#49 - Notes on Atheism, Hitler and Nazism

The Aidan Project

The faithful are playing with reference to a different set of rules when arguing for the merits of religion based on faith alone. Faith, by definition, requires no tangible evidence. But claims from the faithful about human history can be countered by the inquisitive atheist. We all have access to a plethora of terrestrial historical accounts which were not gleaned from divine revelation. In this edition of the podcast, Aidan explores the classic argument of the faithful against atheism when discussing human history. This argument - especially prevalent whenever the issue of violence or hatred is discussed - is that Adolf Hitler was an atheist. The inferred claim is that this godlessness demonstrates the danger of turning away from the moral teachings of the church. Another aspect of the argument which is often thrown in as an addendum is a charge that the Third Reich was a secular movement. How much merit is there in these claims? Did Hitler reject God, and if he did, did this make a difference to human history? And how secular was Hitler’s Nazi regime? Aidan delves into the argument to provide grounded insight and analysis. Indeed, as with the claims of the holy books, the introduction of earthly evidence is crucial when one desires to separate fact from fiction.Selected bibliography:J. Cornwell, Hitler’s Pope: The Secret History of Pius XIIA. Hitler (ed. N. Baynes), The Speeches of Adolf HitlerA. Hitler, Mein KampfC. Hitchens, God Is Not GreatG. Orwell, Literature and Totalitarianism