I’m going to try not to open myself up to attack here, but I’m probably going to step into it. Here goes —
Jesus loves everyone. Even Hitler. We are called to be Christ-like, and that is hard. We don’t have to admire Hitler, defend Hitler, support Hitler or “understand” Hitler. But the Bible would say that no one is absolutely beyond redemption (until they die) and there is always hope that someone can be saved.
It may seem trite, but JRR Tolkien was a fine Christian and at the climax of The Lord of The Rings, the wonderful saintly Frodo is unable to destroy the One Ring. He doesn’t have it in him. He isn’t strong enough. But the evil Gollum, for selfish reasons, and quite unintentionally, takes the step which finally results in the Ring being thrown into the fire and destroyed. Tolkien did this on purpose. Gollum could have been killed earlier (he deserved it) but pity stayed Bilbo’s hand, and it stayed Frodo’s hand. The pity and sensitivity to another life allowed that life (evil as it was) to continue on, and in the end, good came out of it.
For me, this is a philosophical/theological issue and I wouldn’t want to strictly focus on Hitler because there is so much raw emotion tied up in that evil person. It blinds us. But I think the basic point is valid for all — we all have good and evil in our soul. It doesn’t help us if we pretend that this isn’t so — that there are exceptions and that “some people” are just no good at all. In fact, that is precisely the mistake Hitler made about the Jews: “Sure, why not exterminate them? There is nothing good there!” But he was wrong.
Jesus loves everyone. Even Hitler.
[1 Timothy 2:1] I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
[2] For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
[3] For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
[4] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
But I think the basic point is valid for all — we all have good and evil in our soul.
"If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?" -- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
I opened this thread mainly to see if Erykah Badu's reasoning would be anything like that.
I agree with you.
Hitler may have had the best of intentions. Consider the choice that every German citizen faced at the time: it was either a Nationalistic dictatorship that allowed a measure of free enterprise, or communism. Hitler restored the country to some extent at the beginning.
The problem is that he kept going when he should have known to change direction. I think the Hitler of history was shaped by circumstances as much as by any innate nature. At some point he found himself swept up by a tsunami— the one he created.
He had no compass and no anchor. It’s a stark lesson for all of us.
I agree with you.
Hitler may have had the best of intentions. Consider the choice that every German citizen faced at the time: it was either a Nationalistic dictatorship that allowed a measure of free enterprise, or communism. Hitler restored the country to some extent at the beginning.
The problem is that he kept going when he should have known to change direction. I think the Hitler of history was shaped by circumstances as much as by any innate nature. At some point he found himself swept up by a tsunami— the one he created.
He had no compass and no anchor. It’s a stark lesson for all of us.
“Jesus loves everyone. Even Hitler. We are called to be Christ-like, and that is hard.”
Yep!
And as far as his painting goes “He could do two rooms in an afternoon. TWO coats!”
And don’t forget about the trains running on time.
I have read where WWI messed up his mind. And I think the absurd and unrealistic penalties imposed by the Versaille Treaty push him (and Germany) over the edge.
And while Jesus does love everybody in the sense that they are all his creation, He also hates evil and evildoers.
Psalm 5: 4-6: For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You. The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity. You destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.…
Did Jesus love the Devil? You seem to be incredibly stupid.
Your statement is true. Jesus loves everyone and wants then to seek redemption.
However I do suspect that our Lord and Savior realized that this particular individual was extremely unlikely to see the error of his ways and ask for redemption.
Mr. Hitler despised Christianity and did pretty much everything, short of overtly declaring himself a god, to create a new religion to replace it.