Was Hitler a Christian?
The allegation is sometimes made that Hitler was a Catholic - a
Christian until the day he died. This claim is based upon the fact that Hitler was born and raised in a Catholic family.
However, as an adult, Hitler specifically rejected the Catholic Church, as well as Christianity in general. He described himself as "a complete pagan".
The book Hitler's Secret Conversations: 1941-1944, published by
Farrar, Straus and Young, Inc. (1953), contains
definitive proof of Hitler's real views. The book was published in
Britain under the title, Hitler's Table Talk: 1941-1944,
which title was used for the Oxford University Press paperback
edition in the United States.
All of these are quotes from Adolf Hitler:
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. (p 6 & 7)
10th October, 1941, midday:
Christianity is a rebellion against natural law, a protest against
nature. Taken to its logical extreme, Christianity would mean the
systematic cultivation of the human failure. (p 43)
14th October, 1941, midday:
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 [is] the liar....
We'll see to it that the Churches cannot spread abroad teachings in
conflict with the interests of the State. (p 49-52)
19th October, 1941, night:
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.
21st October, 1941, midday:
Originally, Christianity was merely an incarnation of Bolshevism, the
destroyer....
The decisive falsification of Jesus' doctrine was the work of St. Paul. He gave
himself to
this work... for the purposes of personal
exploitation....
Didn't the world see, carried on right into the Middle
Ages, the same
old system of martyrs, tortures, faggots? Of old, it was
in the name of
Christianity. Today, it's in the name of Bolshevism. Yesterday the instigator was Saul: the instigator today,
Mardochai. Saul was changed
into St. Paul, and Mardochai into Karl Marx. By
exterminating this pest,
we shall do humanity a service of which our soldiers can
have no idea.
(p 63-65)
13th December, 1941, midnight:
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.... [here he insults people who believe
transubstantiation] ....
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. (p 118 & 119)
14th December, 1941, midday:
Kerrl, with noblest of intentions, wanted to attempt a
synthesis between
National Socialism and Christianity. I don't believe the
thing's
possible, and I see the obstacle in Christianity
itself....
Pure Christianity-- the Christianity of the catacombs-- is concerned
with translating Christian doctrine into facts. It leads
quite simply to
the annihilation of mankind. It is merely whole-hearted Bolshevism,
under a tinsel of metaphysics. (p 119 & 120)
9th April, 1942, dinner:
There is something very unhealthy about Christianity (p 339)
27th February, 1942, midday:
It would always be disagreeable for me to go down to posterity as a man
who made concessions in this field. I realize that man, in his
imperfection, can commit innumerable errors-- but to devote myself
deliberately to errors, that is something I cannot do. I shall never
come personally to terms with the Christian lie.
Our epoch Uin the next 200 yearse will certainly see the end of the
disease of Christianity.... My regret will have been that I couldn't...
behold its demise." (p 278)
Was Hitler Excommunicated?
The allegation is sometimes made that the Catholic Church never excommunicated Hitler from membership. It is unknown whether Hitler was formally excommunicated or not, but it doesn't matter. Hitler was already excommunicated ipso facto under the canon law of the Catholic Church for his numerous sinful crimes. He could only have returned to the Catholic faith, even assuming that he would ever have wanted to, by having his excommunication removed by the Pope himself. The lifting of such excommunication is reserved to the Pope, latae sententiae.Furthermore, the conference of German bishops excommunicated all Nazis in 1930, and in the 1932 elections forbade Catholics to vote for a Nazi. By being the leader of the Nazi party, Hitler had already put himself outside of the Church.Finally, it should be noted that the whole purpose of excommunication is to help the sinner recognize the enormity of his sins, so he will seek forgiveness. As St. Paul wrote: "If any one refuses to obey our word by this letter, note that man, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not look on him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother." (2 Thes 3:14-15). Someone like Hitler, who did not believe in the truth of Christianity, would simply shrug it off. |