Were Hitler and the Nazis Christians?
It’s a frequent claim by skeptics that Hitler and the Nazis were Christians. Christopher Hitchens makes this point in practically every debate he participates in by pointing out the “God with Us” emblem that was found on the belt buckles of every Nazi uniform. Likewise, excerpts from Mein Kampf which speak of “God” are put forth as proof of Hitler’s Christian faith.
Like most urban legends, however, this one takes a sliver of truth and exaggerates it into epic proportions.
The fact is, Hitler and the Nazi party would never have risen to power without appealing to the religious sentiments of the German people. Thus, they carefully crafted rhetoric that would enable them to appear as faithful leaders who God had appointed to bring Germany back from the ruin it had experienced after WWI.
In his bestselling book “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy”, biographer Eric Metaxas devotes a chapter to the intersection between Nazi propaganda and Christian theology….
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