Disclaimer: First off, don't respond to this if you only read one part, read the whole thing through before you rip it apart. It is an research paper from HS that I shortened up a bit. My point is not to take anything away from the solders who brought Hitler down, or to promote Hitler, it is to show that by looking at a situation at different angles yields different results. Furthermore, Hitler’s ideal race can be viewed as similar to Christianity.
Hitler was baptized and raised as a catholic, where he then developed a hatred for those seen as unworthy of the creator. From the slums of inner city, he found himself appalled at the immigrant's disrespect for the fatherland and the law's authority. As he saw himself a man of German-Austrian heritage in the midst of the slums and poverty, looking at these immigrants, finding prosperity through their conniving, scandalous, and manipulative practices, he would crystallize his fanatic German nationalist and anti-Semite views. Hitler eventually came to blame Communism and Jewry for everything he disliked. The strong anti-Semitism against Jews was not uncommon at the time. Jews had been prosecuted since the fourth century. Martin Luther, a German monk in the sixteenth century who sparked the protestant reformation described Jews as demons, arch-criminals, and the enemies of Christianity. The Catholic Church enacted rules forbidding Christians to marry or have sexual relations with Jews, restricted their education, employment, legal rights, and housing rights, and enforcing them to wear badges that noted them as Jews. It is these views that gave Hitler the inclination to carry out his plans. Hitler saw the German people as a higher race, whose land had been infested with people who disgraced their home and their creator. Hitler’s goal was to restore pride, power, and faith in the German people. He wanted to build an empire that would hold high on their morals and virtues; a master race, perfect in physical, mental, and moral arenas. His followers were not evil Germans as we think of them, rather they were moms and dads, relatives and neighbors. They were the proud people of German-Austria, and in support of their country just as Americans were proud in support of their country though they knew of Japanese relocation camps in WWII.
Hitler’s plans for new order were fueled by one main goal; he wanted to gain enough land for his master race. This required the removal of any people that were considered to be undesirable. He also wanted to rid Germany and its conquered lands of communism. It would be in these two points that Hitler got carried away; had he sought a more acceptable method of gaining enough space for his superior race; he would have been adored for it. In order to purify the German lands for his master race, he needed to expel the “contaminants”.
Though Hitler strayed from his original plans and never saw his visions become reality, his ideal Germany, would have several similarities with Christianities Heaven. By seeing pictures of the Hitler youth performing their synchronized stretching and exercises as they prepare for a game of soccer, one could stumble upon a comparison that had previously barely crossed the mind. Everyone was dress in clean, white shirts, with similar body size and, with few exceptions, was topped of with blonde hair. If we were to exchange their white shirts for white robes, and we threw in some puffy white clouds, a couple of harps and a golden gate, we would have a rather generic conception of Christianity’s Heaven. Just as heaven, Hitler’s land was a place where the people would live for the ruler, free of impurities, but these area are not open to just anybody; a person must meet certain standards to live there. Hitler would set the standards and chose his disciples, not only by their heritage to ensure purification, but also by their morally just and virtuous qualities in an attempt to be closer to their Creator. Christ chooses those who are to live with his father and him by their morals and faith; still, his selection is with the same attempt to be closer to god. With just these few points, it’s easy to let the comparisons between apparent opposites unravel.
Not only do the comparisons between Hitler’s ideal Germany and Heaven, but a comparison can be made to the darkness of the opposites as well. Hitler was directly or indirectly responsible for the death of 40 million Europeans. He was also responsible for the brief re-establishment of power, pride, and prosperity of a German racial community of 85 million that would strive for salvation within the Catholic Church. We can easily see that Hitler hurt 40 million, but in his eyes it was the salvation of 85 million. Christ shows us that he too has this problem of hurting just as many as he loves when he says “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten..” (Revelations, 3:19). Hitler, through his Hitler Youth, would raise his children in his ways and beliefs, accepting those that met with his standards, expelling those unworthy of his empire. Christ raises his children through Christianity, in his ways and beliefs, accepting those who meet with his standards, expelling those considered unworthy of his kingdom. Death camps were Hitler’s Hell.
Many world-renowned leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi and Winston Churchill revered Hitler. The larger idea behind this is that the world is full of truths and realities that are another’s lies and fantasies. How much of this world is obviously one way? How much of the world do we condemn and discard because all we see is hidden in its darkness? How much of the world do we revere because all we see is shown in its light? What do we learn from closing our minds to the dynamics of the world and accepting the one sided views of ignorance? As the angle of on our life changes, so does the view.
