Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler

way that has been taken for granted in our country for the last five years, in fact, has been
viewed as especially meritorious? In the Jewish question, for example, do not both
denominations today take a standpoint which corresponds neither to the requirements of the
nation nor to the real needs of religion? Compare the attitude of a Jewish rabbi in all
questions of even the slightest importance for the Jews as a race with the attitude of by far
the greatest part of our clergy-of both denominations, if you please!
We always find this phenomenon when it is a question of defending an abstract idea as such.
'State authority,' 'democracy,' 'pacifism,' 'international solidarity,' etc., are all concepts which
with us nearly always become so rigid and purely doctrinaire that subsequently all purely
national vital necessities are judged exclusively from their standpoint.
This catastrophic way of considering all matters from the angle of a preconceived opinion
kills every possibility of thinking oneself subjectively into a matter which is objectively
opposed to one's own doctrine, and finally leads to a total reversal of means and ends. People
will reject any attempt at a national uprising if it can take place only after the elimination of
a bad, ruinous regime, since this would be an offense against 'state authority,' and ' state
authority ' is not a means to an end, but in the eyes of such a fanatical objectivist rather
represents the aim itself, which is sufficient to fill out his whole lamentable life. Thus, for
example, they would indignantly oppose any attempt at a dictatorship, even if it was
represented by a Frederick the Great and the momentary political comedians of a
parliamentary majority were incapable dwarfs or really inferior characters, just because the
law
of democracy seems holier to such a principle-monger than the welfare of a nation. The one
will therefore defend the worst tyranny, a tyranny which is ruining the people, since at the
moment it embodies 'state authority,' while the other rejects even the most beneficial
government as soon as it fails to satisfy his conception of 'democracy.'
In exactly the same way, our German pacifist will accept in silence the bloodiest rape of our
nation at-the hands of the most vicious military powers if a change in this state of affairs can
be achieved only by resistance-that is, force-for this would be contrary to the spirit of his
peace society. Let the international German Socialist be plundered in solidarity by the rest of
the world, he will accept it with brotherly affection and no thought of retribution or even
defense, just because he is-a German.
This may be a sad state of affairs, but to change a thing means to recognize it first.
The same is true of the weak defense of German interests by a part of the clergy.
It is neither malicious ill will in itself, nor is it caused, let us say, by commands from 'above';
no, in such a lack of national determination we see merely the result of an inadequate
education in Germanism from childhood up and, on the other hand, an unlimited
submission to an idea which has become an idol.
Education in democracy, in socialism of the international variety, in pacifism, etc., is a thing
so rigid and exclusive, so purely subjective from these points of view, that the general picture
of the remaining world is colored by this dogmatic conception, while the attitude toward
Germanism has remained exceedingly objective from early youth. Thus, the pacifist, by giving
himself subjectively and entirely to his idea, will, in the presence of any menace to his people,
be it ever so grave and unjust, always (in so far as he is a German) seek after the objective
right and never from pure instinct of self-preservation join the ranks of his herd and fight
with them.
To what extent this is also true of the different religions is shown by the following:
Protestantism as such is a better defender of the interests of Germanism, in so far as this is
grounded in its genesis and later tradition: it fails, however, in the moment when this defense
of national interests must take place in a province which is either absent from the general
line of its ideological world and traditional development, or is for some reason rejected.
Thus, Protestantism will always stand up for the advancement of all Germanism as such, as
long as matters of inner purity or national deepening as well as German freedom are involved