Which has been responsible for more death and suffering through human history--atheism or religion?

Answer 1

Religion, but not the true one. Jesus' true followers obey his instruction to love their enemies and to pray for those persecuting them. They do not go to war for any reason.

Answer 2

Atheism, even in governments that were predominantly atheistic, has never been a reason to kill in war. No one went to war saying, "We're gonna make them atheists, we'll show them there's no god!"

Those governments went to war as a result political leanings and general greed - Marxism, for example.

However, religion has been a direct cause of war. The Crusades, Sept 11, and mass murders like them throughout history have been based on religious belief and the "will of God," or "God's work."

Anyone who says Hitler was an atheist needs to actually pick up a book on the subject... perhaps his own book, Mein Kampf, which mentions god repeatedly. In this case, though... I think his motivations were motivated by ideologies other than his religious beliefs.

Answer 3

I think your intention of asking this question is ... you wish to conclude that atheism is superior to being religious.

Friend, if you just count the number of deaths then may be they are more in number due to religious issues.

But instead of number if you take percentage (%) of deaths then I am sure, that atheists who were killed in the total population of atheists is definitely more than religious persons killed in the total population of religious persons.

Answer 4

It seems to me that no set of beliefs improves people that much. We just kill each other regardless of faith or ethnicity. However, the theists are numerically superior and have racked up a much higher score. The atheist minority would have to work overtime to match their sheer volume of mindless violence...

Answer 5

Neither. It's from wanting land and power. Although, Hitler, an Atheist did a lot of damage!

Hitler may in public have claimed to be doing the will of God, but records of his private conversations show otherwise. Many of these were recorded by his secretary and published in a book called Hitler's Table Talk (Adolf Hitler, London, Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1953).

27th February, 1942, midday

"It would always be disagreeable for me to go down to posterity as a man who made concessions in this field. I realize that man, in his imperfection, can commit innumerable errors-- but to devote myself deliberately to errors, that is something I cannot do. I shall never come personally to terms with the Christian lie."

"Our epoch in the next 200 years will certainly see the end of the disease of Christianity.... My regret will have been that I couldn't... behold ." (p 278)

Answer 6

Well considering that most wars have been faught over land, power, money, ethnic superiority and other atheistic values..I would say easily atheism.

Answer 7

Neither - it's greed, often under the guise of religion, but a true Christian would not condone such horrific deeds.

Answer 8

Neither. Religion has just been a front for political ends -- desire for land, power, or resources.

Answer 9

If you are talking about expanses of time alone, religion. If you are talking about sum total, atheistic communism of the 20th century.

Answer 10

religion => they burned ppl alive and forced ppl to pay for the church,rewrited the whole bible 4 theyr own good and all ....