Mein Kampf
faction of political ambitions, yes, who amid the political battle forget in an often more-than-regrettable fashion that they are after all the guardians of a higher truth, and not defenders of lies and slander; but for every one such unworthy figure there are a thousand and more honorable shepherds of souls faithfully devoted to their mission, who stand out like little islands from the general slough of the present corrupt and untruthful age.
I do not and must not condemn the Church as such if some corrupt creature in priest’s garb chances to go wrong in some morally unclean fashion; no more do I if some other one among many befouls and betrays his nationality—particularly in an age when that is an absolutely every-day matter. Today especially we should not forget that for one such Ephialtes there are thousands who feel the misfortunes of their people with bleeding hearts, and who, like the very best in our nation, long for the moment when Heaven will once more smile upon us.
If anyone replies that these are not petty every-day problems, but questions of fundamental truth and dogma in general, we can give him the necessary answer only with another question:
If you think you are chosen by Fate to proclaim the truth here, by all means do so; but have the courage not to do it by way of a political party—for this too is jugglery—, but instead of the evil of today, set up your improvement of the future.
If you lack the courage, or if you are not quite clear yourself about your better substitute, then let things alone; but in any case do not try to get by stealth through a political movement what you dare not attain openly.
So long as religious problems do not, like an enemy of the people, undermine the morals and ethics of one’s own race, political parties have no business to meddle with them; just as religion should not identify itself with political party mischief.
If ecclesiastical dignitaries use religious institutions, or even doctrines, to injure their own nationality, we must never follow them on this path to fight them with their own weapons.
To the political leader, the religious beliefs and institutions of his people must be sacrosanct; otherwise he has no right to be a
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