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Justin Anton

Dr. Smith

English 101 2C0B

June 19, 2017

Religion Vs Nazism

History proves time and time again that there is always a disagreement

when it comes to religion. One memorable event is of Nazi Germany and the Jewish

community. Many people believe this was the most horrendous act a leader of a

nation has done to eradicate a group practicing another religion. But Adolf Hitler

(Germanys Dictator) wasnt the first to do this. Religions have been killing off

nations through the beginning of time, from the Mayans and Aztecs to the reign of

Nero eradicating the Christians. As extremists, Nazi Germany did what they had felt

was a cancer to their nation. But, religions in a whole ignite fear into their beliefs.

Which causes oppression to the people. As a result, more people have died from

religion (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism) by punishing the non-believers or the

opposing Religions that refuse to believe in their dogma, than at the hands of the

Nazis.

For example, Nazi Germany, from 1940-1945 had concentration camps

throughout their reign from Poland to the Netherlands. Their biggest and main

camp was Auschwitz, which was located in an abandoned polish army barracks near

Oswiecim, Poland. It is said over 1.3 million people were deported to Auschwitz and

over 1.1 million were murdered. (United States.) Whereas, in the Crusades, which

was from 1095 to 1291 only recorded 1.7 million victims were killed (The
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Washington Post). Between Germanys reign of terror which lasted 5 years

compared to the Crusades which lasted about 200 years, the war on religion

(Crusades) had 600,000 killings more than the Nazis whose estimate was with only

one concentration camp and not including the entirety of the war.

To understand what Nazism is, one has to define the ideology of what it is

being a Nazis. Nazism founded by Johann Gottilieb Fichte in (Speeches To The

German Nation, 1808) is also known as National Socialism, which began with the

Germans being oppressed by the French at the time. Fichte would have public

speeches at town halls. He would preach to the people that they needed to be armed

and ready to fight and to be free by the French ruling. In the mid 1900s a man by

the name of Adolf Hitler, who was influenced by Fichte created a more extreme

approach after their loss in World War 1. It was a form of an extreme fascist

movement that identified the Germans to become this master race. Their goals or

mission was to expand their empire from all their previous owned territories and to

conquer any weaker societies surrounding them, mostly all of Europe and some.

Hitler felt the Jews were the reasoning for their economic down fall and that their

loyalties were for other nations instead of being with Germany. Between Hitler and

his allies they were able to create over 40,000 concentration camps which consisted

of forced labor, P.O.W. (Prisoners of War,) kill centers, and any enemy of the state.

Their kill centers in these camps consisted of gas chambers where they killed about

6,000 Jews a day (United States.)

Meanwhile, the religious Dogma that was created forced humanity to fear life

by following a set of rules. In Christianity, man is born with original sin and if not
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cleansed when they die they will burn in the depths of hell. In Islam, many Muslims

misinterpret the Quran. For example, Jihads they were known to take action against

anyone who was against Islam, the mistreatment and abuse to women, and most

terrorists attacks are provoked by these extremists Muslims. In Judaism, the Old

Testament there are so many passages that refer to their God as a violent God killing

off mankind. There were stories such as Noahs arch where he gave a task to a

village elder to build an arch with him and his loved ones and two bring a pair of all

the species of earth. God would then flood the earth killing everyone and everything

that wasnt on the arch. Another story where their God used his wrath was the battle

of Jericho he influenced the Israelites to vanquish any nearby villages and tribes that

werent Jewish.

Now by understanding the basis of how violent religion can be here are the

statistics on each of these violent wars. The crusades began in the year 1095 it was a

series of wars that lasted for about 200 years. It started because Pope Urban II

wanted to expand the pilgrimage to the eastern Mediterranean also known as the

holy lands the only problem was that it was occupied by the Muslims. Therefore,

war was engaged to whoever had the right to be spread influence in the holy lands.

It is reported that 1.7 million have died in the battle of the crusades. Whereas, in the

Spanish inquisition which began in the year 1231-1826 was the movement that

began around the medieval times. Its mission was that the Catholic Church sent out

armies to battle the unconverted Jews who wouldnt accept the Christian faith. Soon

after the inquisition would stretch all the way towards the Islamic faith in the

Mediterranean punishing them as well. It is said that there were over tens of
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millions killed while others argue that numbers were exaggerated (Nathan

Busenitz.)

In conclusion, the numbers of deaths between Nazism and religion are far off

from each other, with religion being the victor. Religion violence has been

worldwide since the beginning of time with holy wars and religious extremists. The

dogma will continue to carry on as long as there are different religions. As for the

idea of Nazism (Neo-Nazi) still exist today through smaller groups (Aryan nation

and kkk) nothing will be as horrendous as what Hitler did in WWII.

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Work cited

Busenitz, Nathan. How Many People Died in the Inquisition. The Cripplegate, 28

feb. 2016, www.thecripplegate.com/how-many-people-died-in-the-inquisition/

Michaelson, Jay. Was Obama Right About The Crusades And Islamic Extremism?

The Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2015,

www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/was-obama-right/

Murphey, Cullen. The Top 10 Questions Everyone Has About the Inquisition. The

Huffington Post. 24 March 2012, www.huffingtonpost.com/cullen-murphy/10-

questions-about-the-inquisition_b_1224406.html

United States. Auschwitz. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

www.ushmm.org/wic/en/article.php?moduleld=10005189