Was Adolph Hitler and His Henchmen Christian?

The following quotes are from Mein Kampf: Hitler's religious beliefs and fanaticism

"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."

Racism is prevalent throughout the bible. The Jews according to the bible are God’s chosen people, what about the rest of us? Slavery is also condoned in the bible.

"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)

Only a handful of Germans in the Reich had the slightest conception of the eternal and merciless struggle for the German language, German schools, and a German way of life. Only today, when the same deplorable misery is forced on many millions of Germans from the Reich, who under foreign rule dream of their common fatherland and strive, amid their longing, at least to preserve their holy right to their mother tongue, do wider circles understand what it means to be forced to fight for one's nationality.
-Adolf Hitler (Mein Kampf)

Similar to the debate about the English Language vs. Spanish issue here in the states.

Quotes from Hitler's henchmen and Nazi sympathizers

We struggle for a union of the small Protestant state churches into a strong Protestant Reich Church.... We are acting not as a party, but as Protestant Christians who only follow a call to faith from God, which we here in our Volk movement. As true members of our church we have a legitimate claim to have appropriate consideration given to the greatness and inner strength of National Socialism in church life and the church administration.
-Helmut Brucker, "Richtlinien fur Kirchenfragen," Bundesarchiv Berlin-Zehlendorf (10 Nov. 1932: Breslau)

I take the Bible, and all evening long I read the simplest and greatest sermon that has ever been given to mankind: The Sermon on the Mount! 'Blessed are they who suffer persecution for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven'!
-Joseph Goebbels, Michael: Ein deutsches Schicksl in Tagebuchblattern (Munich, 1929)

Christ is the genius of love, as such the most diametrical opposite of Judaism, which is the incarnation of hate. The Jew is a non-race among the races of the earth.... Christ is the first great enemy of the Jews.... that is why Judaism had to get rid of him. For he was shaking the very foundations of its future international power. The Jew is the lie personified. When he crucified Christ, he crucified everlasting truth for the first time in history.
-Joseph Goebbels, Michael: Ein deutsches Schicksl in Tagebuchblattern (Munich, 1929)

The idea of sacrifice first gained visible shape in Christ. Sacrifice is intrinsic to socialism.... The Jew, however, does not understand this at all. His socialism consists of sacrificing others for himself. This is what Marxism is like in practice.... The struggle we are now waging today until victory or the bitter end, is in its deepest sense, a struggle between Christ and Marx. Christ: the principle of love. Marx: the principle of hate.
-Joseph Goebbels, Michael: Ein deutsches Schicksl in Tagebuchblattern (Munich, 1929)

We have told the churches that we stand for positive Christianity. Through the zeal of our faith, the strength of our faith, we have once again shown what faith means, we have once again taken the Volk, which believed in nothing, back to faith.
-Hermann Göring in a 1935 speech, Positives Christentum, 3 Nov. 1935

How shall I give expression, O my Führer, to what is in our hearts? How shall I find words to express your deeds? Has there ever been a mortal as beloved as you, my Führer? Was there ever belief as strong as the belief in your mission. You were sent us by God for Germany!
-Hermann Göring (Reden und Aufsatze, Munich, 1938)

And it goes on and on.

Hitler's Christianity

If you read most of Hitler's speeches, it becomes apparent that at least on the surface, Hitler was a "Christian." I have heard rumors that he had wanted to be a priest at one time in his life. How true that is, I don't know. Also, it is important to realize that Hitler had a tremendous fascination with the "Spear of Destiny," et cetera...

[edit on 24-9-2007 by SpeakerofTruth]

Three years later he informed General Gerhart Engel: "I am now as before a Catholic and will always remain so." He never left the church, and the church never left him. Great literature was banned by his church, but his miserable Mien Kampf never appeared on the Index of Forbidden Books

seems so... i'm glad i dont have no religion!

Source

Originally posted by SpeakerofTruth
If you read most of Hitler's speeches, it becomes apparent that at least on the surface, Hitler was a "Christian." I have heard rumors that he had wanted to be a priest at one time in his life. How true that is, I don't know. Also, it is important to realize that Hitler had a tremendous fascination with the "Spear of Destiny," et cetera...

[edit on 24-9-2007 by SpeakerofTruth]

Yup thats what this says: Hitler's religious beliefs and fanaticism

Although Hitler did not practice religion in a churchly sense, he certainly believed in the Bible's God. Raised as Catholic he went to a monastery school and, interestingly, walked everyday past a stone arch which was carved the monastery's coat of arms which included a swastika. As a young boy, Hitler's most ardent goal was to become a priest. Much of his philosophy came from the Bible, and more influentially, from the Christian Social movement. (The German Christian Social movement, remarkably, resembles the Christian Right movement in America today.) Many have questioned Hitler's stand on Christianity. Although he fought against certain Catholic priests who opposed him for political reasons, his belief in God and country never left him. Many Christians throughout history have opposed Christian priests for various reasons; this does not necessarily make one against one's own Christian beliefs. Nor did the Vatican's Pope & bishops ever disown him; in fact they blessed him!

