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I know that here and there the objection has been raised: Yes, but you have deserted Christianity. No, it is not that we have deserted Christianity; it is those who came before us who deserted Christianity. We have only carried through a clear division between politics, which have to do with terrestrial things, and religion, which must concern itself with the celestial sphere. There has been no interference with the doctrine of the Confessions or with their religious freedom, nor will there be any such interference. On the contrary the State protects religion, though always on the one condition that religion will not be used as a cover for political ends. There may have been a time when even parties founded on the ecclesiastical basis were a necessity. At that time Liberalism was opposed to the Church, while Marxism was anti-religious. But that time is past. National Socialism neither opposes the Church nor is it anti-religious, but on the contrary, it stands on the ground of a real Christianity. The Church's interests cannot fail to coincide with ours alike in our fight against the symptoms of degeneracy in the world of to-day, in our fight against the Bolshevist culture, against an atheistic movement, against criminality, and in our struggle for the consciousness of a community in our national life, for the conquest of hatred and disunion between the classes, for the conquest of civil war and unrest, of strife and discord. These are not anti-Christian, these are Christian principles.

Adolf Hitler#38

PoliticsChristianityDoctrineSeparation

About this quote

What does it mean?
The speaker argues that their movement preserved Christianity by separating politics from religion, claiming previous leaders abandoned the faith.
In plain terms
We did not abandon Christianity; we just separated politics from religion like others did before us.
What can you take from it?
Separate political and religious spheres to protect faith.

Where it applies

  • political defense
  • religious relations
  • historical apologetics

Putting it to work

  • clarifying political roles in religion
  • refuting accusations of abandoning faith

Questions to consider

  • Can politics and religion be truly separated?
  • Who defines abandonment of faith?

Another view

This can legitimize political manipulation under the guise of religious protection.

More from Adolf Hitler

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  3. We have experienced a miracle, something unique, something the like of which there has hardly been in the history of the world. God first allowed our people to…

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