Posted by Stephen Charchuk on January 07, 1997 at 22:57:13:
In Reply to: Re: Christian values and morals? posted by Lynn on January 07, 1997 at 14:39:18:
: I was not referring to choosing a young mate. You can substitute murder, lying, whichever sin you choose if it helps the argument.
Sin is a subjective and religious concept. Morality is universal. The Church could declare ownership of computers a sin tomorrow and the followers would have to obey it if they could show cause in the bible as in the quote "The wiser the weaker."
: Are you saying that "might makes right"?
If you define survival as might. Far too many cultures believe in this nonsense.
: This is a new revelation. I had no idea that Hitler considered himself a Christian. If he did, he wasn't.
He was, just as were the Inquisitors, Crusaders, and the judges at the Salem Witch Trials were. Here is some data on Hitler, beliefs.
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Adolf Hitler said:
The folkish-minded man, in particular, has the sacred duty, each in his own denomination, of making people stop just talking superficially of God's will, and actually fulfill God's will, and not let God's word be desecrated. [original italics]
For God's will gave men their form, their essence, and their abilities. Anyone who destroys His work is declaring war on the Lord's creation, the divine will. Therefore, let every man be active, each in his own denomination if you please, and let every man take it as his first and most sacred duty to oppose anyone who in his activity by word or deed steps outside the confines of his religious community and tries to butt into the other.
[...]
Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord. [original italics]
-- Adolf Hitler, from "Mein Kampf",
translation by Ralph Mannheim.
Hitler certainly appeared at times to be a theist, and claimed to be a Christian:
The Fⁿhrer made it known to those entrusted with the Final Solution that the killings should be done as humanely as possible. This was in line with his conviction that he was observing God's injunction to cleanse the world of vermin. Still a member in good standing of the Church of Rome despite detestation of its hierarchy ("I am now as before a Catholic and will always remain so" [quoting Hitler]), he carried within him its teaching that the Jew was the killer of God. The extermination, therefore, could be done without a twinge of conscience since he was merely acting as the avenging hand of God -- so long as it was done impersonally, without cruelty.
-- John Toland (Pulitzer Prize winner),
from "Adolf Hitler", pp 507, talking about the Autumn of 1941.
The "I am now as before a Catholic..." quotation from Hitler was recorded in the diary of Gerhard Engel, an SS Adjutant, in October 1941. Hitler was speaking in private, not before a mass audience, and so it is difficult to dismiss the comment as propaganda lies.
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: It is only harmful if misunderstood.
Which is a guarantee concidering of of the different denominations and sects in just one belief system such as Christianity.