National socialists planned to destroy christianity inside Third Reich

I advise interested people in this topic to read article written by professor Conway of the University of British Columbia. It demonstrates very well that USA governament was completely right when in October 1944 they presented to USA public that National socialism is aiming to destroy christian churches inside Germany at least. It is not just about Fritz Bildt's plan for so called National church of Reich, which was passed apparently to USA government from Germany. But after the resistance concerning euthanasia program from christian churches and leaders a decision was made at the top levels of Nazi party that christianity in Germany should be destroyed at least what it was considered classical christianity, both protestant and catholic.

Already in June 1941 Martin Borman issued a secret letter to the Gauleiters saying National socialism and christianity are incompatible. At the same time Heydrich ordered Gestapo to suppress many smaller christian groups like Salvation army. Church press was totaly suppressed for the time until the end of war, christian kindergartens were closed down and the control over priests and preachers got more strict.

Finally in September 1941 Gestapo had a conference and it was decided that destruction of christianity is their final goal. But the goal could be achieved only step by step.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/25019927?s ... b_contents

Here one should take in to the account that the same fate was waiting christian churches also in the territories annexed to Reich, like Austria, parts of France, Poland, Slovenia etc.

For example on the island of Bled in Slovenia church of the Assumption of Mary should be demolished after the war and replaced with Neopagan temple of Wotan ( Odin ).

 

I spent a lot of time in Germany from 1962-64. Christian churches were all over the place except in communist held Germany.

Seems Germany recovered from the Nazis.

I wish I could report on the former communist held part of Germany on churches but I left before the wall came down. I would suspect communist Germany has a lot of Christian churches.
Germany seemed to me to be split with Catholics and Lutherans.

I would like to know if that still is true?

 

That they are divided between confessional lines? I would not really say so. Ecumenism did much of the job...

 

Not surprised. The Nazis being anti-Semites could hardly tolerate Christianity knowing the historic and cultural ties to Judaism. Jews and Christians use the same scriptures and Jesus was a Jew.

However, knowing that Christianity has such deep cultural ties to the German people, it wouldn't be as simple as banning the Bible and Christianity all together. Instead, the Nazis tried to mold the religion into something to suit the Nazi ideology called "Positive Christianity". Failing these attempts at reforming the religion, they would just resort to gradually phasing out Christianity and replacing it over time with a neo pagan religion and state worship.

 

This is connected not just with antisemitism in fact but also with futurism, which marked both National socialism and Fascism. Fighting against ''old culture and morality'' and seeing war as a ''tool of purification'' which is saving from utilitarian cowardice.