Posted on 02/06/2022 3:52:11 AM PST by RoosterRedux
“The Catholic novelist Walker Percy once said that he thought the survival of the Jews was one of the proofs of God’s existence.”
One of the themes of Percy’s novel “The Thanatos Syndrome” is that anti-Semitism and persecution of the Jews are among the early warning signs of the ascendency of godless totalitarian “utopias”. First the Jews, eventually the Christians and along the way pretty much anybody who believes in freedom and human dignity. Abortion and child abuse as concurrent pathologies are prominent in the novel as well.
That’s one I haven’t read, but it’s on my reading list now.
I’m asking because we Jews impugn the potential for a Hitler to make a death-bed confession. But I thought maybe we’re mistaken in Christian theology. Your religious opinion seems to confirm a Hitler could make a death-bed confession and gain the kingdom of heaven.
(Yes, G-d hardens some hearts...)
To actually be a follower of Christ requires repentance, a change of heart and ways. The acts of Hitler demonstrates he cared about no one but himself.. Hitler was a puffed up occultist, a devil worshiper in deeds.. and acts.. yeah I have read some attempts to blame Christ for Hitler’s lunacy, it will not fit or float with the Written Word.. Hitler had a bad case of the first rebel’s delusion of being GOD.. and he went down to the pit.
Why do you misinterpret me
If I did it was mistaken. Sorry. I’m looking for the Christian theological response to can (a) Hiller repent, accept Jesus, and earn the Christian eternal kingdom?
I believe most Germans were Protestant at the time, and most of those were Lutherans. I also think there was a lot of Nazi influence on the church in Germany at that time, but it’s not the first time anyone has tried to hijack the church for political power.
I consider myself a Christian (probably not a very good one, I have a huge temper) and I will try to answer your question to the best of my ability.
I don’t think that Hitler was mentally or emotionally capable of the type of repentance your talking about.
The thing you have to remember is that Hitler considered himself the FUHRER, and as the ultimate authority of all of Germany, all his conquered lands, and all the people therein.
In order to truly repent you first have to believe there is a power greater, higher than your own.
I don’t personally think that a personality like Hitler could even conceive of a person or thing greater than himself.
He had for years been treated as a god in his own country and only had to look around to see the adoration of his worshippers
In Hitler’s mind there was no higher authority than himself, so how, and who do you ask for absolution from?
He couldn’t ask it from himself, as what he did and caused to be done, he considered right.
He couldn’t ask it from JESUS because he believed he outranked JESUS.
He couldn’t ask it from GOD because he was “god” as far as he was concerned.
He could only end his live and go into OBLIVION!
He was baptized as a Catholic, but obviously was no longer a Christian in any meaningful sense by that time...yet evidently he saw some benefit in making a pretense.
Probably his parent's decision when he was an infant.
Hitler thought the Jews are a race and he meant to extinguish them. Hitler thought there was an Aryan race and he meant for it to dominate and rule the world. Hitler thought the Slavs are a race and he meant to steal their land and gradually kill all of them. This is what's relevant to trying to understand the Holocaust.
Yes. His mother seemed to be a believing Catholic, his father, not so much.
Marx’ views on religion seem highly colored by Bruno Bauer who started out as a Lutheran, IIRC.
Jews are not always first to be persecuted.
The French Revolution focused its religious persecution on the Catholic Church, and legally emancipated the Jews.
Bolshevism initially persecuted Christians, especially focusing on the Orthodox Church. At the same time, it made anti-Semitism illegal. It's one of the reason so many Jews outside of the USSR supported the Bolsheviks, and even sent money to support the cause.
Only later, during Stalin's 1930s purge trials, did Soviet Communism begin to turn against its Jewish supporters.
Sometimes the Jews are first to be persecuted. Sometimes not.
Cannot imagine how I missed seeing this thread, and your important question--which seemingly never received an on-target answer. At this late date....
To restate your question:
Aside from blaspheming the Holy Spirit (the "unpardonable sin", Mt.12, Mk.3, Lk.12), the short answer is "No". Whether Hitler himself crossed that line, only God knows.
The key is understanding that "all have sinned" (Ro.3:23). Indeed, Jesus convicted all of us as serial murderers (just like ol' Adolf) when he equated anger with murder (Mt.5:21-22). Yet Jesus intervened and paid for all those murders, and all other sin, at Calvary.
Remarkably, Scripture provides us with a Hitler-like example of a national leader who murdered millions but later was redeemed: Nebuchadnezzar. It took seven years of insanity to effect his repentance, but the Holy Spirit can do that. I doubt He did it for Hitler, but that's the game: more enter hell than heaven.
Thanks
Shia had to deal with the pre-marital relations problem, as I recall...
(In the movie)
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