Longerich quoted a letter that Himmler wrote a pastor in 1937 to the effect that what denomination an SS man chose was his own person business. However, apparently this deference did not extend to non-belief. Atheism, Himmler wrote, “is the only world- or religious view that is not tolerated within the SS.” He further wrote, “I have not tolerated an atheist in the ranks of the SS. Every member has a deep faith in God, in what my ancestors called in their language Waralda, the ancient one, the one who is mightier than we are.” (Longerich, Heinrich Himmler, Oxford University Press, 2012, p. 220)
On one hand, Christians (and other theists) love to make the claim that there is no such thing as "atheists in foxholes."
Why?
I have no idea. Just because there are theists in foxholes, doesn't prove that there's a god. You could say the same thing that there are no "atheists in beauty shops," or there are no "atheists that shop at Walmart." So what? You haven't proved a thing. It only shows that people believe in a god by begging popularity. Big deal.
Likewise there are no theists on Mars, and despite that it doesn't stop the theist from believing in a god.
On the other hand, when you clearly point out that the Nazi's were religious, encompassing an array of Christian sects, theists are the first to scream that the Nazi's were atheists.
Which is it?
Were the Nazi's theists or were they atheists?
(H/T Pharyngula/Pz Myers.)
