People we would be surprised to see in Heaven Part 2

Dr Robert Clark, the Cambridge scientist, wrote in his book Darwin Before and After, Paternoster 1966:

Adolf Hitler's mind was captivated by evolutionary teaching - probably since he was a boy. Evolutionary ideas - quite undisguised - lie at the base of all that is worst in his book Mein Kampf - and in all his public speeches. In a speech at Nuremberg in 1933 he argued that a higher race would always conquer a lower. Hitler's hatred of the Jews was rationalised in the same way. The Germans were the higher race, destined for a glorious evolutionary future. For this reason it was essential that Jews should be segregated, otherwise mixed marriages would take place. Were this to happen, all nature's efforts 'to establish an evolutionary higher stage of being may thus be rendered futile'.
(Quotation from Mein Kampf.)

Hitler's counterpart in Italy was Mussolini. He justified war by evolution and mocked at the concept of those who worked for peace, and in his public speeches he constantly used Darwinian catchwords. For him, those working for peace were hindering the evolutionary process. He said the reluctance of England to engage in war only proved the decadence of the British Empire.

A number of church ministers opposed such teaching, and said that Christ taught forgiveness, peace and happiness; but they soon disappeared into labour camps to perish. Hitler in reply would quote: 'Christ said, Love your enemies, and forgive those who insult you, but I say to you hate your enemies, and destroy them.'

Figure 5.7. 'The man Hitler fears', imprisoned in pre-war Germany for preaching Christ. Source: Answers, August 19th 1939.

From U-boat to Pulpit

The famous Pastor Niemoeller had the ability to withstand Hitler and even when he was put in prison, Hitler dared not kill him. Originally he was a U-boat commander but God called him to be a pastor. The popular Answers magazine of August 1939 called him 'The man Hitler fears' and in a full-page article said that was why he was in prison:

For Martin Niemoeller has done no wrong, unless preaching the freedom-loving gospel of Christ is counted a sin! For two years he has been a prisoner of Nazi might. But all the forces of Hitler can't make this man pledge himself not to preach of Christ whose law is higher than Hitler's. And the Fuehrer keeps him under lock and key, fearful lest his doctrines of love and freedom should undermine the Nazi regime.

The Scenes at the End

As I said in my newspaper report, those condemned to death were allowed to see their wives for the last time, which was when Padre Gerecke heard Von Ribbentrop ask his wife to bring up their children in the fear of the Lord and she consented.

As the solemn time arrived, Padre Gerecke went to each cell for a short time of prayer. As Ribbentrop left his cell with him he made it clear that he had put all his faith in the blood of the Lamb who took away the guilt of the world. At the foot of the steps he turned to Gerecke and said, 'I'll see you again.' His hands were bound; he mounted the thirteen steps of the gallows, and was no more.

When Sauckel's time came he was very upset. He thought he would collapse before the execution, and prayed out loud continually, 'O God be merciful to me a sinner!'

His wife promised him that their children would stay close to the cross of Jesus, and so he went to his death after a loving prayer and farewell with his wife and children.

Gerecke's final minutes with Field Marshal Keitel were drenched with tears. Keitel assured the padre that he was trusting the pardoning grace of God, and he added, 'I thank you, and all those who sent you with all my heart.'

As I have already said, when Frick's moment had come he gave the good news that Jesus Christ had appeared to him and told him that his sins were forgiven, and that he was trusting in the cleansing blood of Jesus. A further example of divine guidance and mercy.