More Americans say they have no religion

[Q]

Meaningful for him, or for potential readers of his manifesto? Germany was a very religious nation at that time, and Hitler used any religious symbolism that he thought would help his cause. The only higher power that he believed in was himself.

[SkinWalker]

He was indoctrinated with Catholic beliefs and superstitions. I see no good reason to believe he didn't continue to harbor those beliefs. Indeed, I would not be surprised if he genuinely thought he was doing God's work.

 

I can see, however, why Christians, particularly Catholics, would want to distance themselves from him. Still, his genocide was biblical when you look at mythical sources like the book of 1 Samuel. Those poor Amelekites. Psychologically, it would seem that he really did think he was doing God's work.

[Q]

By wiping out "God's chosen people?" It would be hard to biblically justify that, though if someone is insane enough they can justify anything through rationalization.

[SkinWalker]

By wiping out "God's chosen people?" It would be hard to biblically justify that, though if someone is insane enough they can justify anything through rationalization.

 

LOL, I'm not defending Hitler or his actions. Nor am I arguing that he wasn't mentally disturbed. People are fallible and subject to mental defects. If a mother can sever the arms of her child because God whispered the instruction in her ear (which happened a few years ago near my city), then I've no doubt a monomaniacal dictator can work out in his warped mind that God wanted him to kill the Jews and that his "Aryan" race was the actual chosen people. His writings in Mein Kampf seem to indicate this belief.

[Q]

LOL, I'm not defending Hitler or his actions.

I know you're not. Neither would I try to justify the slaughter of the Amalekites. The only thing that I was objecting to, really, was the placing of Hitler in the same boat with people like John Paul II.

[Tommycat]

Um... back on track? It isn't surprising that people would be dropping "traditional" religions. As times change, religions change. Either the religion itself adapts, or people take up a new religion.

 

I'd say that nowadays, we have religions that don't want to admit they are religions, just because they don't have a supreme being involved. You see the same religious devotion to environmentalism, for instance, as any devout Christian. They're just opposed to admitting it is religious devotion.