In 2001 LCG's leader, Roderick C. Meredith, speculated that Adolf Hitler was influenced by demons.
To enact His will among men, God uses His secret, invisible agents—righteous angels (and at times even fallen angels)—to influence, to deliver or to destroy. ...
Evidently, God did specifically allow demons to possess or strongly influence the Nazi dictator. British author George Bruce wrote, "Can the mystery of the evil of Nazism be explained? Was there a Satanic nucleus at the heart of it? One interpretation of its nature that should be mentioned is the link between Nazism and the alleged attachment to black magic and occultism of Hitler and his inner circle, including Goering, Himmler, Goebbels, Ley and, in the early days, Dietrich Eckart and professor Karl Haushofer.
"Hitler, according to what may seem to many people a far-fetched belief, was the medium through whom contact was made with supernatural powers of evil. Hermann Rauschning, who observed Hitler with a cold and analytical eye, declares that he was a medium, 'possessed by forces outside himself—almost demoniacal forces.' Rudolf Olden, political editor of the newspaper Berliner Tageblatt in the days of Nazism's rise to power, remarked how the overwhelming, almost superhuman Niagara of words that poured forth during Hitler's speeches sometimes reached a climax during which he literally 'spoke in tongues' and seemed possessed. André François-Poncet, French Ambassador to Berlin, also referred to this apparent demoniacal possession" (The Nazis, Hamlyn, 1974, p. 154).
After citing a number of other observers who felt Hitler had dark spiritual help, George Bruce speculated, "And does not this theory of Hitler being dominated by evil supernatural forces throw light for the first time on the reason for Auschwitz, Treblinka, the deaths of six million Jews, the plan to murder 33 million of the Slav population of Russia, the readiness to sacrifice three or four million of Germany's young manhood in war and, finally, the long-term aim, reported by Fabian von Schlabrendorff, for the total and permanent destruction of Christianity throughout the world?" (p. 156). (Roderick C. Meredith, "How God Intervenes in Human Affairs," Tomorrow's World, September-October, 2001, pp. 6-7.)Meredith then insists that even worse things are fated to occur.
Hitler's Europe was a mild precursor of what God's inspired Word prophesies concerning the future revival of a satanically influenced "Babylonian-Roman system".... It is a sobering thought to consider that some of the most important players on the world scene who are shaping our destinies cannot be seen. We need to be much more aware of the very real spirit world around us. And we must make absolutely certain that we are guided by the Spirit of God! (p. 7.)Parts of this article are based from an article by Roderick Meredith that was published in the May 1985 issue of The Plain Truth.
At times, the Creator works through spirit beings he created—righteous angels, and even the fallen angels—to bring about his will. ....
In his book The Nazis. the respected British author George Bruce asks:
"Can the mystery of the evil of Nazism be explained? Was there a Satanic nucleus at the heart of it? One interpretation of its nature that should be mentioned is the link between Nazism and the alleged attachment to black magic and occultism of Hitler and his inner circle, including Goering, Himmler, Goebbels, Ley and, in the early days, Dietrick Eckart and Professor Karl Haushofer.
"Hitler, according to what may seem to many people a far-fetched belief, was the medium through whom contact was made with supernatural powers of evil. Hermann Rauschning, who observed Hitler with a cold and analytical eye, declares that he was a medium, 'possessed by forces outside himself-almost demoniacal forces.' Rudolf Olden, political editor of the Berliner Tageblatt in the days of Nazism's rise to power, remarked how the overwhelming, almost superhuman Niagara of words that poured forth during Hitler's speeches sometimes reached a climax during which he literally 'spoke in tongues' and seemed possessed. Andre Francois Poncet, French Ambassador to Berlin, also referred to his apparent demoniacal possession." (Roderick C. Meredith, "Drought, Famine, War ...has God Lost Control?" The Plain Truth, May 1985, pp. 14, 38, PDF pp. 16, 40.)There is a severe moral problem with this idea. If Hitler was influenced by demons then this would exonerate him of the unfathomably terrible and innumerable crimes such as the Holocaust that he committed and allowed to occur. If they are the fault of demon spirits then how can he be blamed? To minimize Hitler's responsibility for these most terrible crimes is clearly unacceptable and repugnant.
Redfox. That is vert interesting. I have visited the castle close to Hannover in the former British occupation zone that was clearly the esoteric occult center of Himmler, the deranged history teacher's SS.
ReplyDeleteAs for armstrongist ideology. Every person that had not actively denied the gospel had a 2nd chance including Pol Pot, Stalin and yes even believe it or not Hillary Clinton.
As to criminal culpability. It works the same with a guy under the influence of alcohol and drugs overrunning a mother and her three children. The judge will rule that despite the influence of external medicine it was a conscious decision to take them. In the same manner demons in armstrongist ideology had no say over humans if they were not cosciously invoked.
