IV. Hitler's policy toward the churches after coming to power was not one of respect, sympathy, and mutual belief. Hitler demanded total obedience, and those who deviated too far from the party line were swiftly punished. That the Nazi policy toward the churches was one of rigorous repression rather than sympathy and support is documented amply by J.S. Conway in his book The Nazi Persecution of the Churches. Here are some of the repressive measures enumerated by Conway: ~ arrests of clergy and incarceration in concentration camps ~ murders of religious opponents of the regime ~ physical assaults on clergymen ignored by the police ~ academic, social, youth, labor, professional, women's and athletic religious organizations and associations banned ~ seizure of church property, including orphanages, hospitals, monasteries and schools (with religious insignias removed and teachers fired) ~ Catholic civil servants dismissed ~ church publications censored or forbidden ~ religious meetings broken up by SA attacks ~ dissolution of religious political parties ~ attacks on church and Christianity in the press ~ attempts to force all German churches into one state controlled church ~ restriction of religious activities to church buildings only ~ surveillance of worship services and church leaders ~ public attacks on the church by Nazi leaders, including Goebbels and Goering ~ criticisms of National Socialism or the government forbidden ~ the establishment of new religious groups forbidden ~ civil servants required to withdraw their children from religious youth organizations with loss of job the penalty for refusing to comply ~ total submission of the church to the state in every respect ~ "separation of church and state" meant the churches were allowed to have no say whatever in political questions ~ high school teachers forbidden to be active in religious youth groups ~ clergymen, including monks and nuns, arrested and tried on trumped up charges ~ prayers forbidden at school assemblies ~ removal of crucifixes and religious paintings from schools ~ numerous independent religious groups banned completely One individual argued that these repressive measures were inherently Christian, that Christians always did such things. Such monumental ignorance of history defies refutation, if it is in fact ignorance, and not rather willful deception. back to home