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It's funny how both Christians and Atheists use Hitler to vilify the opposite side. Atheists find some quotes where Hitler makes reference to God and Divine Provenance to show that Christianity is responsible for World War II and the Holocaust. Then Christian Fundamentalists find some quotes where Hitler criticizes Christianity to prove that he was really an atheist and that atheism is responsible for World War II.

There are several lines of misinformation and fallacy involved.

The first is the ad hominem fallacy. Supposing that Hitler (or a serial killer, or a child molester) were a believing Christian, or claim to be one. Does the moral quality of a person who believes in something tell us anything about the truth or falsity of the belief itself? Of course not. Similarly, if Hitler or a serial killer happened to be atheists, that would tell us nothing about the truth or falsity of atheism.

The second is the issue of historical fact. Taken together (as opposed to each side's selective quotation), we know that Hitler made reference to God and that he had superstitious occult beliefs. That means that he was not a materialistic atheist like the Communists were. On the other hand, his anti-Christian statements make it clear that he wasn't a Christian either. Putting this together, Hitler was most likely some sort of pagan or deist with weird superstitious/occult beliefs. This makes him even more irrelevant as fodder for the Fundamentalists Creationism vs. Atheist Evolutionism websites that both use him in opposite ways to sell their cause.

Then Christian Fundamentalists find some quotes where Hitler criticizes Christianity to prove that he was really an atheist and that atheism is responsible for World War II.

Hitler criticizing Christianity doesn't prove he was atheist, it only proves he wasn't a believing Christian.

What Hitler actually believed is hard to find, because he lied routinely. Plenty of his followers were clearly neo-pagans, and plenty more of his followers worshipped a god named "Adolf Hitler".

This makes [Hitler] even more irrelevant as fodder for the Fundamentalists Creationism vs. Atheist Evolutionism websites that both use him in opposite ways to sell their cause.

I knew you were an atheist and an evolutionist with no sentimental attachment to Bible stories. This doesn't surprise me a bit. Neither does the "a plague on both their houses" attitude.

At least you, unlike some, aren't a total ------- about it.

Hitler often said in his speeches that it was some kind of destiny or divine providence for Germany to rule Europe. But that was just fodder for the masses, many of whom were believers. Hitler himself was not a practicing or believing Christian. Himmler incorporated many pagan practices and symbols in his secret SS rituals.

What resistance there was to Nazism was often led by Christians. Many Catholic priests who resisted the Nazis were sent to the camps. Within the Lutheran Church, Martin Niemoller, Karl Barth, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and others led the Confessing Church. Many of them were also sent to camps. Bonhoeffer was executed.

Still, it must be understood that the Nazi regime was a totalitarian dictatorship that ruthlessly controlled the churches along with every other aspect of German society.