Well, I am certainly a Deist myself, so, I won't degrade him for believing in God. However, I think that the whole argument that "Hitler was an occultist, and blah, blah, blah," is rather unfounded when one takes into consideration his speeches and such.

Hitler, much like mainstream Christianity, was very anti-Masonic, and he let it be no secret in his speeches. Most of his speeches have a Christian tone. Now,, it is quite possible that he did that to cover his true intentions, but, it is what it is.

What I find strange is

"The German Christian Social movement, remarkably, resembles the Christian Right movement in America today."

I agree with this statement, but the Social movement hated the Jews, while the Right movement Loves the Jews, Very interesting.

Dragon, yes, it is interesting how things tend to get switched around. However, without a real understanding of why the Germans were so open to hatred of the Jews, it is impossible to see the difference.

Hitler was primarily protestant as every german man was at this time. But the uprising of Nazism as a political, cultural trends is utterly interlinked to several ancient beliefs that were inherated from celtic and germanic folklores.

The so-called Society of Thule - ThulleGesenschaft - was founded in the early twenties around its leader Rosenberg, a PhD claiming the revival of the Norde pantheon that he related to several emerging reports of some asian belief in some sort of King of the Inner Realms.

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, a russian explorer that ended her career in NYC after having deeply travelled around the eastern world, had made long description of an ancient tradition reporting the story of Earth-insiders, specie of giants that would have left the Earth surface long ago after having widely interracted with the young human specie.

Blavatsky had numerous followers in Europe, from Annie Besant who later rised up Krishnamurti, to Rudolf Steiner, who prefered to imphases Christianism rather than eastern "paganisms" in the quest for a modern anthroposophy (theosophy).

Rosenberg's researches and several activities led up on the early twenties to a small, practicaly secret societie which aimed to embodie a nationalist newblood while renewing ancient cultural roots of the german pride.

In such a context, the Niebelungen Saga, The Tyr, Odin and Fendrir adventures, the Myth of the Last Battle and of the Walhalla, all whirled into politically fascist, so roman-empire-like, ideology mainly founded upon the paradigm of the german supremacy.

Hitler wrote in the name of Christ, but the several belief that underlied his options and his fate were well more related to pre-teutonic mythology, including faith in those giant figures Wagner's several operas design as so many classic dramas.

The Rule of the Mightest, pride and honour of war, supremacy cult and faith in the tallest were in many respects to be understood in the largest game of an eternal as well as glorious kingdom side below the earth, precisely in what could be the now-called Hollow Earth.

In the twenties, Ferdinand Ossendowsky, a german explorer, pretend to have been in Tibet were he claims having met with several masters of a mysterious Yellow broherhood who taught him the secret of some King of the World ruling from inside, and about to somehow return at the end of the world.

During WW2, nazis indeedly worked up on various projects involving some technology that allows small aircraft to fly through any angle as to explore difficult areas not being visited by standard chasers. The UFO technolgy could somehow lead to ancient theories of an inside kingdom waiting to rise is law upon human specie...

Christ seems to have been left far away from all this grocery. Nazism was a kind of ultra-hierarchical, politicised and policized society where love and compassion where at least minorized, if not clearly obliterated.







[edit on 24-9-2007 by Rigel]

Rigel, actually, Hitler's "super man" philosophy was derived more from Nietzsche than from what Blavatsky wrote. Everyone tries to say that there was some sort of "occult influence" there; to be honest, I have never seen any legitimate proof...

I have read Ravencroft's "Spear of Destiny" where he tries to bring Meister Eckhart into the whole scheme, yada, yada, but it is really nothing more than unverified accusations. By the way, Hitler had occultists killed in his country. It was illegal to practice any type of occultisim under Nazi reign.





[edit on 24-9-2007 by SpeakerofTruth]

What about the rumours that Hitler had Jewish ancestory?And when he was young his love for a girl who could have been Jewish.
Quote'although Hitler’s distinguished biographer Sir Ian Kershaw has rightly dismissed Hitler’s feelings for Stefanie as 'a juvenile infatuation', the passion with which Hitler stalked her and fantasised about kidnapping and committing suicide with her lets us glimpse the mentality of the person he was destined to become.

Furthermore, August Kubizek’s account reveals that Hitler was utterly unconcerned as to whether the girl after whom he lusted was Jewish or not..
Source www.dailymail.co.uk...

