Where did you get these quotes? I’d like to point out that German soldiers had the following stamped on their belt buckles: Gott mit Uns, or God with Us. Yes, Hitler said, “Ein volk! Ein Reich!” One people! One Realm!
The Bolsheviks were the problem. I have seen one wartime poster that was anti-Bolshevik, and it had a painting of Christ on the cross with the words that basically translated: They don’t believe in this!
I have seen many wartime original photos that showed the graves of German dead with crosses on them.
Peace,
Ed
Ed, the quotes are from the book “Hitler’s Table Talks”, collected and translated by H.R. Trevor-Roper, which is available on Amazon and most libraries. It is an exhaustive collection of the evening and lunchtime lectures and talks Hitler gave to his inner-circle party elite, so we can presume these reflect Hitler’s true feelings and not the platitudes he put out for the useful idiots of the international press. Martin Bormann thought enough of his boss that he had a stenographer transcribe every lecture, so we know what Hitler was saying, often down to the date and hour he said it.
As you are probably aware, the phrase “Gott Mit Uns” (“God is With Us”) on the belt buckles did not originate with the Nazis, it was part of the German uniform even back in WWI and before, and was part of the Nazi effort to claim lineage to the old (pre-Nazi) Imperial German Army, which had a officer and enlisted base that was largely Christian. It was usually NOT on the Waffen-SS belt buckle, (although I believe the Totenkopf units adopted it), most of which had the toadying inscription “Meine Ehre Heisst Treue,” “My Honor is Loyalty” (i.e., to Hitler).
There were obviously many Catholic and Protestants within the German Army (not the Waffen-SS), and much of the internal opposition to Hitler centered around religious officers, including the officers who made several failed assassination attempts at the cost of their own lives.
Hitler played on the Christianity of many Germans with the sort of posters you describe. Hitler himself often spoke highly of Jesus, but bear in mind this his was a crackpot, non-historical view of Jesus as a half-Roman who fought against the capitalism of the Jews, and epitomized Hitler’s own racist views:
Jesus was most certainly not a Jew. The Jews would never have handed one of their own people to the Roman courts; they would have condemned him themselves. It is quite probable that a large number of the descendants of the Roman legionaries, mostly Gauls, were living in Galilee, and Jesus was probably one of them. His mother may well have been a Jewess. Jesus fought against the materialism of His age, and, therefore, against the Jews. Paul of Tarsus, who was originally one of the most stubborn enemies of the Christians…realized that the judicious exploitation of this idea among non-Jews would give him far greater power in the world…it was then that the future St. Paul distorted with diabolical cunning the Christian idea. Out of this idea, which was a declaration of war on the golden calf, on the egotism and the materialism of the Jews, he created a rallying point for slaves of all kinds against the elite, the masters and those in dominant authority. The religion fabricated by Paul of Tarsus, which was later called Christianity, is nothing but the Communism of today…Burgdorff has just given me a paper which deals with the relationship between Communism and Christianity. It is comforting to see how, even in these days, the fatal relationship between the two is daily becoming clearer to the human intelligence. (#328, Night of 29-30 November 1944)
Originally, Christianity was merely an incarnation of Bolshevism the destroyer. Nevertheless the Galilean, who was later called the Christ, intended something quite different. He must be regarded as a popular leader who took up His position against Jewry. Galilee was a colony where the Romans had probably installed Gallic legionaries, and it’s certain that Jesus was not a Jew. The Jews, by the way, regarded Him as the son of a whore - of a whore and a Roman soldier. (21 October 1941, midday)
The decisive falsification of Jesus’s doctrine was the work of St. Paul. He gave himself to this work with subtlety and for purposes of personal exploitation. For the Galilean’s object was to liberate His country from Jewish oppression. He set himself against Jewish capitalism, and that’s why the Jews liquidated him. (21 October 1941, midday)
Hitler’s own feelings about Catholicism aren’t hard to locate. He denied and disparaged everything he was taught in Catechism, including all the Sacraments as far as I can tell:
When one examines the Catholic religion closely, one cannot fail to realize that it is an almost incredibly cunning mixture of hypocrisy and business acumen, which trades with consummate skill on the deeply engrained affection of mankind for the beliefs and superstitions he holds. (#187, 9 April 1942, at dinner)
BAPTISM: *As for the fruits of sin, the soul that fears limbo is a candidate for baptism, that is to say, another customer, and so business goes on! * (#52, 25 October 1941, evening)
PRAYER:
One day [Father Schwarz, Hitler’s catechism teacher] - I’ve forgotten in reference to what - he asked me if I said my prayers in the morning, at midday, and at night. “No, sir, I don’t say prayers. Besides, I don’t see how God could be interested in the prayers of a secondary schoolboy.” (#100, Night of January 8 - 9, 1942)
CHURCH ATTENDANCE: *While we’re on the subject, let’s add that, even amongst those who claim to be good Catholics, very few really believe this humbug. Only old women, who have given up everything because life has already withdrawn from them, go regularly to church. * (#163, 27 February 1942, midday)
CONFESSION:
And those repulsive priests, when they question a child of seven in the confessional, it’s they themselves who incite to sin, by opening its eyes to sin. (#152, Night of 19-20 February, 1942)
I admit confession has its uses; the woman has the satisfaction of absolution and permission to carry on with her little games, and the parson has the pleasure of hearing all about it! (#312, 4 September 1942, midday)
COMMUNION:
Since my fourteenth year I have felt liberated from the superstition that the priests used to teach. Apart from a few Holy Joes, I can say that none of my comrades went on believing in the miracle of the Eucharist. (#153, Night of 20 - 21 February 1942)
HOLY MATRIMONY:
Social prejudices are in the process of disappearing. More and more, nature is reclaiming her rights. We’re moving in the proper direction. I’ve much more respect for a the woman who has an illegitimate child than for an old maid…Marriage, as it is practiced in bourgeoise society, is generally a thing against nature. (#169, 1 March 1943, Evening)
Every marriage concluded as the result of a divorce is regarded by the Church as living in sin. The result is that, in Austria for example, nobody cares about the commandments of the Church. From this point of view, Austria was in advance of Germany. (#52, 25 October 1941, evening)
All the girls whom we bring back from the Eastern territories are medically examined; and 25 percent of them are found to be virgins. That couldn’t happen in Upper Bavaria! Contrary to popular belief, it is wrong to suppose that virginity is a particularly desirable quality; one cannot help suspecting that those who have been spared have nothing particular to offer! And what is popularly said on the subject of Christian virgins I hesitate to repeat. When in the marriage ceremony the priest mentions virginity and the holy bond of matrimony, one always sees some of the lads grin and nudge each other; quite a number of them probably know this “Christian virgin” inside out! (#295, 2 August 1942, midday)
HOLY ORDERS:
Originally, religion was merely a prop for human communities. It was a means, not an end in itself. It’s only gradually that it became transformed in this direction, with the object of maintaining the rule of the priests, who can live only to the detriment of society collectively. (#39, 14 October 941, midday)
