Adolph Hitler | Religious Cults Info ~ Resources, Answers and Hope

On November 8, 1943; Adolph Hitler gave a speech which was broadcast over The Greater German Radio. My resource text for this speech is “Classic Speeches” (Copyright 1965, Philosophical Library Inc.) Hitler’s speech would not warrant mentioning except that the text reveals what I consider some large presumptions. Before we discuss those, let’s review some background to the setting. “Adolph Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, in Braunau-am-Inn, Austria.” (page 237) Many know some of what happened in World War II. The most recognized tragic event accredited to Hitler would be the extermination of six million Jews. However, this resource puts Hitler’s career in a more defined perspective. “Hitler’s historic achievements, as head of the Nazi Party, chancellor of the Third Reich and commander of the German armed forces, can best be measured in the terms of rape of independent nations, the destruction of cities through aerial bombardment, the suppression of German domestic liberties, the seas of bloodshed in battle, the enslavement of the women and children of conquered territories and their removal to German labor camps, the extermination of six million Jews, etc. Measured in such terms his achievements were unparalleled. (page 237) From this list, I can admit that the “suppression of German domestic liberties” caught my eye. This could be one of the parts of the tragedy that gets overlooked in comparison to the horror and death he inflicted on those in other nations. As Hitler came to power, he had to first gain control of the German people by denying “domestic liberties”. What did that include? Read more about the process here- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler#Appointment_as_Chancellor

In 1923, Hitler was a part of a failed coup and was imprisoned for his part. Others in the failed move were not so fortunate. During his prison stay, he wrote “Mein Kampf” – My Struggle. This work included his political ideology. Eventually, Hitler would ascend to power ten years later in 1933 as Chancellor of the Germany. The events following his move into power are well documented and make for a fascinating study.

Continue reading Adolph Hitler – “I am also religious, deeply and intrinsically religious.” →

Periodically over the last twenty years or so, I have heard about the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. But, I have not until recently taken time to learn about his life. Oddly, on the “pre-WOFF” bookshelf, I found two of his works. “Letters & Papers From Prison” published by Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc; this edition is the fourth printing in 1975 and was edited by Eberhard Bethage, a very good friend of Dietrich. The second book I found was “The Cost of Discipleship”, written by Bonhoeffer and first published in 1949 as a translation from a work titled “NACHFOLGE” in 1937. This paperback edition was published in 1963 by Macmillan Publishing Company of New York. Honestly, I have not read either book. It was not until I recently viewed a documentary film released in 2003 by Journey Films titled “Bonhoeffer” that I learned more about his life. The documentary contained interviews with relatives of Bonhoeffer as well as some of his students, historians of the time and leaders in the church. It outlined the major events preceding the end of Bonhoeffer’s life in 1945. This film is the resource for this post unless otherwise noted.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born February 4, 1906 in Breslau, Germany. His father was a university professor and his mother had aristocracy in her family history. He had a twin sister and six other siblings in total. He was the youngest boy in the family. His oldest brother Walter, at 18 years old joined the German army to fight in World War I. He was killed within two weeks of joining. This event seemed to have a profound effect on Dietrich and some would say this helped him decide to join the ministry and later be a pacifist.

Continue reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer- Voice of Dissent →