Was Hitler a Christian?
One of the common objections to Christianity is that religion is the source for most violence. Christians respond with example from the 20th century, where it looks as if non-religious regimes have been the most violent. Examples of communists such as Stalin and Mao are clear. But what about Hitler?
Many atheists would say that Hitler was a Christian and many Christians would say Hitler was not. So which is it?
There was a recent discussion between Richard Carrier and Richard Weikart on this very topic. Both of them have written books on this subject. I found their discussion to be very interesting. Some debates between atheists and Christians (even on Unbelievable?) end up producing more heat than light. I found this debate to much more respectful than many I have heard.
In the end, I would agree with Richard Weikart on this topic. It does come down to our definition of Christianity, but I would say that Hitler’s beliefs (and even more his actions) put him far outside of even wide definitions of Christianity.
You can listen to the debate on Unbelievable? here.