Nck
Personally I don't believe in spiritual beings. I have read many accounts by eyewitnesses that especially his eyes were hypnotizing.
ReplyDeleteI have read only one account of an officer who is a personal hero of mine who succeeded in staring Hitler down.
Unfortunately for Meredith this person of exceptional character was the carrier of everything that is good and remarkable about Catholicism.
Nck
Jewish writers over the years have insisted that Hitler was normal and sane, and therefore very much accountable for all of his activities. He voluntarily subscribed to, and was driven by, extreme ideology. There can be no "guilty by reason of insanity" plea (Armstrong theology teaches that insanity in most cases is caused by demons).
ReplyDeleteIf we let Hitler off the hook by claiming he was not responsible for his thoughts and actions, we would also be forced to let the Armstrongist leaders off the hook for their cruelty, oppression, and manipulation. Civilized society throughout history has held man accountable for the evil that he does. Even if Hitler was on meth, as has been alleged, he is still responsible for the great evil which he caused.
BB
Can the mystery of the evil of Armstrongism be explained?
ReplyDeleteSure. That's easy. Narcissism. Very evil. Described and defined in the DSM as a mental disorder.
And the thing about mental disorders is that unlike the so-called mental illness which has a physiological base, mental disorders are a choice (that don't seem to be able to be unchosen).
So. Narcissism.
The problem of Hitler.
And the problem of Herbert Armstrong.
At least Adolph restored the German economy and got the trains to run on time.
And Herbert didn't.
To quote Byker Bob on Banned! about Herbert Armstrong:
"
Again, this is why we should never get past 1975. HWA taught that having and keeping the "correct" doctrines (and that may be a correct premise) was what God looked upon as criteria for whom he would reveal the meanings of end time prophecies to. The prophecies and dates failed, therefore HWA did not have correct understanding, therefore it follows that he also did not have the correct doctrinal package. Period and exclamation point! There can be no legitimate excuses, delays, or second chances. Once wrong, you are a false prophet. The man was very dogmatic, very specific, claimed it came from God, and God failed to validate it all!"
All so very evil.
And we haven't even gotten around to Roderick Meredith -- a Hitlerian despot of the ACoGs in his own right.
What's his excuse, do you suppose?
Yes. I never really understood how a nation could be culpable IF God himself had used is the "rod of his anger", even if righteous anger.
ReplyDeleteIn the same manner I do believe it is possible for man to thwart Gods intentions since the failings of Jonah and the leadership of the Assyrian king.
Nck
I have learned of Merediths despotism regarding D&R in the sixties. I do wonder however how the teaching differed from the contemporary Catholic D&R rulings. Not that another evil makes another evil good.
......god had used it as ( not is).......
DeleteEugenio Pacelli, Pope Pius XII, before and during the Nazi era was characterized by a desire to increase and centralize the power of the Papacy, and that he subordinated opposition to the Nazis to that goal. Furthermore, Pius was antisemitic and that this stance prevented him from caring about the European Jews. In other words, the Roman Catholic Pope helped and solidified the position of Adolf Hitler and tacitly supported the Nazi regime. It was probably not so much that he liked or wanted to, it's just that he did collateral damage by pursuing his own selfish interests.
ReplyDeleteWhich isn't that much different than Herbert Armstrong, or in this case, Roderick Meredith [or... substitute cult leader name here], where selfish interests have created havoc in the lives of people by collateral damage because the cultmeisters just didn't really care about anyone but themselves. At least the Pope was interested in promoting the Catholic church, even if his methods were questionable.
And touching Catholic Divorce and Remarriage in a tangential way: As one who grew up as a baptized Lutheran in a Catholic Parochial School [and having taken Latin 3 years in high school with a Catholic flavor to it], I am fairly familiar with the Roman Catholic D&R regulations. It's interesting that recent episodes of the dramas Blue Bloods and Major Crimes have dealt with the issue, which is...
A Roman Catholic may not marry in the church if the previous spouse is still living, no matter if there is a civil divorce. There is an exemption though: If there are grounds for the previous marriage can be annulled. Here we get into Armstrong territory, but it's not that simple and that's why the priests (and sometimes the bishops) must make the determination after an investigation (the RCC takes this very seriously). Was there fornication? Was the previous marriage consummated properly? Was there fraud?
Technically, there is no divorce in the RCC, only annulment: What God has joined... and all that.
Nevertheless, if you read the series at the Painful Truth about Orlin Grabbe's letter to mother, you will find that the WCG processing of this question turned out to be rather arbitrary.
We'd very much like to compare the WCG to the RCC dealing with the Nazis. It's not certain how close we can take it though.
Thank you Ops for expounding.
ReplyDeleteBelow an excerpt of other echoes of a bygone age.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-39380779
Now.
On a more philosophical note about the relation between hitler and the devil.
I am reminded of an excerpt I once read, dealing with this issue. If I remember well it stated that it also had to do with the view one held on the devil.