Originally posted by jackpot18uk
What about the rumours that Hitler had Jewish ancestory?And when he was young his love for a girl who could have been Jewish.
Quote'although Hitler’s distinguished biographer Sir Ian Kershaw has rightly dismissed Hitler’s feelings for Stefanie as 'a juvenile infatuation', the passion with which Hitler stalked her and fantasised about kidnapping and committing suicide with her lets us glimpse the mentality of the person he was destined to become.

I have heard that he was "part Jewish..." I don't know how true that is. I have also heard that he fell in love with his niece but knew that there would never be anything between them.

It seems to me that Hitler had an embedded sense of self hatred. Everything that he was, he hated...

Myth 1: Hitler was not a Christian
The entire section on Hitler's Christianity provides ample evidence for his brand of Christianity. The evidence itself destroys any opinions or beliefs about Hitler's alleged apostasy.
The evidence shows that:
Hitler was born and baptized into Catholicism
His Jewish antisemitism came from his Christian background.
His early personal notes shows his interest in religion and Biblical views.
He believed that the Bible represented the history of mankind.
His Nazi party platform (their version of a constitution) included a section on Positive Christianity, and he never removed it.
He confessed his Christianity.
He tried to establish a united Reich German Church.
Hitler allowed the destruction of Jewish synagogues and temples, but not Christian churches.
He encouraged Nazis to worship in Christian churches.
He spoke of his Christian beliefs in his speeches and proclamations.
His contemporaries, friends, Protestant ministers and Catholics priests, including the Vatican, thought of Hitler as a Christian.
The Catholic Church never excommunicated Hitler. He died a Catholic.
To ignore the evidence of Hitler's Christianity demonstrates how power of belief can obscure the facts.

Myth 4: Hitler followed Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy
If Hitler followed Nietzschian philosophy or even admired his work, then where does he describe him or his philosophy?
Nowhere in Mein Kampf does Hitler even mention Nietzsche, or Nietzchian terms such as superman (uberman), or super race. Of course Hitler did think the Aryan's represented a superior race to the Jews, but never in Nietzchian terms.

Note that Joseph-Arthur de Gobineau invented the theory of the superior Aryan race in the 1800s in his book, An Essay on the Inequality of the Human Races. Gobineau believed that racial mixture would bring about the decline of "superior" peoples. Gobineau influenced Richard Wagner (beloved by Hitler), and Houston Stewart Chamberlain (whom Hitler read and met), both of who influenced early National Socialism (and both mentioned in Mein Kampf). Popular in Germany in the 1900s, many Germans accepted Gobineau's ideas and, no doubt, influenced Hitler either directly or indirectly. Moreover, Hitler's "superior" race ideas sound like a combination of Biblical race laws and Gobineau's Aryan race ideas, but not at all like Nietzsche.
Nor does it make sense that the Christian Hitler would admire an atheistic Nietzsche. Hitler loathed atheism. In his writings and speeches, he admonished atheists. For example:
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 in Berlin on 24 Oct. 1933
The pre-Nazi Thule society began in the early 1900s. Rudolf von Serbottendorff became the driving force of this order which practiced occultism and an admiration of Nietzsche. Many members of the Thule society later became Nazis and did influence Nazi literature. However, Hitler never showed any interest in the Thule cult or in its pagan practices.
Let's face it; Hitler showed no philosophical sophistication. If any philosopher had an influence on him, it probably came from Schopenhuer (which he does briefly mention in Mein Kampf). Hans Frank, Hitler's personal lawyer, recalled that Hitler carried a copy of Schopenhauer's World as Will and Representation with him throughout World War I, but Hitler never revealed any appreciation of Friedrich Nietzsche or his philosophy.

Hitler Myths

Sorry about all the copy and pasting. The site I'm posting is well researched, and IMO is Very credible and seems to matter. These are items of history and should be known.

Originally posted by LDragonFire

Myth 4: Hitler followed Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy
If Hitler followed Nietzschian philosophy or even admired his work, then where does he describe him or his philosophy?
Nowhere in Mein Kampf does Hitler even mention Nietzsche, or Nietzchian terms such as superman (uberman), or super race. Of course Hitler did think the Aryan's represented a superior race to the Jews, but never in Nietzchian terms.

I disagree about this being a myth... Nietzsche made reference to "Super Men" many times in his writings and he was a, need I say it, a GERMAN philosopher...

Originally posted by SpeakerofTruth

I disagree about this being a myth... Nietzsche made reference to "Super Men" many times in his writings and he was a, need I say it, a GERMAN philosopher...

