People we would be surprised to see in Heaven Part 2

Figure 5.6. Cartoon of Hitler changing a cross into a swastika. Source: Cross into Swastika? Hodder & Stoughton.

'Stille Nacht,' the men hummed and whispered in German, and in spite of a closing prayer only one or two moved. Most sat still for five minutes or more with his own thoughts.

Progress

As I wrote in my newspaper article fifty years ago:

Ribbentrop, aged 53, who was at one time Hitler's Foreign Minister and Ambassador in London, at first made no response, but later on the chaplain noticed that he commenced to read his Bible.

Raeder, the chief of the German Navy, began to read his Bible zealously and would often come to the chaplain for help with difficult passages, and quite early in the course he asked if he might take Holy Communion.

Keitel, the tough chief of the German Army Staff, asked the chaplain to convey his thanks to those who had so thoughtfully provided for their spiritual welfare, even though they were criminals. He could not keep back tears from his eyes as he said 'They have helped me more than they could have imagined. May Christ sustain me.'

Many times a day the chaplain visited the cells of those who appeared to be making response. Field Marshall Keitel read and memorised many verses which spoke of God's mercy to repentant sinners. He selected a beautiful choice of Bible readings, hymns and prayers and read them himself aloud, so said Gerecke. 'He was unashamed to kneel at his bed and together with me make confession of his sins. Soon, he too wanted to be prepared for Holy Communion.'

The Lord's Supper

At the next Holy Communion service a small group took the bread and the wine, the sacred symbols of the sacrifice made by Christ once for all. Gerecke was moved to see those powerful men kneeling to receive the tokens demonstrating in their own hands that it was for them.

The chaplain had privately prepared each one, asking them, catechism style, if they had given themselves to Jesus, repented of all their many sins, and believed that the blood of Christ had washed them all away. The preciousness of the 'cleansing blood of Christ' came to mean a lot to them. This biblical expression was on their lips at various times. It seemed that their sins seemed so horrible to them that only the completely cleansing power of the precious shed blood of Christ convinced them that it fully saved them as the Scriptures said.

Counteracting Nazi Brainwashing

Nazi teaching has been called brainwashing because even those living today who were subjected to it find it difficult to break its influence. Among cuttings I have preserved I have found an article dated 1936 when all German youth were given the following anti-Christian and blasphemous list to learn:

1. Christianity is a religion for slaves, and stupid because it teaches the first shall be last and the last first
2. Christianity puts Negroes and Germans on the same level
3. The New Testament is Jewish filth from the four evangelists
4. Before Christianity, German culture had reached a high standard, which has been destroyed by Christianity
5. Christianity has always been foreign to and at enmity with German unity
6. The Bible is a continuation of the Talmud and has entirely a Jewish basis
7. Everything that is against Christianity and racial mixture is good
8. There is no Christian Culture
9. Christianity is always unwanted and must always force its way in
10. Christianity has spoilt the German because it first brought in the idea of sin (adultery, stealing) which was not known before
11. Christianity is a substitute for Judaism and was invented by Jews
12. The Ten Commandments are the expression of the lowest human instincts
13. The thought of a world Messiah can only be imagined by a wicked people, because a good race does not need redeeming
14. Nero was justified in his persecution
15. Christianity has always hindered the development of medicine, science, etc.
Source: The Prophetic News, 1936

Hitler himself was often making similar statements. He said, 'You are either a Christian or a Nazi. You cannot be both!'