In Western Culture there are several devils.
There is the "Rational, sophisticated, cunning, Extreme High IQ, well dressed and bearded, well mannered Faustian, schemer, planner, deceiver of man."
And there is the "Irrational, Wild animal spirit, orgasmic, pan like, dionisyan, hysteric, chaotic, extreme rock drummer type."
Then it went on to describe the pros and cons of rationality (civilisation, order, tolerance etc vs burocracy, rigidity, mechanical view of man resulting in 1984 or a Brave new World type of Utopia) and irrationality (chaos, anarchy, barbary etc vs tenderness, passion, spontaneity, vitality etc).
Then it went on how the German spirit wanted to liberate itself from being "the edge of the Roman rational Spock) World and the physical beginning of the Eastern barbary. But the more it tried to liberate itself the more the demons of barbarism and irrationality and superstition won.
Anyway. Within 19th century German Culture and and collective Psyche we find extreme polarization between rationality (Kant, Hegel) vs irrational (Schopenhauer, Nietsche) just a few examples for sake of brevity
In a person this polarization would cause extreme hystery. All this found its translation in the extreme mix of rationality and irrationality of the third reich and for most inexplicable in "terms of reason." (so the words demons is used)
There are the exstatic songs, the fire marches, mass hysterics, hypnotizing symbols and rituals, drumming the apotheosis of the irrational. But the rational is present too. The extreme organisation of the death camps, genocide as an industrial process a matter of bookkeeping.
It is in this fleeting relationship between the rational and the irrational that the third reich conformed to the traditional jewish christian concept of "the Devil."
As I said. Christian theologians have never satisfactorily explained who the devil actually is. Number one or two. Is it the Avatar of the lower bestiality a reincarnation of Pan, anarchy and chaos (Pandemonium in Paradise Lost). Or is the slick deciever , the master of sophistic logic, more clever than the Jesuits, the fallen angel, the intellectual vain one.
Thomas Mann Dr Faustus. (symbolic)
Luchino Visconti. La caduta degli dei. (symbolic AND explicit)
Man. If you are not asleep already.
I could take you down to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Goethe, the madness of WWI (57.000 young men sometimes killed per day), the rape of Belgium ---------(culminating in hwa receiving orders of merit by the fallen king)
The powerful rejection of the "Volkische ideology" by the German Lutheran Church until 1933 until the power grap of the Nazis when the theologians could see "the hand of God" in the great revolution for the German people."
The fascination of German youth with the Wild West and exploration of the new founded USA and the adaption of Germany's own "Manifest Destiny". The embracing of the Ariosofic cults, black magic, theosophy andn the temple at wewelsburg.
This is all too big. To summarize it with "Hitler was probably demon posessed", is like saying, milk is produced at Wal Marts and soup can be found in a package.
Just my take.
nck
Now Black Ops as a gesture of friendship if you have really tried to decipher my posting on the devil, rationality and irrationality, I will offer you a comparison to armstrongism.
ReplyDeleteOf course the Pasadena campus was the epitomization of the rational, the greek-roman style temple, classical music, CULTURE, it was HWA manifested. The Big Sandy Campus was the epitomization of the irrational, the wild west, the banjo, lower culture, gta and his exploits into the wild, where the antilope roamed, hunting trips, nature, GTA manifested.
I don't think I even believe what I just wrote. But there you have it you comparison with the devil. The rational and the irrational. Culture vs Nature. HWA - GTA.
nck
Of course, the LCG and the ACoGs may be totally irrelevant if there were no Exodus.
ReplyDeleteThere was an Exodus! But there were strict quota. So the St Louis had to pull back from Havanna and then back to Europe. Also 20.000 children were rejected. No papers were issued.
ReplyDeleteA sad history indeed.
nck
Lest you feel I am taking the Mickey out of you in typicam nckian doublespeak style. We did actually send Mr Germano to work with the Rotchild's to make ammends on what was perpetrated on Havannah by US foreign office. By returning Tel Hazor and the Temple Mount dig finds to the jews WCG assisted the new state with a history.
ReplyDeleteWhat would a state be without a history after all, albeit mythological or real.
Nck
Only cynics would regard "the return of history" to that tormented people Joe sr's ticket to the Royal Yacht.
ReplyDeleteI am willing to give more credit to "our collective" achievements even if victimized by narcissists.
Nck
I feel like I just got one of those spam emails from Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteIntrigued......but....no thank you?
ReplyDeletenck
BTW I liked the myth about The USA being Ephraim as proven by the existence of the Kardashians of Armenian descent.
ReplyDeleteNo in earnest. I got the gist. It is like a priestly cast (protestant dissenters) land from another country and then that becomes the leading myth for everyone landing in that country, then they start eating Turkey (wich alludes to the land where Abraham comes from) and everybody is very thankful in november and they make it a national holiday.
nck