Richie 10 wrote: What is your definition of a christian for my bible tells me that if the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead doesn't live in you you are not a christian at all. I would have to say from what I have read Adolf Hitler doesn't fit that requirement for the fruit of his life was death not life.

Dear Richie 10,

You don’t like Hitler’s behaviour so you try to say he isn’t a member of your group. That is the same kind of nonsense other people exhibit. A Marxist I know claimed Stalin wasn’t really a Marxist because he didn’t consider Stalin’s behaviour in accordance with Marxist principles.

My definition of a Christian is the same as the way I define the member of any other group. The person is a member of the group by his own definition and the group’s acceptance of that definition.

Hitler was raised as a Catholic Christian and at one time wanted to become a priest. When he came to power as head of the German state he agreed to a Concordat with the Vatican in which the two states defined their relationship. He was never excommunicated and therefore died a Catholic Christian.

He carried out a Christian agenda. For years Protestant, Orthodox and Catholic Christianity had been promoting hatred of Jews. Catholic Crusaders had massacred Jews in Germany and other places. Martin Luther wrote hate diatribes against Jews that were printed in the Nazi newspapers to promote the Nazi agenda. Orthodox Christians carried out pogroms against Jews.

Hitler was not only formally a Christian. He was profoundly Christian in advancing an agenda of hate that had been promoted by various Christian churches.

I don’t like his behaviour either, but he was a real Christian.