(April 11, 2017 at 9:26 pm)Alex K Wrote: - that he opposed Atheism is not really showing that he was a Christian. More like a convenient way to get the masses behind him to eliminate communists, intellectuals.
- that he claimed to do God's work doesn't automatically make him a Christian either. He appeared to have some weird mythology and belief in divine providence...
In the end he said what he said for all kinds of reasons, I'm doubtful he deserves the label Christian. This is complicated by the fact that it is far from easy to nail down exactly what one needs to be to count as a Christian.
But more to the point, I also don't worry much about it because it is just a label and its use does not serve to elucidate anything. Quite the opposite, by slapping that category or label on someone and then arguing from that, one always makes an argument less clear and precise. If your argument needs such a blunt generalization to work, it's probably not very good. It's a bit like arguments about evolution that hinge on Archaeopteryx being a bird or not. You need to argue based on the details, not based on some label.
1. This does show that he was more than likely not an atheist.
2. True, but coupled with the fact that most Germans at this time were Christian doesn't do much to steer us away from thinking that he was the same.
We can't really debate why when we don't really know why. Plenty of people debate that Hitler didn't actually harbor any hatred towards Jews, this doesn't change the fact that he ordered the killing of about 6 million of them. Above all else, the requirement for being a christian is belief in god and Jesus Christ. Whether or not he was a good Christian is far more debatable.
I agree it doesn't really matter either way.. but christians denial of the facts comes off as desperate and childish.
“Love is the only bow on Life’s dark cloud. It is the morning and the evening star. It shines upon the babe, and sheds its radiance on the quiet tomb. It is the mother of art, inspirer of poet, patriot and philosopher.
It is the air and light of every heart – builder of every home, kindler of every fire on every hearth. It was the first to dream of immortality. It fills the world with melody – for music is the voice of love.
Love is the magician, the enchanter, that changes worthless things to Joy, and makes royal kings and queens of common clay. It is the perfume of that wondrous flower, the heart, and without that sacred passion, that divine swoon, we are less than beasts; but with it, earth is heaven, and we are gods.” - Robert. G. Ingersoll
It is the air and light of every heart – builder of every home, kindler of every fire on every hearth. It was the first to dream of immortality. It fills the world with melody – for music is the voice of love.
Love is the magician, the enchanter, that changes worthless things to Joy, and makes royal kings and queens of common clay. It is the perfume of that wondrous flower, the heart, and without that sacred passion, that divine swoon, we are less than beasts; but with it, earth is heaven, and we are gods.” - Robert. G. Ingersoll
