A real shame as it would turn a “wholesome Christian meme” into some sort of Nazi propaganda but fail entirely as an indictment of Christianity.
There are countless permutations of Christianity, some requiring elaborate rituals and adherences to gain admittance to heaven and some not. Some having concepts like “mortal sin” that can require specific penance to absolve and others not. The closest thing that Christianity has to a universal rule on the matter is some belief in god and/or Jesus OR non belief but adherence to the principles of Christian living. Neither condition is likely to apply to Adolf Hitler by most accounts.
It is possible that Adolf Hitler may have met one of these conditions, but the next thing that is close to universal throughout Christianity is that one must make a firm, sincere, complete repentance of misdeeds and sins to be forgiven. Contextually it seems unlikely that Adolf Hitler did so as Hitler killed himself, most likely to avoid facing…
.. the consequences of his actions. I find it highly unlikely that Adolf Hitler would meet the general requirements set by Christianity for admittance to heaven. It is verifiably true that Hitler would not meet the requirements of certain sects of Christianity due to his deeds or adherences he failed to hold.
With that said, the concept of forgiveness after death even if those who have done horrifying wrong is not exclusive to Christianity. Many religions and spiritual or philosophical views hold that a dead person is… dead. Gone from this Earth and that it is up to the living to keep living.
With all that said is it theoretically possible at least under some Christian belief systems that Adolf Hitler went to heaven? Perhaps.
That said Christian god is a monotheistic “all knowing, all powerful” deity. You can’t “trick” Christian god by Christian belief. Therefore if Christian god were real and assuming thusly that Christian perceptions of their god are correct, one can’t simply
“Say sorry” or “trick” their way into heaven. Therefore IF Adolf Hitler were to go to Christian heaven, Adolf Hitler would need to genuinely and completely be repentant of his actions. Which again- seems highly unlikely, but with that said a general Tennant of Christianity is to forgive those who genuinely repent. The concept of the afterlife in Christianity is eternal, and thusly anything that happens on Earth, the entire existence of the universe, is a tiny blip comparatively.
Meaning that it would be entirely the prerogative of monotheistic all powerful all knowing deity who they forgive and why, and their decision making ability would be most likely beyond human comprehension.
That doesn’t mean that what a person did in life is forgotten, it doesn’t make them a “good person” in the eyes of others.
It also ignores concepts like purgatory which exist in various sects of Christianity as a possible middle step- that one doesn’t simply die and get into “heaven” or “hell” in all cases, but that one can spend hundreds, thousands, billions of years in a state of quasi punishment and waiting. Trapped.
Often the stay in purgatory is tied to sins in life, with either all sins or sins not repented at times of death each having some “sentence” attached. Given what we know of the man it is likely if purgatory exists that Adolf Hitler would likely be there for some extreme and unfathomable amount of time if he didn’t go straight to hell. In such a length of time it might be possible to repent genuinely and not merely regret that your actions have caused you to suffer.
So would god forgive Hitler? I find it dubious but I wouldn’t presume to speak for god. The idea of a man like that being forgiven doesn’t sit well, it’s uncomfortable and problematic. But- within most Christian doctrines- being forgiven in the afterlife is possible for just about anyone.
There are countless permutations of Christianity, some requiring elaborate rituals and adherences to gain admittance to heaven and some not. Some having concepts like “mortal sin” that can require specific penance to absolve and others not. The closest thing that Christianity has to a universal rule on the matter is some belief in god and/or Jesus OR non belief but adherence to the principles of Christian living. Neither condition is likely to apply to Adolf Hitler by most accounts.
It is possible that Adolf Hitler may have met one of these conditions, but the next thing that is close to universal throughout Christianity is that one must make a firm, sincere, complete repentance of misdeeds and sins to be forgiven. Contextually it seems unlikely that Adolf Hitler did so as Hitler killed himself, most likely to avoid facing…
With that said, the concept of forgiveness after death even if those who have done horrifying wrong is not exclusive to Christianity. Many religions and spiritual or philosophical views hold that a dead person is… dead. Gone from this Earth and that it is up to the living to keep living.
With all that said is it theoretically possible at least under some Christian belief systems that Adolf Hitler went to heaven? Perhaps.
That said Christian god is a monotheistic “all knowing, all powerful” deity. You can’t “trick” Christian god by Christian belief. Therefore if Christian god were real and assuming thusly that Christian perceptions of their god are correct, one can’t simply
Meaning that it would be entirely the prerogative of monotheistic all powerful all knowing deity who they forgive and why, and their decision making ability would be most likely beyond human comprehension.
It also ignores concepts like purgatory which exist in various sects of Christianity as a possible middle step- that one doesn’t simply die and get into “heaven” or “hell” in all cases, but that one can spend hundreds, thousands, billions of years in a state of quasi punishment and waiting. Trapped.
Often the stay in purgatory is tied to sins in life, with either all sins or sins not repented at times of death each having some “sentence” attached. Given what we know of the man it is likely if purgatory exists that Adolf Hitler would likely be there for some extreme and unfathomable amount of time if he didn’t go straight to hell. In such a length of time it might be possible to repent genuinely and not merely regret that your actions have caused you to suffer.