---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Worst of all, however, is the devastation…"
description: "\"Worst of all, however, is the devastation wrought by the misuse of religious conviction for political ends. In truth, we cannot sharply enough attack t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/adolf-hitler-253_conviction_worst-of-all-however-is-the-devastation_1627353.jpg"
---

#  Worst of all, however, is the devastation wrought by the…

![“Worst of all, however, is the devastation wrought by the misuse of religious conviction for political ends. In truth, we cannot sharply enough attack those wretched crooks who would like to make religion an implement to perform political or rather business services for them.” quote by Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/adolf-hitler-253_conviction_worst-of-all-however-is-the-devastation_1627353.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/adolf-hitler-253_conviction_worst-of-all-however-is-the-devastation_1627353.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/adolf-hitler-253_conviction_worst-of-all-however-is-the-devastation_1627353.jpg)

> “Worst of all, however, is the devastation wrought by the misuse of religious conviction for political ends. In truth, we cannot sharply enough attack those wretched crooks who would like to make religion an implement to perform political or rather business services for them.”

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Misusing religious belief for political or business purposes causes deep societal harm.

**In simple terms:** Religion should not be a tool for power.

Key Takeaway

Guard against exploitation of faith.

Themes

ethics politics religion abuse

Mood

critical serious

Type

analytical political

When to use this quote

- policy making
- activism
- education
- interfaith dialogue

Key Concepts

sociology history

Questions to Reflect On

- How can societies protect both faith and democratic values?
- What safeguards prevent religious abuse?

A Different Perspective

Some may argue religion naturally influences politics.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Crooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crooks/) [Devastation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devastation/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/)

## Related quotes

> [I feel like we need to be aware of the ways we use and misuse religious dogma: whether it takes us deeper into love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/i-feel-like-we-need-to-be-aware-of-the-ways-we-use-and-misuse/)

[Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/)

> [Our party never tolerated those who use violence for political ends. Our leaders lost their lives standing against terrorism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapil-sibal/our-party-never-tolerated-those-who-use-violence-for-political-ends/)

[Kapil Sibal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapil-sibal/)

> [Psychological mapping for political ends is now going to be part of every campaign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-miller/psychological-mapping-for-political-ends-is-now-going-to-be-part-of/)

[Gina Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-miller/)

> [As a Christian, there is no other part of the New Right ideology that concerns me more than its self-serving misuse of religious faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hatfield/as-a-christian-there-is-no-other-part-of-the-new-right-ideology-that/)

[Mark Hatfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hatfield/)

> [There are few of us so blind as not to realize that unless the moral force of religious conviction impels, the goal of truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sumner-welles/there-are-few-of-us-so-blind-as-not-to-realize-that-unless-the-moral/)

Sumner Welles

> [“I've told you before, I don't comprehend religion, although conviction is a concept I'm beginning to get. In any case, someone with a real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-ve-told-you-before-i-don-t-comprehend-religion-although-conviction/)

[Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/)

> [“Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it with religious conviction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/men-never-do-evil-so-completely-and-cheerfully-as-when-they-do-it-2/)

[Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/)

> [As a politician who cherishes religious conviction in his personal sphere, but regards politics as a domain belonging outside religion, I believe that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/recep-tayyip-erdogan/as-a-politician-who-cherishes-religious-conviction-in-his-personal/)

[Recep Tayyip Erdogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/recep-tayyip-erdogan/)

> [No citizen enjoys genuine freedom of religious conviction until the state is indifferent to every form of religious outlook from Atheism to Zoroastrianism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-laski/no-citizen-enjoys-genuine-freedom-of-religious-conviction-until-the/)

[Harold Laski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-laski/)

> [No Legislature can really destroy a religious conviction, except by exterminating its holders. It is historically too late to do that, and we shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-parry-liddon/no-legislature-can-really-destroy-a-religious-conviction-except-by/)

[Henry Parry Liddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-parry-liddon/)

> [The power of these recommendations is that they come from leaders representing a broad spectrum of religious conviction. At the table were people with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-haynes/the-power-of-these-recommendations-is-that-they-come-from-leaders/)

[Charles Haynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-haynes/)

> [But I think it is also important that we pay tribute and acknowledge another great principle, and that is the principle of religious conviction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/but-i-think-it-is-also-important-that-we-pay-tribute-and-acknowledge/)

[John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/)

> [“Does religious conviction provide a powerful reason for killing? Undeniably it often does. It also often provides the sole compelling reason for refusing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/does-religious-conviction-provide-a-powerful-reason-for-killing/)

[David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/)

> [I speak as a private citizen and not as a representative of the Executive Branch of the United States government. The impression that people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-speak-as-a-private-citizen-and-not-as-a-representative-of-the/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [People are never so completely and enthusiastically evil as when they act out of religious conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/people-are-never-so-completely-and-enthusiastically-evil-as-when-they/)

[Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/)

