Erm Nazi Pope?

[Lozzer]

Right everyone knows that the current Pope was a member of the Nazi youth back in the day. And of course, Ratzinger has done his best to excuse his participation in the Nazi Youth since becoming Pope. But the ting is, he doesn't seem to be that convincing? It's not in the way he speaks or anything, but his version of history is a little inconsistent with reality?

Ratzinger claims that he never had an independent decision in joining the Nazi Youth, he says it was entirely compulsory. He was 'forced' to join in 1941.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't mandatory membership to the Nazi Youth ended in 1939? There's records that suggest kids under the age of 9 had no choice or something but Rat was 14 when he became a member?

[Marky]

What we really need is some first person evidence from Hitler.

Where's Tigger?

[Rob]

Ratzinger's past membership in the Nazi party is for the most part irrelevant. It really doesn't change how I view him or change the impact of his crimes.

[Feck]

Ratzinger's past membership in the Nazi party is for the most part irrelevant. It really doesn't change how I view him or change the impact of his crimes.

Don't really care about what he did when he was a kid. I do care what his employees do to children and the measures he has and has not taken about it .

[virphen]

Even if the law didn't actually proscribe it (I really do not know the details) that doesn't mean that there wasn't effective compulsion involved. As I understand it his family were anti-nazis, and it oculd have had significant consequences for his family had he not joined.

Even having said that, if he did choose voluntarily to join at 14, is it something that he should still be hit with today?

There is plenty in his career as cardinal & head of the inquisition to beat him with, as well as his stumbling, bumbling papacy without needing to go to the Hitler Youth membership for more ammo.

[Tigger]

Even if the law didn't actually proscribe it (I really do not know the details) that doesn't mean that there wasn't effective compulsion involved. As I understand it his family were anti-nazis, and it oculd have had significant consequences for his family had he not joined.

Even having said that, if he did choose voluntarily to join at 14, is it something that he should still be hit with today?

There is plenty in his career as cardinal & head of the inquisition to beat him with, as well as his stumbling, bumbling papacy without needing to go to the Hitler Youth membership for more ammo.

Yeah, but fuck it, eh? Hit him with everything. His god will protect him from it all. :twisted:

[Lozzer]

Even if the law didn't actually proscribe it (I really do not know the details) that doesn't mean that there wasn't effective compulsion involved. As I understand it his family were anti-nazis, and it oculd have had significant consequences for his family had he not joined.

Even having said that, if he did choose voluntarily to join at 14, is it something that he should still be hit with today?

There is plenty in his career as cardinal & head of the inquisition to beat him with, as well as his stumbling, bumbling papacy without needing to go to the Hitler Youth membership for more ammo.

His family's anti-Nazi activism is questionable. Had they been as vicious as he claims against the regime then they would have ended up incarcerated.

[Elessarina]

His family's anti-Nazi activism is questionable. Had they been as vicious as he claims against the regime then they would have ended up incarcerated.

In carcerated or worse.. I hate Islam - I wouldn't spout off about it in Saudi Arabia, I wouldn't even tell anyone I disliked it or religion

[Lozzer]

His family's anti-Nazi activism is questionable. Had they been as vicious as he claims against the regime then they would have ended up incarcerated.

In carcerated or worse.. I hate Islam - I wouldn't spout off about it in Saudi Arabia, I wouldn't even tell anyone I disliked it or religion

It's not particularly the same is it? Ratzinger has beefed up his family's anti-Nazi credentials to spread this idea that they were freedom-fighters! They're disillusionment with Nazism led them to move house four times, oh noes! This isn't about their degree of hostility to the fascists at the time but Ratzingers exaggeration of history. He's a liar!

[Xamonas Chegwé]

His family's anti-Nazi activism is questionable. Had they been as vicious as he claims against the regime then they would have ended up incarcerated.

In carcerated or worse.. I hate Islam - I wouldn't spout off about it in Saudi Arabia, I wouldn't even tell anyone I disliked it or religion

It's not particularly the same is it? Ratzinger has beefed up his family's anti-Nazi credentials to spread this idea that they were freedom-fighters! They're disillusionment with Nazism led them to move house four times, oh noes! This isn't about their degree of hostility to the fascists at the time but Ratzingers exaggeration of history. He's a liar!

What!!!!

The man responsible for convincing the world that it is ruled by an invisible sky-fairy with magic powers is LYING!!1!

[klr]

Right everyone knows that the current Pope was a member of the Nazi youth back in the day. And of course, Ratzinger has done his best to excuse his participation in the Nazi Youth since becoming Pope. But the ting is, he doesn't seem to be that convincing? It's not in the way he speaks or anything, but his version of history is a little inconsistent with reality?

Ratzinger claims that he never had an independent decision in joining the Nazi Youth, he says it was entirely compulsory. He was 'forced' to join in 1941.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't mandatory membership to the Nazi Youth ended in 1939? There's records that suggest kids under the age of 9 had no choice or something but Rat was 14 when he became a member?

Er. no ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler_Youth#Membership

...

By December 1936, HJ membership stood at just over five million. That same month, HJ membership became mandatory for Aryans, under the Gesetz über die Hitlerjugend law. This legal obligation was re-affirmed in 1939 with the Jugenddienstpflicht and HJ membership was required even when it was opposed by the member's parents. Massaquoi claims[9], though, that the war did not allow the law to go very far. From then on, most of Germany's teenagers belonged to the HJ. By 1940, it had eight million members. Later war figures are difficult to calculate, since massive conscription efforts and a general call-up of boys as young as 10 years old meant that virtually every young male in Germany was, in some way, connected to the HJ. Only about 10 to 20% were able to avoid joining.

...

[Elessarina]

I don't really see what him being a part of the Hitler youth even has to do with anything.. if we'd lived in Germany at that time we probably would have been. Hindsight is always 20-20

[Pappa]

I don't really see what him being a part of the Hitler youth even has to do with anything.. if we'd lived in Germany at that time we probably would have been. Hindsight is always 20-20

+1

Even if it was voluntary, most would have joined so as not to stand out from the crowd. Besides, it's not like the Hitler Youth committed any atrocities, right?

[Elessarina]

I don't really see what him being a part of the Hitler youth even has to do with anything.. if we'd lived in Germany at that time we probably would have been. Hindsight is always 20-20

+1

Even if it was voluntary, most would have joined so as not to stand out from the crowd. Besides, it's not like the Hitler Youth committed any atrocities, right?

I'm sure we'd all have voted for Hitler as well

[Animavore]

I don't really see what him being a part of the Hitler youth even has to do with anything.. if we'd lived in Germany at that time we probably would have been. Hindsight is always 20-20

+1

Even if it was voluntary, most would have joined so as not to stand out from the crowd. Besides, it's not like the Hitler Youth committed any atrocities, right?

I'm sure we'd all have voted for Hitler as well

Are you?