These will look very similar for E1337 since we've already had this debate, but again for the sake of MrWalker since he doesn't believe I've already "studied" on this I will validate my points again.
According to a 2001 book by Historian Michael Rissman, Hitler never received any of the sacraments beyond Baptism; as such, he never validly professed faith with or membership in the Catholic Church. It would have been illogical to excommunicate someone who never joined the community of Catholics.
Pope John XI issued an encyclical "Mit brennender Sorge" that condemned Nazism in 1937. It was written in German, rather than Latin, specifically to address it to the German people. Pope Pius XI in 1941 issued another encyclical "Humani Generis Unitas" that again condemned Nazism, the euthanasia of persons with birth defects, and the anti-Semitism of the Nazi party.
German Catholics may have felt torn in their allegiances; on the one hand they opposed the godlessness of Nazism; on the other they feared the godlessness of Communism. Their protests following Pius XI's letter may have left the Nazi masters to conclude that Catholicism was dangerous - thus more than 300 Catholic priests were executed at Dachau, while all monasteries in Germany were shut down. This substantially limited what could be done through the Church in Germany. A Catholic resistence movement - The White Rose - was formed, but all leadership were executed by the Gestapo.
Excommunication was used against political leaders as an ultimate threat from the 8th through the 14th centuries. As the power of the Church waned, it has since been used primarily against clergy as a way of connoting that their teachings are schismatic and heterodox.
I cannot find anyone who was excommunicated posthumously - it might be possible to find that, after one has died, evidence emerges to indicate there was a substantial break with the Church.
Among those excommunicated: Juan Peron Irish Republicans who engaged in arson, kidnapping or murder Napoleon Bonaparte Crusaders who attacked the Christian port of Zara
Excommunication from the Catholic Church does not always have to be a public announcement.
Getting an answer from the Vatican requires knowing who precisely to contact. At the same time, since the publication of "Hitler's Pope" the Vatican libraries are probably tired of getting letters in this regard and so may simply disregard them, considering them to be naysayers (such as yourself) looking to pick a fight.
Hitler left the Church on his own accord Again it's illogical to excommunicate someone who never joined the community. The point is not valid.
Red - you can't claim that for definite and we have much more evidence to support our side of the argument. It figures that you'd want to deny that Hitler was a Christian but it's stupid to call him a 'non-believer' when it's blatantly obvious that he held some form of religious conviction. I also love how you go on the offensive against Atheists, calling us 'over-defensive' and making sneer remarks about us claiming to be perfect, we might not be perfect but many of us base our views on logic and proof - which is more than a lot of religious people can claim.
The truth is in the pudding boys. Take it or leave.
You're right, the proof IS in the pudding. Unfortunately it all points to this man being one who definitely believed in some sort of interventionist higher power who has a vested interest and intervenes with human affairs.
Unfortunately for your position that means he could not have possibly been an atheist. As for what he was, we really can't say as he didn't follow any single religious doctrine, but instead dabbled in and experimented with many different spiritual ideas.
Was he a Christian? I don't really think so. He was certainly baptised Catholic but didn't seem to practice it in his personal life. But he definitely was a theist in that he clearly believed in a deity, regardless of how he worshiped or how he believed that deity manifested itself.
My entire point is not that he didn't use Religion Walker, even I contend that, it would be moronic not to. The point I'm making is that though he used the religion, it doesn't mean he was not a non-believer.
How would you know that? It's like if I was saying that the pope was pretending to be a theist. :/