## More by Adolf Hitler

> [The one means that wins the easiest victory over reason is terror and force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-one-means-that-wins-the-easiest-victory-over-reason-is-terror-and/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [The State must act as the guardian of a millennial future in the face of which the wishes and the selfishness of the individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-state-must-act-as-the-guardian-of-a-millennial-future-in-the-face/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [Great liars are also great magicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/great-liars-are-also-great-magicians/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [I may add that we have more than once stated our willingness to conclude nonaggression pacts with the states neighboring our own!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-may-add-that-we-have-more-than-once-stated-our-willingness-to/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [“Le Jeuden, des Dreugen, Au Frauden”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/le-jeuden-des-dreugen-au-frauden/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [The fight against syphilis demands a fight against prostitution, against prejudices, old habits, against previous conceptions, general views among them not least the false…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-fight-against-syphilis-demands-a-fight-against-prostitution/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [I don't see much future for the Americans ... it's a decayed country. And they have their racial problem, and the problem of social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-don-t-see-much-future-for-the-americans-it-s-a-decayed-country-and/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [Particularly the broad masses of the people can be moved only by the power of speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/particularly-the-broad-masses-of-the-people-can-be-moved-only-by-the/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [I suggest you to do war but never love because in war either you live or you die. But in love neither you live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-suggest-you-to-do-war-but-never-love-because-in-war-either-you-live/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [For there is hardly a state or nation in existence which has not once had the misfortune, even if it was in the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/for-there-is-hardly-a-state-or-nation-in-existence-which-has-not-once/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [But Christianity is an invention of sick brains: one could imagine nothing more senseless, nor any more indecent way of turning the idea of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/but-christianity-is-an-invention-of-sick-brains-one-could-imagine/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [The swine who stole my dog doesn't realize what he did to me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-swine-who-stole-my-dog-doesn-t-realize-what-he-did-to-me/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [“Stalin is one of the most extraordinary figures in world history. He began as a small clerk, and he has never stopped being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/stalin-is-one-of-the-most-extraordinary-figures-in-world-history-he/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to permit the conquered Eastern peoples to have arms. History teaches that all conquerors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-most-foolish-mistake-we-could-possibly-make-would-be-to-permit/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [Never forget that the most sacred right on this earth is mans right to have the earth to till with his own hands, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/never-forget-that-the-most-sacred-right-on-this-earth-is-mans-right/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

[Explore all 771 Adolf Hitler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

## More Conviction quotes

> [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/)

[Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [Once you pull the trigger, you've got to throw balls aggressively and with conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-smith/once-you-pull-the-trigger-you-ve-got-to-throw-balls-aggressively-and/)

[Alex Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-smith/)

> [I've been around in public life for a long time. I think people know what I stand for. They know that I have strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-turnbull/i-ve-been-around-in-public-life-for-a-long-time-i-think-people-know/)

[Malcolm Turnbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-turnbull/)

> [“Desert are you, deluge are you, in a crowd of fakes, only truth is you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/desert-are-you-deluge-are-you-in-a-crowd-of-fakes-only-truth-is-you/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [For a successful revolution it is not enough that there is discontent. What is required is a profound and thorough conviction of the justice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-r-ambedkar/for-a-successful-revolution-it-is-not-enough-that-there-is-discontent/)

[B. R. Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/)

> ['Peace on earth, good will toward men' - democracy must cling to that message. For it is my deep conviction that democracy cannot live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/peace-on-earth-good-will-toward-men-democracy-must-cling-to-that/)

[Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/)

> [No physiologist who calmly considers the question in connection with the general truths of his science, can long resist the conviction that different parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/no-physiologist-who-calmly-considers-the-question-in-connection-with/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [ Beneath everything else, North and West, there ran a profound, unvoiced, almost subconscious conviction that the \[American\] nation was going to go on growing-in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-catton/beneath-everything-else-north-and-west-there-ran-a-profound-unvoiced/)

[Bruce Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-catton/)

> [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [When you fight to give your family bread, that's not passion anymore: that's conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoel-romero/when-you-fight-to-give-your-family-bread-that-s-not-passion-anymore/)

[Yoel Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoel-romero/)

> [If you know the differences between an oak and a poplar, a spruce and a pine, down to the needles... you are able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-allen-lawson/if-you-know-the-differences-between-an-oak-and-a-poplar-a-spruce-and/)

[T. Allen Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-allen-lawson/)

> [We need the conviction to be able to think for ourselves and to take action outof our own sense of responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/we-need-the-conviction-to-be-able-to-think-for-ourselves-and-to-take/)

[Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/)

> [The law of England has established trial by judge and jury in the conviction that it is the mode best calculated to ascertain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/the-law-of-england-has-established-trial-by-judge-and-jury-in-the/)

[Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/)

> [If you are going to flip something, you must have the courage of your convictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-child/if-you-are-going-to-flip-something-you-must-have-the-courage-of-your/)

[Julia Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-child/)

> [We embark unhesitatingly on the path, in a direction that is absolutely right and urgent, supported by everyone, in the knowledge that this path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yehudi-menuhin/we-embark-unhesitatingly-on-the-path-in-a-direction-that-is/)

[Yehudi Menuhin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yehudi-menuhin/)

[Browse all 2,157 Conviction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Worst of all, however, is the devastation wrought by the misuse of religious conviction for political ends. In truth, we cannot sharply enough attack those wretched crooks who would like to make religion an implement to perform political or rather business services for them.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Adolf Hitler"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/worst-of-all-however-is-the-devastation-wrought-by-the-misuse-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Conviction"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/worst-of-all-however-is-the-devastation-wrought-by-the-misuse-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/adolf-hitler-253_conviction_worst-of-all-however-is-the-devastation_1627353.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/adolf-hitler-253_conviction_worst-of-all-however-is-the-devastation_1627353.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/adolf-hitler-253_conviction_worst-of-all-however-is-the-devastation_1627353.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Worst of all, however, is the devastation wrought by the misuse of religious conviction for political ends…” — Adolf Hitler",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Adolf Hitler",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Worst of all, however, is the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/worst-of-all-however-is-the-devastation-wrought-by-the-misuse-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/worst-of-all-however-is-the-devastation-wrought-by-the-misuse-of/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
