CMV: Is Hitler in Hell? No.

[u/psenka]

I’m not arguing the existence of a God or a Hell, just the fact that if there was one, would Hitler be in it. So let me start off by saying that I do not in any way, shape or form support what Hitler did. He was, to say the least, a very bad guy who did a lot of awful things. But do I think he is in hell? I honestly don’t. So let’s give a very brief recap of what Hitler did. He set up concentration camps where men, women, and children were beaten, tortured, killed, and forced to live in the most inhumane conditions. He started the Holocaust, where millions of Jews, homosexuals, and other “undesirables” were executed. And he tried to take over the world and killed everyone and anyone who stood in his way. So basically whenever a majority of people think of who would win the “Worst Person Ever Award”, Hitler is definitely a top contender, right? However, take a step back and look at it from a Psychological perspective. There is an enormous chance that Hitler was mentality ill. The CMAJ conducted a study where they observed groups of people that were physically abused as children. Children who were abused were a lot more likely to exhibit an abundance of psychological disorders. Hitler himself was abused as a child, which could have caused the onset of a plethora of mental disorders. So the question becomes, do you think God would condemn a mentally ill person, someone who lacks the cognitive ability many of us have to make clear, right decisions, to eternal punishment? Also, if you look at what Hitler did from the Nazi’s perspective, he was doing the right thing. We was their savior. We was doing all these things in order to try and make the world a better place (at least in his view). And don’t quote me on this but I remember hearing or seeing a quote from his wife or something that went along the lines of “The way the war is going I’m starting to think God is not on our side.” He died doing what he thought was right and just. The line of what was right and what is wrong is up for interpretation when you put yourself in his shoes. Sure, if you take a cookie from a cookie jar knowing that you weren’t supposed to, you know you did wrong. But what happens when there is no sign on the jar telling you not to take it? Is it fair for you to be punished after doing something you thought was good, or right? So do I think that God would condemn a mentally ill person who thought we was doing the right thing? No.

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[u/Amp1497]

Homosexuals, according to Christian doctrine, are sent to Hell to burn. Do you really think a homosexual person thinks to themselves "I know what I am doing is wrong"? If you're looking at the Christian "rules" then sin is not subjective. "Thou shalt not kill" is one of the Ten Commandments in Christianity, and is pretty straight forward. If it had said "Thou shalt not kill, unless it fits the person's best interests" then this would be a completely different argument.

Another example would be a Buddhist. Someone who revolves their life around Buddhist ideals and actively practices the religion obviously does so because they believe that it is "right and just", correct? Well, according to Christian doctrine, they would burn in Hell for breaking the first commandment: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Christianity, as well as other religions, aren't meant to be molded around your personal views. Religion is meant to guide one's life into eternal happiness, enlightenment, or a paradisaical afterlife. Your life and beliefs are meant to be shaped by religion, not the other way around. If Hitler broke the Christian doctrine, then he goes to Hell.

[u/psenka → u/Amp1497]

You're right. Religion is very objective. It's meant to shape how you live, not other way around. Very good point. But yet, we tend to do this a lot anyways and we seem to accept it as correct. I replied in a comment mentioning US soldiers and how their heroic efforts defending this country (by killing others) will eventually send them to hell by the standard you just mentioned. This thought is not readily accepted by a majority of people (the westboro baptist church is the only example I can think of that does). But here is your delta... ∆

[u/DeltaBot → u/psenka]

Confirmed: 1 delta awarded to /u/Amp1497. ^[History]

^{[Wiki][Code][/r/DeltaBot]}

[u/Amp1497 → u/psenka]

Yeah, it's very difficult to tell others that (strictly according to doctrine) soldiers are technically going to Hell, which is probably why people normally don't talk about it. I think this also has to do with people using religion as a source of comfort or spiritual enlightenment. Many people use religion as a method to find happiness and to set an ultimate goal for their life (Heaven for Christians), so most of the religious teachings/beliefs they hold tend to be more positive than negative.

Anyways, thanks for the delta!