Madam, - I was slightly puzzled by Ronan Wall's letter of December 12th. He says that "the two main protagonists [of the second World War], Germany and Russia, were in the grips of atheistic totalitarian regimes at that time".
Obviously the following statements and phrases can leave Mr Wall in no doubt of Hitler's atheistic intentions: "I believe today that I am acting in the sense of the Almighty Creator. By warding off the Jews I am fighting for the Lord's work."
"The German religion is a religion of the people. It has nothing in common with free thoughts, atheist propaganda, and the breakdown of current religions" (article 24 of Hitler's Nazi party programme).
"Gott Mit Uns" (a slogan that appears on Nazi paraphernalia).
Stalin, most likely, did not believe in God, and Marxism is demonstrably anti-religious; but Communism can be viewed as a theocracy in which the political ideologies of the head of state/church are directly related to a single source of philosophy.
As for Schuman, Adenauer and De Gasperi, they were quite proud of their faith, but did their religious ideals directly aid the formation of the European Union and peace throughout Europe, or were they simply wise and popular men who used their own political influence to shape the political landscape of Europe?
- Yours etc,
EOGHAN NEVIN, Glencurrig, South Douglas Road, Cork.