church, hitlerHitler is recorded in history saying “I am now as before a Catholic and will always remain so” [Adolph Hitler, to Gen. Gerhard Engel, 1941] and “I believe today that I am acting in the sense of the Almighty Creator. By warding off the Jews I am fighting for the Lord’s work.”[Adolph Hitler, Speech, Reichstag, 1936].
During his visit to the UK the Pope said Hitler was an Atheist. Hitler was never excommunicated from the Catholic Church. Why would he say this?
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/09/list_of_hitler_quotes_in_honor.php (other quotes that show Hitler was not an Atheist)
Even in our own lifetime, we can recall how Britain and her leaders stood against a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society and denied our common humanity to many, especially the Jews, who were thought unfit to live. I also recall the regime’s attitude to Christian pastors and religious who spoke the truth in love, opposed the Nazis and paid for that opposition with their lives. As we reflect on the sobering lessons of the atheist extremism of the twentieth century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society and thus to a “reductive vision of the person and his destiny” (Caritas in Veritate, 29).
Framing: In the battle of communications, the person to land the first punch is the one who takes the upper hand, putting all who follow on the defensive. The Pope made his statement the second he set foot in England, to divert from the heavy resistance he knew he was going to get over the pedophilia coverup.
Consistency of Message: Catholics have long taught atheists are evil. Take every opportunity available to remind the flock who the enemy is. I am an ex Catholic seminarian. I know from whence I speak.
As for why the Pope said that, we’ll never know. But, it is quite simple, Hitler does no good for PR. And, he said and did some religiously ambiguous and risqué stuff. It is also socially accepted to place Hitler amongst the ranks of the atheists. When it comes to the non-Russian speaking lands, the USA won WWII; and, as winners that’s what we needed.
“History is written by the victors.”
- Winston Churchill
Update:
I found D’souza’s response when Hitch challenged his claim that Hitler was an atheist. This is a direct quote from the debate between God on Trial: Christopher Hitchens and Dinesh D’souza (hosted by the Fixed Point Foundation). I add this answer only to tell D’souza’s defense.
You should read Richard Evans multi-volume history of the Third Reich and a very interesting book called Hitler’s Table Talk edited by the eminent historian Hugh Trever Roper which is the private statements of Hitler in the three years when he was in fact at the height of his power. It becomes very clear that Hitler hated Christianity, wanted to destroy the church in as a cunning a way as he could; and in fact, mocked and scored religion. He was in fact an atheist. Now in the early years of Hitler he sounded like, he would say things like, I wanted to do the Lord’s work. And why, because he wanted to try to win over the Lutheran Chuch in Germany and the Catholic church in Bavaria, but this failed completely. So what I’m saying is there is a huge literate on this. If you go on the Atheists’ web site they have a lot of crosses and swastikas from 1931-1933, but nothing at all once Hitler comes to power: when Hitler began a systematic campaign to destroy the churches.
Because the Pope is willing to lie to make himself look better and to make atheists (the majority in many European countries) look worse. It is a sad, desperate, attempt to reclaim moral authority.
The Pope needed a criminal more heinous than the crimes perpetrated by his church, and thought that Hitler would fit the bill. It’s a diversionary tactic, designed to deflect criticism from his followers, and redirect them to a third, weaker and smaller party. Since many individuals can understand the concept of god, regardless of which one, and can’t understand the concept of no-god, that creates an in-group/out-group effect. The out-group is the perfect scapegoat.
Hitler was a Catholic, but he wanted reform in the Church. It’s easy enough to quotemine (especially if you choose quotes from a rather dubious source, the Table Talks, which were strongly edited by his atheist underling) for those statements Hitler made in opposition to the Catholic Church, and ignore the parts where he was talking about the corruption of men running it and not Catholicism itself.
Plus, as someone said above, Hitler is bad for PR, so everyone wants to distance themselves from association with him. Holocaust denial is (or was) actually illegal in Germany because the Germans want to disassociate themselves from Hitler.
The assertion in question appears to be from this speech (also quoted here, if anyone's afraid that it's since been edited)
Even in our own lifetime, we can recall how Britain and her leaders stood against a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society and denied our common humanity to many, especially the Jews, who were thought unfit to live. I also recall the regime’s attitude to Christian pastors and religious who spoke the truth in love, opposed the Nazis and paid for that opposition with their lives. As we reflect on the sobering lessons of the atheist extremism of the twentieth century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society and thus to a “reductive vision of the person and his destiny” (Caritas in Veritate, 29).
He was talking about the regime - he didn't mention the fuhrer Hitler himself. Sorry if I'm splitting hairs here.
I went to some lectures this weekend in London on the Root Causes of the Holocaust. It was hosted by the Center for Inquiry and the South Place Ethical Society. It was really good and I learned a lot.
One of the speakers was Dr David Ranan (he has written a book that looks interesting).
I learned one particularly interesting thing from Dr Ranan.
After almost 2000 years of propaganda and support from the Catholic church, anti-semitism had become ingrained in the European cultural mindset.
This provided fertile ground for Hitler to set the stage for the atrocities committed during the holocaust.
Given that the pope himself was in the Hitler youth (which is actually not remarkable in itself, lots of Germans were duped by Hitler), I think the ‘Hitler was atheist’ lie is designed to divert attention from the Catholic churches involvement in the holocaust.
What is really needed is an apology from the church for its involvement and not more lies.
The Catholic church is more than happy to quote the high statistics of people born into their faith regardless of the fact that many may subsequently lose faith. Seeing as Hitler never renounced his faith or, more disturbing, was never ex-communicated, he will always remain a Catholic. By the way, only one of the top Nazis, Joseph Goebbels was ex-communicated, for the heinous crime of marrying a protestant.
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