Hitler Myths

Perhaps the most notorious misrepresentation of connecting Hitler and Nietzsche came from a photo-op of Hitler visiting the Nietzsche archive. Many have incorrectly believed that Hitler visited the archive on his own volition. Not so. The photo-op idea came from Nietzsche's sister, Elisabeth Förster, a wealthy Nazi supporter, who established the Nietzsche Archive in 1933, It was she who invited Hitler (after much persuasion) to visit the archive for publicity purposes. Hitler visited the archive exactly once and only for political purposes to appease Nietzsche's anti-Semite sister. The event appeared in the German newspapers and William Shirer (The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich) briefly mentioned the event as if Hitler often visited the archive because he admired Nietzsche. Shirer probably got his information from the German news article rather than from the facts of the event. (Note, scholars have criticized Shirer for his lack of scholarship and poor source material.) Elisabeth Förster also misrepresented Nietzsche by making her brother look like an anti-Semite and a proto-Nazi (Nietzsche's philosophy had little resemblance to the National Socialist German Workers' Party). Unfortunately many Germans fell for the Nietzsche-Nazi connection including many members of the Thule society.

Nietzsche is the one that coined the phrase superman [uberman], I would be interested is seeing a link that claims otherwise, Its not found in any of Hitler's writings.

If Hitler followed Nietzschian philosophy or even admired his work, then where does he describe him or his philosophy?

Nowhere in Mein Kampf does Hitler even mention Nietzsche, or Nietzchian terms such as superman (uberman), or super race. Of course Hitler did think the Aryan's represented a superior race to the Jews, but never in Nietzchian terms.

39 times superman mentioned in story about Tesla

From:

PRODIGAL GENIUS
The Life of Nikola Tesla
by John J. O'Neill (1944)
Complete On-Line Volume

First man to get a book out about Tesla after his death.
Mostly a waste of time, the Margret Cheney is the best and
most good books about Tesla use Tesla's autobiography.

Hitler and his superman language must have bee used by every one
back then... nothing big about Hitler using it.

Hitler was a phony Christian if any thing and weather true or from
conspiracy researcher (good or bad) had Jewish ties (up to half
Jewish ?) and some how had Jesuit education to some amount.
I don't know, did Hitler know Latin?

A baseball player was awarded a College education because
he was a Latin Scholar. I don't recall television documentaries
giving any great results of either trait, but both Jewish and
Jesuit "mentions" are in most "life stories" of Hitler.

Smacks of Conspiracy of Information to the Sheeple.. you and me.

"Follow the money"... Mark Felt.
Lets see who funded the war or was everything done on a handshake.

Originally posted by SpeakerofTruth
Rigel, actually, Hitler's "super man" philosophy was derived more from Nietzsche than from what Blavatsky wrote. Everyone tries to say that there was some sort of "occult influence" there; to be honest, I have never seen any legitimate proof...




[edit on 24-9-2007 by SpeakerofTruth]

Himmler was the one with the occult obsession. Just look at the SS. Hitler, like everybody else feared Himmler and the SS.

I don't believe Hitler was a professed Christian (he sure didn't act like one, but thats true of many people). In fact, I think most of the was Hitler Christian/Occult influenced miss the point entirely, because all he seemed to truely believe in was power.

Germany had a lot of Christians. It also had a lot of Spiritualists, Occultists etc and a public who were receptive to such ideas. Any successful leader, especially a demagogue playing off of peoples emotions, would want to appeal to both factions of people. This is particularly evident in Hitler's earlier years, when he was trying to secure a power base.

Later on, it was quite obvious he only tolerated Christians who were in agreement with his ideals. He scheduled Hitler Youth meetings so that children (who had to attend by law) missed Church youth group meetings. He disbanded all political parties, including the Centrist party which was run by the Vatican.

He was equally dismissive of Himmler's occult obssession, making fun of it several times while talking to other members of his inner circle (such as Goebbels). He only gave minimal support to Rosenburg's attempt to create a new "Aryan religion", for example, which was a mixture of racist ideas and Norse mythology.

I'm sorry I don't have much in the way of sources which I can link to at hand, but most research among books dealing with the period would likely bear my theory out, and give copious evidence for it. One of the better books dealing with the odder beliefs in the Nazi Party is Invisible Eagle by Alan Baker. I highly recommend it, in fact.

Originally posted by JimmyBlonde

Himmler was the one with the occult obsession. Just look at the SS. Hitler, like everybody else feared Himmler and the SS.

I don't buy into the occult conspiracy theories, so...

[edit on 26-9-2007 by SpeakerofTruth]

Originally posted by SpeakerofTruth

Originally posted by JimmyBlonde

Himmler was the one with the occult obsession. Just look at the SS. Hitler, like everybody else feared Himmler and the SS.

I don't buy into the occult conspiracy theories, so...

[edit on 26-9-2007 by SpeakerofTruth]

Perhaps not but there are undeniable occultist tendencies rampant throughout Nazi imagery and philosophy. The purpose and intention of these is as paradoxical as the leadership of the party itself. I will grant you that.