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Excerpts from Hitler’s Speech before the first "Greater German Reichstag" (January 30, 1939)

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But should the German churches in fact see this situation as intolerable for them, the National Socialist state is ready at any time to carry out a clear separation of church and state, which is the case in France, America, and other countries.

I will permit myself to ask this question, then: what sums did the governments of France, England, or the USA, during the same period, hand over to their churches from public funds?

3. The National Socialist state has not closed a church, nor prevented a religious service, nor ever influenced the form of a service. It has exerted no influence on either the teachings or the creed of any confession. In the National Socialist state, everyone can find salvation in his own way.

However: the National Socialist state will harshly remind those priests who, instead of being servants of God, wish to see their mission in insulting our Reich today, its institutions or its leading figures, that nobody will tolerate the destruction of this state, and that priests, as soon as they put themselves outside of the law, will be held accountable to the law just like any other German citizen.

It must be noted here, however, that there are tens of thousands of priests of all Christian confessions who fulfill their ecclesiastical duties just as well as – and probably better than – the political agitators, without ever running afoul of the laws of the state. Protecting them is something the state sees as its task. Destroying the enemies of the state is its duty.

4. The National Socialist State is neither prudish nor hypocritical. But there are certain moral principles whose preservation is in the interest of the biological health of our people and which, therefore, are beyond challenge. Pederasty or child abuse will be punished by the law in this state, no matter who commits these crimes.

When leading figures of the National Socialist party were guilty of these crimes five years ago, they were shot. If other persons of public or private life or priests commit the same crimes, they will be punished by jail or prison in accordance with the law.

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