Row after Pope's remarks on atheism and Nazis

[chrisbellekom]

Hello HAF members,

Ah well, this man sure knows what he is talking about... Apparently I am a danger to the religious world... I sure hope so.
Gives a whole new meaning to the term GODwin  

A speech in which the Pope appeared to associate atheism with the Nazis has prompted criticism from humanist organisations.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11332515

Any comments you dangerous secular sect?  

[Thumpalumpacus]

Yes, he's wrong.  The vast majority of registered Nazis were theist -- around 93%, judging by Goldhagen's The Willing Executioners.

Apples never fall far from apple trees, no matter how much people like the Pope try to kick them to the side.

[karadan]

I liked this quote:

"The notion that it is non-religious people in the UK today who want to force their views on others, coming from a man whose organisation exerts itself internationally to impose its narrow and exclusive form of morality and undermine the human rights of women, children, gay people and many others, is surreal."

Very apt.

Seriously, fuck that guy. I don't want him here.  

[Tank]

I liked this quote:

"The notion that it is non-religious people in the UK today who want to force their views on others, coming from a man whose organisation exerts itself internationally to impose its narrow and exclusive form of morality and undermine the human rights of women, children, gay people and many others, is surreal."

Very apt.

Seriously, fuck that guy. I don't want him here.  

I think his visit, while irritating, is a good thing as every time he opens his mouth he demonstrates his hypocrisy and ignorance. Celebrities like the Popes are often endowed with unrealistic and uncritical hero worship by their followers. One can criticise the celebrity but the hero worshipper will ignore the criticism. However when the celebrity lets their belly rumble and spouts garbage there is a slightly higher possibility that the hero worshipper will be disaffected.

[karadan]

Well, when the last pope visited in the 80's, they had a quarter of a million people attend. This year less than eighty thousand people will be attending.

The proof is in the pudding.

[Tank]

Well, when the last pope visited in the 80's, they had a quarter of a million people attend. This year less than eighty thousand people will be attending.

The proof is in the pudding.

But what proof is that? Is it that there are less faithful or that John Paul II was more popular than Benedict XVI? Or some combination of the two?  

Of and the Pudding denies he has any proof, just the odd piece of fruit.

[karadan]

The proof that the popularity of the pope and the religion he represents is waning in the UK, perhaps? Just a figure of speech.


Anyway, add your funny captions to this image

[The Magic Pudding]

The proof that the popularity of the pope and the religion he represents is waning in the UK, perhaps? Just a figure of speech.

When the pope came to Australia, crowd numbers were increased by shipping in kids from schools near and far.

Anyway, add your funny captions to this image

Despite sacrificing the freedom of millions of young minds to religion, the global recession continues.
Pope says your child could make the difference.

[Tank]

No. You can take that one back, it's a girl.

[Dretlin]

Anyone with an ounce of education is fully aware that the Nazis nor Hitler was an atheist. I commented in another thread that it is unbearably asinine to suggest so.

I quoted Hitler in a different thread and I thought some of you may be interested to see what was commonly written on Nazi belt buckles."Gott mit uns" or God with us.

[epepke]

[Tank]

Anyone with an ounce of education is fully aware that the Nazis nor Hitler was an atheist. I commented in another thread that it is unbearably asinine to suggest so.

I quoted Hitler in a different thread and I thought some of you may be interested to see what was commonly written on Nazi belt buckles."Gott mit uns" or God with us.

Not wishing to contradict you as Hitler was brought up a Catholic for some period of his life, he also showed flashes genius and common sense at times. Consider this, Hitler 'rules' a superstitious country. He wants his soldiers to fight heroically. It would not hurt is cause to manipulate the superstitions of the German people to suit his own ends. Whether he was a theist or atheist from say 1930 onwards he would have behaved in a political manner and used every lever and tool at his disposal to get what he wanted. The fact is he was an evil megalomaniac, whether he was a theist or atheist was probably not his prime motivation, he probably had an insatiable ego and greed for power.

Hitler was, above all else, a self seeking, egotistical politician who had all the morals of an ally cat. His views on, or belief in, God should be viewed in the context of a political tool, not a personal doctrine. He hated minorities such as the Jews and homosexuals because he wanted a greater 'Wagnerian' Germany, the 1,000 year Reich of his fantasies. The way Hitler viewed God was simple, he just looked in the mirror.

[Dretlin]

Not wishing to contradict you as Hitler was brought up a Catholic for some period of his life, he also showed flashes genius and common sense at times. Consider this, Hitler 'rules' a superstitious country. He wants his soldiers to fight heroically. It would not hurt is cause to manipulate the superstitions of the German people to suit his own ends. Whether he was a theist or atheist from say 1930 onwards he would have behaved in a political manner and used every lever and tool at his disposal to get what he wanted. The fact is he was an evil megalomaniac, whether he was a theist or atheist was probably not his prime motivation, he probably had an insatiable ego and greed for power.

Hitler was, above all else, a self seeking, egotistical politician who had all the morals of an ally cat. His views on, or belief in, God should be viewed in the context of a political tool, not a personal doctrine. He hated minorities such as the Jews and homosexuals because he wanted a greater 'Wagnerian' Germany, the 1,000 year Reich of his fantasies. The way Hitler viewed God was simple, he just looked in the mirror.

I agree with you. I had not considered Hitler's beliefs in theology were of any great importance. It was only after I heard that wild claim that, whatever his beliefs, were is motivation.

I would argue that the Catholic church laid the foundations of anti-Semitism that Hitler and the Nazis would later exploit. As you suggested Hitler would say whatever the crowd at the time wanted to hear.

[epepke]

Not wishing to contradict you as Hitler was brought up a Catholic for some period of his life, he also showed flashes genius and common sense at times. Consider this, Hitler 'rules' a superstitious country. He wants his soldiers to fight heroically. It would not hurt is cause to manipulate the superstitions of the German people to suit his own ends. Whether he was a theist or atheist from say 1930 onwards he would have behaved in a political manner and used every lever and tool at his disposal to get what he wanted. The fact is he was an evil megalomaniac, whether he was a theist or atheist was probably not his prime motivation, he probably had an insatiable ego and greed for power.

Sure, but to re-rail, Mr. Potato's claim was that Hitler wanted to eradicate God from society, which is clearly false.  This should be fairly obvious, as there would be less for him to manipulate, and for him to do so would have been out of character.

[SSY]

Lol, he says "Duke of Edinberg" what a noob.

However, the Catholic Church has moved to play down the controversy, saying the Pope knew "rather well what the Nazi ideology is about".

Lol, Hitler youth eh? Obviously a well considered release by the press office.

As we reflect on the sobering lessons of atheist extremism of the 20th century,

What the fuck is he talking about? Hitler was no more an extremist atheist than he was an extremist moustache wearer. Of course, the church does need to learn lessons about the Holocaust, Pope Pius the XII's silence on the matter was deafening.