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In reply to the discussion: Hitler sought the destruction of Christianity. [View all]Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)70. Here's a 2002 NY Times article with more information.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/13/weekinreview/word-for-word-case-against-nazis-hitler-s-forces-planned-destroy-german.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
In the 1920's, as they battled for power, the Nazis realized that the churches in overwhelmingly Christian Germany needed to be neutralized before they would get anywhere. Two-thirds of German Christians were Protestants, belonging to one of 28 regional factions of the German Evangelical Church. Most of the rest were Roman Catholics. On one level, the Nazis saw an advantage. In tumultuous post-World War I Germany, the Christian churches ''had long been associated with conservative ways of thought, which meant that they tended to agree with the National Socialists in their authoritarianism, their attacks on Socialism and Communism, and in their campaign against the Versailles treaty'' that had ended World War I with a bitterly resentful Germany.
But there was a dilemma for Hitler. While conservatives, the Christian churches ''could not be reconciled with the principle of racism, with a foreign policy of unlimited aggressive warfare, or with a domestic policy involving the complete subservience of Church to State.'' Given that these were the fundamental underpinnings of the Nazi regime, ''conflict was inevitable,'' the summary states. It came, as Nazi power surged in the late 1920's toward national domination in the early 30's.
According to Baldur von Schirach, the Nazi leader of the German youth corps that would later be known as the Hitler Youth, ''the destruction of Christianity was explicitly recognized as a purpose of the National Socialist movement'' from the beginning, though ''considerations of expedience made it impossible'' for the movement to adopt this radical stance officially until it had consolidated power, the outline says.
Attracted by the strategic value inherent in the churches' ''historic mission of conservative social discipline,'' the Nazis simply lied and made deals with the churches while planning a ''slow and cautious policy of gradual encroachment'' to eliminate Christianity.
The short answer is that other events prevented Hitler from carrying his plans through to fruition.
In the 1920's, as they battled for power, the Nazis realized that the churches in overwhelmingly Christian Germany needed to be neutralized before they would get anywhere. Two-thirds of German Christians were Protestants, belonging to one of 28 regional factions of the German Evangelical Church. Most of the rest were Roman Catholics. On one level, the Nazis saw an advantage. In tumultuous post-World War I Germany, the Christian churches ''had long been associated with conservative ways of thought, which meant that they tended to agree with the National Socialists in their authoritarianism, their attacks on Socialism and Communism, and in their campaign against the Versailles treaty'' that had ended World War I with a bitterly resentful Germany.
But there was a dilemma for Hitler. While conservatives, the Christian churches ''could not be reconciled with the principle of racism, with a foreign policy of unlimited aggressive warfare, or with a domestic policy involving the complete subservience of Church to State.'' Given that these were the fundamental underpinnings of the Nazi regime, ''conflict was inevitable,'' the summary states. It came, as Nazi power surged in the late 1920's toward national domination in the early 30's.
According to Baldur von Schirach, the Nazi leader of the German youth corps that would later be known as the Hitler Youth, ''the destruction of Christianity was explicitly recognized as a purpose of the National Socialist movement'' from the beginning, though ''considerations of expedience made it impossible'' for the movement to adopt this radical stance officially until it had consolidated power, the outline says.
Attracted by the strategic value inherent in the churches' ''historic mission of conservative social discipline,'' the Nazis simply lied and made deals with the churches while planning a ''slow and cautious policy of gradual encroachment'' to eliminate Christianity.
The short answer is that other events prevented Hitler from carrying his plans through to fruition.
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I think you need to do more research, not just pull a 1942 article out of the archives.
El_Johns
Dec 2013
#95
I have no idea whether Hitler was a "Christian" or not (whatever "Christian" might mean in the
El_Johns
Dec 2013
#102
I've added the link to "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" by William H Shirer (nt)
Nye Bevan
Dec 2013
#8
You think he's a 'religious nut job' because he distanced himself from Hitler?
sabrina 1
Dec 2013
#48
Are you saying that there are no other sources for this information?? You have not
sabrina 1
Dec 2013
#50
Since I already knew Hiter's views of Christianity it wasn't necessary to go the site.
sabrina 1
Dec 2013
#109
I don't care about the site. I care about the information which I am more than familiar
sabrina 1
Dec 2013
#113
It's not my job to educate you about this topic. Google is a great source of information, IF
sabrina 1
Dec 2013
#119
One of my history books records the attempt of the regime to "nazi-ize" even Christmas
steve2470
Dec 2013
#5
Nah, even their belt buckles read "god is with us".... They used God like the RW does here...
grahamhgreen
Dec 2013
#9
I was all like ROFL, and then I started picturing the poor bastards, eeech:0
grahamhgreen
Dec 2013
#47
And this article was in the NYT about a month after Germany declared war on the US
Fumesucker
Dec 2013
#17
Heh. A New York Times article is unreliable because of what Judith Miller wrote 60 years later.
Nye Bevan
Dec 2013
#24
Considering that the Reich Church had been extant for nearly 10 years before the article appeared,
El_Johns
Dec 2013
#103
To suggest that The Third Reich targeted Jews and Christians equally is mindlessly absurd.
Gravitycollapse
Dec 2013
#19
"The way that Hitler could pursue the annihilation of Christianity along with the Jews..."
Gravitycollapse
Dec 2013
#129
Ri-i-i-ght so Hitler kow-towing to the Pope and kissing the rings of Cardinals
intaglio
Dec 2013
#30
Hitler used the climate of Christian antisemitism in Germany. He could not have
Quixote1818
Dec 2013
#45
I fully agree. And this is in no way inconsistent with the premise of this OP. (nt)
Nye Bevan
Dec 2013
#82
Hmmm. Between the NY Times and Adolf Hitler, who to give the benefit of the doubt?
Nye Bevan
Dec 2013
#81
Hmmm...Between the NY Times and Saddam Hussein, who to give the benefit of the doubt?
jeff47
Dec 2013
#83
There's been a few recent posts claiming that Hitler was a "devout Catholic" (nt)
Nye Bevan
Dec 2013
#62
Hmm. Odd to see that trotted out, just as the new Pope is proving so unpopular with rich assholes.
Marr
Dec 2013
#69
Uh-huh. Please explain why he didn't arrest Christians and send them to concentration camps like
Zorra
Dec 2013
#76
Well, I may be confused, but I just didn't see any credible sources for the info.
Zorra
Dec 2013
#97
"Hitler and the Nazi party would never have risen to power without appealing to the religious
Nye Bevan
Dec 2013
#84
Is this suppose to be some type of analogy or comparison with the Obama Administration?
YOHABLO
Dec 2013
#92
Perhaps instead of citing and quoting from several sources I should adopt your approach
Nye Bevan
Dec 2013
#117
I can't even take this OP seriously when you link to the loony blog "Prophecy Proof".
Vashta Nerada
Dec 2013
#118