually, I don't find whether Hitler was an Atheist, Christian or Occultist to be a very interesting question. And it sure gets asked a lot.

I think it's more interesting to consider that the majority of the German population that voted for and went along with Hitler were Christians. Hitler's followers were not just a few psychos in the upper classes but most of the German public.

Answer 3

First of All we should know what does 'a Christian' mean?
By simply being born in a christian family, no one is becoming a Christian. Christianity is not growing biologically. A Christian is the true believer and follower of Christ Jesus the Saviour. One can find out who is the real Christian by his deeds. If Hitlor had killed so many Jews, he may be a christian or catholic, but he is not following Christ.
Christ had forgiven all the Jews and Romans and all the world for crucifying him on the cross. He prayed on the cross to the Father saying father forgive them for they know not what they do.
So as per Bible, and me, Hitlor was not a Christian.

Answer 4

Hitler created his own religion Nazism. He believed he was the savior of Germany and wanted everyone to worship him. He still has followers. Also if he considered himself Christian it was his own version and I think he was a tad crazy as were the people who followed him and the people that still do. Anyone can call themselves a Christian...and Christians like anyone can be crazy, do bad things. Some people think Christians should be perfect and they can't be, as they are the same as everyone else. Christians have a goal to try and be God like...as do most religions, but Christians realize they can't be God like and need Jesus to help them work at it. Only Jesus knows who is a true Christian.
As for Hitler...maybe he had a mental illness, brain tumor, or was pure evil, only God knows. We judge here on earth, and I think judged Hitler right as he did unspeakable things, but God will also judge Hitler, and only God knows, we can only guess at his fate.

Answer 5

Of course, Hitler was a Christian. The only people who don't accept that simple fact of history is all the Christians who can't get their noses out of the ridiculous book of tripe,the bible, in order to actually read books with real value on history and science.

Answer 6

I believe he believed he was a christian. Where the relevance this lies in with R&S is the fact that many christians continue to use the lie that Hitler was an atheist as one of their examples in battling againsst and trying to eradicate atheism.

The relevance of this issue is the christians own doing. Stop lying and we will stop trying to correct you. Hitler was not an atheist murderer that used darwinism as an excuse. He was a madman that used religion and religious beliefs as the reason and the manipulation for the evil that he his his people did.

Christians attempt to link hitler, secularism and evolution together so that people will believe they are all evil and one cannot exist without the other. That is what I have to be honest and call them the liars that they are.

In hitler's own words:
"I go the way that Providence dictates with the assurance of a sleepwalker. "

"Universal education is the most corroding and disintegrating poison that liberalism has ever invented for its own destruction. "

"What good fortune for governments that the people do not think."

"My feelings as a Christian points me to my Lord and Savior as a fighter. It points me to the man who once in loneliness, surrounded by a few followers, recognized these Jews for what they were and summoned men to fight against them and who, God's truth! was greatest not as a sufferer but as a fighter. In boundless love as a Christian and as a man I read through the passage which tells us how the Lord at last rose in His might and seized the scourge to drive out of the Temple the brood of vipers and adders. How terrific was His fight for the world against the Jewish poison. To-day, after two thousand years, with deepest emotion I recognize more profoundly than ever before the fact that it was for this that He had to shed His blood upon the Cross. As a Christian I have no duty to allow myself to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice... And if there is anything which could demonstrate that we are acting rightly it is the distress that daily grows. For as a Christian I have also a duty to my own people.

-Adolf Hitler, in a speech on 12 April 1922 (Norman H. Baynes, ed. The Speeches of Adolf Hitler, April 1922-August 1939, Vol. 1 of 2, pp. 19-20, Oxford University Press, 1942)

Hitler's anti-Semitism grew out of his Christian education. Christian Austria and Germany in his time took for granted the belief that Jews held an inferior status to Aryan Christians. Jewish hatred did not spring from Hitler, it came from the preaching of Catholic priests and Protestant ministers throughout Germany for hundreds of years. The Protestant leader, Martin Luther, himself, held a livid hatred for Jews and their Jewish religion. In his book, "On the Jews and their Lies," Luther set the standard for Jewish hatred in Protestant Germany up until World War II. Hitler expressed a great admiration for Martin Luther.

Then there is the Collusion between Hitler and the Vatican in which Hitler promised and delivered 10% of the treasury of Germany to the Avtican in excahnge for it's support and endorsement. That money came from the Jews they murdered.

There is additional relevance here in that while Hitler was a self professed Christian and did evil Christians and catholics are quick to distance themselves from the faith of Hitler, yet they still embrace the Sainthood of Popes that were mass murderers and exactly just as vile as Hitler.

Hypocrisy is what it is, Murder it what it was and Lies are what they live.

Answer 7

I'd say he was a Catholic. I'd also say it doesn't really matter as the question of his faith in a deity is not at issue.

The real question is, What did he actually believe? What made it possible for him to be so wildly -- if briefly -- successful?

He was such an accomplished liar and con artist, and he had so many accomplices in promoting his lies, that we'll likely never know the real answer. History has its limitations and that's frustrating.

Answer 8

Marooned on earth got it right. He happened to be a Catholic. What is really relevant here is that he was a crazed manic regardless of whether he happened to be Christian or atheist. I get tired of people thinking if they can claim a "good" or smart person on their side it makes them better or if they can force a "bad" person or act on the other its a score for them.

The issue I have with religion is that whether Hitler was really Catholic or just using it as a tool to whip up followers in line behind him it put the discussion beyond secular criticism. When people start arguing God is on their side it becomes dangerous. There is no reasoning and discussing respect for diversity and human rights anymore once people start buying that rhetoric.

Check out this is want to see a nut who believes his beliefs and God or death if you can't accept them:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvoEx6ilVyrVwexUKWc.t9fsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071004020842AAPlRwT&show=7#profile-info-uzW6MHOwaa

Answer 9

if i see this question one more time.......

Hitler was born a catholic and did use his christian beliefs to support his genocide and anti semite ideaology though when he came into power he turned to a hatred of christianity because like any good dictator, he wanted to be seen as deity and as having no other power above him. So he said to the germans, you can either be german or be a christian. Very telling statement.

I do not agree that he was ever an atheist

Answer 10

Yes Hitler....CLAIMED to be a christian...but he certainly didn't act like one...he was a monster, a blood hungry villain that one I am 100% sure off...Just because someone says they're something doesn't make it true...It is claimed that Hitler had a relationship with his niece...No true christian or human with a right head on their shoulders would indulge in such acts...one of the christian rules is 'love your neighbour as your self and treat others how you would like to be treated' Hitler did not abide by this in anyway whatsoever.
He was a beast!

Take Care. ~peace~

Answer 11

he ''was'' whatever he needed to be in order to get power. i'm fairly sure that's the most basic prerequisite of being involved in politics. the real story is that he was an occultist who believed that all white people came from an ice moon, that babies born in cemeteries inherit the spirits of great warriors, and visited his own personal fortune teller on a regular basis. he was neither atheist nor christian. he was just doing what politicians do. really doesn't matter either way, since he was a nutso nazi freak.