Hitler was baptized and raised as a catholic, where he then developed a hatred for those seen as unworthy of the creator. From the slums of inner city, he found himself appalled at the immigrant's disrespect for the fatherland and the law's authority. As he saw himself a man of German-Austrian heritage in the midst of the slums and poverty, looking at these immigrants, finding prosperity through their conniving, scandalous, and manipulative practices, he would crystallize his fanatic German nationalist and anti-Semite views. Hitler eventually came to blame Communism and Jewry for everything he disliked. The strong anti-Semitism against Jews was not uncommon at the time. Jews had been prosecuted since the fourth century. Martin Luther, a German monk in the sixteenth century who sparked the protestant reformation described Jews as demons, arch-criminals, and the enemies of Christianity. The Catholic Church enacted rules forbidding Christians to marry or have sexual relations with Jews, restricted their education, employment, legal rights, and housing rights, and enforcing them to wear badges that noted them as Jews. It is these views that gave Hitler the inclination to carry out his plans. Hitler saw the German people as a higher race, whose land had been infested with people who disgraced their home and their creator. Hitler’s goal was to restore pride, power, and faith in the German people. He wanted to build an empire that would hold high on their morals and virtues; a master race, perfect in physical, mental, and moral arenas. His followers were not evil Germans as we think of them, rather they were moms and dads, relatives and neighbors. They were the proud people of German-Austria, and in support of their country just as Americans were proud in support of their country though they knew of Japanese relocation camps in WWII.
Hitler’s plans for new order were fueled by one main goal; he wanted to gain enough land for his master race. This required the removal of any people that were considered to be undesirable. He also wanted to rid Germany and its conquered lands of communism. It would be in these two points that Hitler got carried away; had he sought a more acceptable method of gaining enough space for his superior race; he would have been adored for it. In order to purify the German lands for his master race, he needed to expel the “contaminants”.
Though Hitler strayed from his original plans and never saw his visions become reality, his ideal Germany, would have several similarities with Christianities Heaven. By seeing pictures of the Hitler youth performing their synchronized stretching and exercises as they prepare for a game of soccer, one could stumble upon a comparison that had previously barely crossed the mind. Everyone was dress in clean, white shirts, with similar body size and, with few exceptions, was topped of with blonde hair. If we were to exchange their white shirts for white robes, and we threw in some puffy white clouds, a couple of harps and a golden gate, we would have a rather generic conception of Christianity’s Heaven. Just as heaven, Hitler’s land was a place where the people would live for the ruler, free of impurities, but these area are not open to just anybody; a person must meet certain standards to live there. Hitler would set the standards and chose his disciples, not only by their heritage to ensure purification, but also by their morally just and virtuous qualities in an attempt to be closer to their Creator. Christ chooses those who are to live with his father and him by their morals and faith; still, his selection is with the same attempt to be closer to god. With just these few points, it’s easy to let the comparisons between apparent opposites unravel.
Not only do the comparisons between Hitler’s ideal Germany and Heaven, but a comparison can be made to the darkness of the opposites as well. Hitler was directly or indirectly responsible for the death of 40 million Europeans. He was also responsible for the brief re-establishment of power, pride, and prosperity of a German racial community of 85 million that would strive for salvation within the Catholic Church. We can easily see that Hitler hurt 40 million, but in his eyes it was the salvation of 85 million. Christ shows us that he too has this problem of hurting just as many as he loves when he says “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten..” (Revelations, 3:19). Hitler, through his Hitler Youth, would raise his children in his ways and beliefs, accepting those that met with his standards, expelling those unworthy of his empire. Christ raises his children through Christianity, in his ways and beliefs, accepting those who meet with his standards, expelling those considered unworthy of his kingdom. Death camps were Hitler’s Hell.
Many world-renowned leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi and Winston Churchill revered Hitler. The larger idea behind this is that the world is full of truths and realities that are another’s lies and fantasies. How much of this world is obviously one way? How much of the world do we condemn and discard because all we see is hidden in its darkness? How much of the world do we revere because all we see is shown in its light? What do we learn from closing our minds to the dynamics of the world and accepting the one sided views of ignorance? As the angle of on our life changes, so does the view.
