What was the NSDAP's official position on religion?
Did they try to create their own organised religion? Were they secular? Are the crazy things we hear about Nazi's religious beliefs an underground thing and up to each individual?
What did it's members actually believe in? Did it deviate much from the party stance?
I've heard everything ranging from "the Nazis hated Christianity" to "actually the Nazis were traditionalist conservative Christians." I've also heard that Hitler was an atheist or that he and some high ranking members were occultist obsessed with mythical items like the Ark of the Covenant (as portrayed in Indiana Jones). How true is that?
My understanding so far is that they hated Christianity (antisemitism, anti-Vatican). But at the same time a lot of their values seem to be based on Judeo-Christian morals (position of women in society, views on homosexuality). However their revival of Germanic mythology appears to be blatant neo-paganism...
I would appreciate if someone could clarify this for me.
Disclaimer: I do not support Nazism/NSDAP or any other type of racist fascist organisation. I am simply trying to understand this from an academic perspective.