The arragement was made right after the Nazi's came to power with an agreement regarding the independence of the bavarian catholic church from Prussian protestant domination. This agreement, like most of Hitlers, was almost immidiately broken in multiple ways.
Nazism was inhernently anti-christian, the leaders were just smart enough to save the fight against christianity in general until later. Policies such as dissolving the catholic youth organizations, breaking up the independent religous schools and reducing the number of religous education classes during the school year show you how the Nazis planned to dechristianize germany, through the youth. (like most of thier plans)
Many higher Nazis (Rosenberg, Frank as examples) were virulently anti-christian (due to the obvious jewish roots), proposing a return to the paganistic beliefs of pre roman days. Also plans were made to replace churches in towns with National Socialist learning centers, replacing the cross with a sword and shield, and the bible with Mein Kampf.
"Nazism was inhernently anti-christian,"
Adolf Hitler: Compromises with Atheism Destroy Religious, Ethical Values - Adolf Hitler Promoted Christians as the Foundation for Moral, Ethical Life
In his speech before the Reichstag on Mach 23, 1933, just before the Enable Act is passed, Adolf Hitler claims that atheistic organizations are a danger and furthermore that the government must promote religion:
By its decision to carry out the political and moral cleansing of our public life, the Government is creating and securing the conditions for a really deep and inner religious life. The advantages for the individual which may be derived from compromises with atheistic organizations do not compare in any way with the consequences which are visible in the destruction of our common religious and ethical values.
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again
regardless of whether the nazi leaders were pagan, or atheist or religious of any kind...
they USED/PROMOTED the christian religion amongst their followers/base
almost ALL of whom were protestant or catholic
The millions of german/aryan/nazis who BUILT THE OVENS and CREMATORIUMS and marched into poland and murdered/slaughtered millions of innocent people were CHRISTIANS who BELIEVED that hitler and their nazi leaders were ALSO christians
there is a book "Lunacy becomes us" by Clara Leiser, 1939, (note...1939!!!!!!!)
in which one can read many quotes from both nazi leaders and THE german PEOPLE
in it is a section on religion and there are MANY quotes from BOTH the NAZI LEADERS and the AVERAGE JOE ARYAN showing that the leaders USED RELIGION (christianity) and the followers WERE CHRISTIANS..
there is even at least one quote from a woman thanking god for giving them hitler
The nazi leaders MAY HAVE BEEN anti-christian but the MILLIONS of aryan germans who did all the actual slaughtering were NOT.
note: I do NOT intend this to convey the impression that I am anti-religion or that I blame christians for the holocaust. I believe MOST christians to be decent and honorable people.
Unfortunately decent and honorable people are fooled/tricked into behaving badly on a regular basis.
So you are using words from a Hilter speech. The same hitler who in speeches to the reichstag and other groups said he wasnt interested in re-militarizing (he did), not interested in merging with austria (he merged), wanted only to assure the sudenten germans were well taken care of (took over Chzeckoslovakia) and had no intention of taking over poland (that whole start of WW II thing). Anything hitler said in public cannot be taken at face value. He was a prolific liar in public. It is the actions of the Nazis that you have to go with, all those private speeches we have records of, and all the documents that fell into our hands at the end of the war.
Sure they talked a good game as to supporting the churches when it suited them, but the end game, was POWER.
"So you are using words from a Hilter speech."
is it unfair of me to use hitlers own words to prove that hitler promoted/endorse/encouraged religion/christianity is OPPOSITION to atheism in a thread about the pope equating naziism with atheism?
again
I am not arguing that hitler WAS a christian or was NOT an atheist
merely that
a. the current pope is WRONG to equate naziism and atheism
b. there is MUCH MORE EVIDENCE that one might use to equate catholicism/christianity with naziism. (which I woud not do!)
the average aryan german citizen BELIEVED IN GOD and CHRISTIANITY and built those ovens and crematoriums thinking they were doing gods' work at the behest of gods' pal; hitler
and the pope equating atheism with naziism is historically inaccurate and, worse, an insult to non-believers, MOST of whom, just like most christians, are decent and honorable people.