Thursday 8 Sept 2010 Edinburgh
Pope Speech: blaming atheists for Nazism is both silly
and demonstrably wrong
Thursday 8 Sept 2010 Edinburgh
Pope Speech: blaming atheists for Nazism is both silly
and demonstrably wrong
I really didn't want to get into the Papal visit. I'm an
atheist, obviously, but people can believe what they like.
I disagree vehemently with some of his Church's
teachings, but he's still the spiritual leader of a large
section of our society. I honestly hope the visit goes
well. But he's barely been here two hours and already
he has said this
Tom Chivers
So you heard it here first, people; the Nazis wished
to eradicate God from society, and were "atheist
extremists".
So you heard it here first, people; the Nazis wished
to eradicate God from society, and were "atheist
extremists".
Those presumably would be the Nazis run by one A.
Hitler, who in his book Mein Kampf said: "I believe
that I am acting in accordance with the will of the
Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the
Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord."
Pope Sparks Atheist Row Over Nazi Comments
The Pope has ignited a row by associating atheism
with Nazism in the first speech of his UK visit.
Latest Catholic Church Lie: Atheists Should
Apologize For Adolf Hitler
During his controversial visit to the United Kingdom,
Liar in Chief, Pope Benedict XVI tried to lay many of
the world's ills, both past and present, on
unrestrained secularism and even atheists. Indeed,
he even went so far in his speech to blame Hitler and
NAZI fascism on atheism.
michaelinnorfolk
Row after Pope's remarks on atheism and Nazis
The pope urged the UK to
"aggressive forms of secularism".
guard
against
Row after Pope's remarks on atheism and Nazis
The pope urged the UK to
"aggressive forms of secularism".
guard
against
A speech in which the Pope appeared to associate
atheism with the Nazis has prompted criticism from
humanist organisations.. However, the Catholic
Church has moved to play down the controversy,
saying the Pope knew "rather well what the Nazi
ideology is about".
.
Row after Pope's remarks on atheism and Nazis
The pope urged the UK to
"aggressive forms of secularism".
guard
against
A speech in which the Pope appeared to associate
atheism with the Nazis has prompted criticism from
humanist organisations.. However, the Catholic
Church has moved to play down the controversy,
saying the Pope knew "rather well what the Nazi
ideology is about".
Humanists have said the comments were a "terrible
libel" against non-believers.
"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."
Row after Pope's remarks on atheism and Nazis
The pope urged the UK to
"aggressive forms of secularism".
guard
against
A speech in which the Pope appeared to associate
atheism with the Nazis has prompted criticism from
humanist organisations.. However, the Catholic
Church has moved to play down the controversy,
saying the Pope knew "rather well what the Nazi
ideology is about".
Humanists have said the comments were a "terrible
libel" against non-believers.
He went on to urge the UK to guard against
"aggressive forms of secularism".
It said: "The notion that it was the atheism of Nazis
that led to their extremist and hateful views or that it
somehow fuels intolerance in Britain today is a
terrible libel against those who do not believe in
God.
"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."
Row after Pope's remarks on atheism and Nazis
Click to play
The pope urged the UK to guard against "aggressive forms of secularism".
A speech in which the Pope appeared to associate atheism with the Nazis has prompted criticism from humanist organisations.
However, the Catholic Church has moved to play down the controversy, saying the Pope knew "rather well what the Nazi ideology is
about".
Humanists have said the comments were a "terrible libel" against non-believers.
Continue reading the main story Related stories
Queen and Pope's speeches in full
Pope tells of youth under Nazis
In his address, the Pope spoke of "a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society".
He went on to urge the UK to guard against "aggressive forms of secularism".
The Pope made his remarks in his opening address to the Queen at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
He said: "Even in our own lifetimes we can recall how Britain and her leaders stood against a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God
from society and denied our common humanity to many, especially the Jews, who were thought unfit to live.
"As we reflect on the sobering lessons of atheist extremism of the 20th century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and
virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society and thus a reductive vision of a person and his destiny."
'Highly political' A statement from the British Humanist Association said the Pope's remarks were "surreal".
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
It's not that far rhetorically from the contrary position of Dawkins, who appears to believe that tyranny is the consequence of faith and that
virtue is the consequence of atheism”
Kelvin Holsworth Provost of Glasgow's St Marys Cathedral, Scottish Episcopal Church Read more reaction from around the web
It said: "The notion that it was the atheism of Nazis that led to their extremist and hateful views or that it somehow fuels intolerance in
Britain today is a terrible libel against those who do not believe in God.
"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."
The German-born Pope has previously spoken of his time growing up under the "monster" of Nazism.
He joined the Hitler Youth at 14, as was required of young Germans at the time.
Late on in WWII he was drafted into an anti-aircraft unit in Munich.
He deserted the German army towards the end of the war and was briefly held as a prisoner-of-war by the Allies in 1945.
The Pope's conservative, traditionalist views were intensified when teaching at the University of Bonn in the 1960s he was said to be
appalled at the prevalence of Marxism among his students.
In his view, religion was being subordinated to a political ideology that he considered "tyrannical, brutal and cruel".
He would later be a leading campaigner against liberation theology, the movement to involve the Church in social activism, which for him
was too close to Marxism.