Hitler Was NOT an Atheist

Today, I’d like to tackle one of the most frustrating arguments fundamentalist Christians use for “proof” of why atheism is evil: Adolf Hitler.

I received this amazingly ignorant response from a fundamentalist while having a debate in the comments section of DefCon’s blog:

“Hitler was an atheist too! Hitler believed in the theory of evolution! Hitler attempted to wipe out all of the Jews because he believed in theory of evolution.”

Hitler might have believed in evolution, but evolution is not a belief system or a basis for morality. It simply explains the natural phenomenon that can be seen in the fossil record. As far as Hitler’s use of evolution, Hitler created a German, National Socialist religion with himself as god and put forth the unscientific belief of “genetic hygiene.” I’m not even going to bother with the evolution part because it’s just like Tom DeLay saying that Columbine was a result of teaching children the theory of evolution. Sheer nonsense.

What I really want to focus on is the assertion that Hitler was an atheist. The evidence proving otherwise is so mind-numbingly easy to find, I’m amazed fundies continue to insist on Hitler’s atheism. The best way to refute this claim is to look at what Hitler actually wrote. Here’s a few poignant quotes from Mein Kampf:

“I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator.” (pg. 46)

“What we have to fight for...is the freedom and independence of the fatherland, so that our people may be enabled to fulfill the mission assigned to it by the Creator.” (pg. 125)

“Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.” (pg. 60)

“This human world of ours would be inconceivable without the practical existence of a religious belief.” (pg. 152)

“And the founder of Christianity made no secret indeed of his estimation of the Jewish people. When He found it necessary, He drove those enemies of the human race out of the Temple of God.” (pg. 174)

Maybe I’m missing something, but Hitler’s own words sure don’t make him seem like an atheist to me. In the end, the whole “Hitler was an atheist” claim is clearly nothing more than a myth fundamentalist Christians use to feel good about themselves while persecuting nonbelievers.