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Martin Luther: Hitler's Spiritual Ancestor
Catholic Apologetics ^ | Peter F. Wiener

Posted on 03/15/2008 10:17:55 AM PDT by big'ol_freeper

More than once during these talks I referred to Luther and what always occurred to me as his destructive influence. I pointed out that even in such an admirable book as Rohan Butler's “The Roots of National Socialism” the spiritual origins of Nazism and Luther's influence had not been given the necessary importance. Then I was asked if I would be prepared to elaborate to them—about a dozen of the very senior boys, that is—my own views on Luther and Lutheranism. I agreed—with the proviso that they would be my own views and nothing else. Admittedly, I had read more on Luther and about Luther than on most other subjects. But I wanted to make it quite clear that I would not speak to them with the voice of a great authority, but would merely give them my own interpretation. I told them, moreover, that I should try to prove how dangerous it is to accept legends; and that the picture I had of Luther and his influence was thoroughly contradictory of the customary Luther of the legend.

(Excerpt) Read more at catholicapologetics.info ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Mainline Protestant; Religion & Culture; Theology
KEYWORDS: catholicism; christians; hitler; holocaust; israel; jews; judaism; luther; lutheran; martinluther; nazi; nazism; protestantism
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Comment #581 Removed by Moderator

To: Campion

“That’s logically equivalent to arguing that the state’s failure to prosecute so-and-so for some crime amounts to condoning the crime.”

But it does by its inaction. Look at the proliferation of the spousal abuse defense, or the diversionary regimens for drug/alcohol crimes.


582 posted on 03/15/2008 8:02:57 PM PDT by blue-duncan
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To: big'ol_freeper

You mean this Protestant Church?

“In 1936, the Reich Church was created. This did not have the Christian cross as its symbol but the swastika. The Bible was replaced by “Mein Kampf” which was placed on the altar. By it was a sword. Only invited Nazis were allowed to give sermons in a Reich Church. “

I suggest you get yourself a copy of “Nazi Culture” by George L. Mosse and read the chapter on the religion the Nazis created. They had no use for Christianity of any sort.


583 posted on 03/15/2008 8:03:59 PM PDT by Pelham (Press 1 for English)
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To: Quix; wmfights
Please read sandyeggo's post #580. That's love. That's what love looks like, what love does. That's knowing the Gospel and living it.

Slandering the man who did that is not love.

584 posted on 03/15/2008 8:04:31 PM PDT by Campion
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585 posted on 03/15/2008 8:05:11 PM PDT by Howdy there (They’re selling something I’m not buying.)
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To: ConservativeMind
So this means that former Popes, due to the prevalence of homosexual perversion throughout the Catholic church today, can be held responsible for the rapes of boys and girls of today?

Well, yeah.

586 posted on 03/15/2008 8:05:49 PM PDT by Howdy there (They’re selling something I’m not buying.)
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To: Gamecock

“That’s right, Luther was present at the Inquisition and tortured Jews.”

Source?


587 posted on 03/15/2008 8:05:52 PM PDT by Pelham (Press 1 for English)
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To: Titanites; vladimir998
Evangelism by catch phrase is the silliest of all.

If you want to mock Paul that's your choice. I didn't invent the words. I just wrote them down for you that you might believe and be saved.

Rom. 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

It speaks volumes when The Gospel is presented you mock it, or say it's not enough. You condemn yourselves looking for that little extra.

588 posted on 03/15/2008 8:05:55 PM PDT by wmfights (Believe - THE GOSPEL - and be saved)
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To: Howdy there

589 posted on 03/15/2008 8:06:21 PM PDT by Petronski (Nice job, Hillary. Now go home and get your shine box.)
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To: Campion

I wasn’t there.

I’ll trust God’s absolute mercy and justice to sort it all out.


590 posted on 03/15/2008 8:07:04 PM PDT by Quix (GOD ALONE IS GOD; WORTHY; PAID THE PRICE; IS COMING AGAIN; KNOWS ALL; IS LOVING; IS ALTOGETHER GOOD)
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To: wmfights
That is not The Gospel. That is Part of the Gospel.
591 posted on 03/15/2008 8:07:13 PM PDT by Petronski (Nice job, Hillary. Now go home and get your shine box.)
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To: big'ol_freeper
But, the charge is no more outlandish than that made against Pope Pius XII and the Catholic Church that is repeated quite frequently here on FR.

What charge?


592 posted on 03/15/2008 8:07:58 PM PDT by Howdy there (They’re selling something I’m not buying.)
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To: Campion
I'm certainly very familiar with those scriptures.

But yet you hesitate to present The Gospel when give the opportunity.

593 posted on 03/15/2008 8:09:43 PM PDT by wmfights (Believe - THE GOSPEL - and be saved)
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To: vladimir998
Adolf Hitler left the Catholic faith when he was a young man, and was, in fact, excommunicated twice.


594 posted on 03/15/2008 8:10:51 PM PDT by Howdy there (They’re selling something I’m not buying.)
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To: big'ol_freeper; Petronski; Dr. Eckleburg

“born, raised and practicing” Protestants that I don’t believe that he would consider credible so his argument was based on an incorrect assumption.”

He was not defending all “born, raised and practicing protestants” since that category has been divided among other things between liberal (those you have mentioned) and evangelicals. Perhaps you should mention some evangelicals. The Roman Catholic Church is a “big tent” church accommodating the likes of Teddy Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry and Cornwell and has no such divisions.


595 posted on 03/15/2008 8:10:53 PM PDT by blue-duncan
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To: Pelham

You wrote:

“I’m curious to learn what nation Martin Luther was a “nationalist” of, considering Germany wasn’t unified until 1860.”

Well, you’ve made two errors.

1) You meant 1870, not 1860.

2) Germany did exist, but as a series of principalities within the Holy Roman Empire. Charles V (Carlos I of Spain) was the Holy Roman Emperor. Long before his time it was expected that the H.R.E. would become King of Germany before becoming H.R.E. Frederick II, for instance, became King of Germany in 1196, but did not become H.R.E. until 1209. In Luther’s youth, dukes ruled the German states, so there was no united Germany, but Luther still wrote of Germania. Roland Bainton, the famous Protestant biographer of Luther, backs this up entirely: http://books.google.com/books?id=IwyGxoDKk1wC&pg=PA130&lpg=PA130&dq=luther+german+nationalism&source=web&ots=xVJU6H49Zc&sig=_u48l8SMnwP-xz6PPRfBoJe1TtQ&hl=en#PPA130,M1

Germany.

He wrote that he wanted to make Moses sound so German that people would forget he was a Jew.


596 posted on 03/15/2008 8:11:22 PM PDT by vladimir998 (Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. St. Jerome)
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To: Quix

Amen, Quix.


597 posted on 03/15/2008 8:16:41 PM PDT by Marysecretary (.GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL)
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To: wmfights
But yet you hesitate to present The Gospel when give the opportunity.

  1. You already announced to the world that (you think) I don't know it.
  2. You claim to be a Christian and to know it. Do I need to evangelize you?

598 posted on 03/15/2008 8:17:11 PM PDT by Campion
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To: Howdy there

Talking to a bishop is not the same thing as humbly placing yourself under his spiritual care.

Hitler was much more interested in killing clergy than in believing what they preached.


599 posted on 03/15/2008 8:17:33 PM PDT by vladimir998 (Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. St. Jerome)
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To: Howdy there

Are those even German clergy?


600 posted on 03/15/2008 8:19:11 PM PDT by vladimir998 (Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. St. Jerome)
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