Atheists typically point to religion as the cause of wars. For example, Dawkins does in “The God Delusion.” The believer’s blind faith is said to drive them to kill because he is hoping to please God by promoting His cause. However, they neglect to mention the killing done to promote Atheism such as the Cultural Revolution in China. Christians daily are slaughtered there by Atheists to promote Atheism. Do the moral atrocities in China invalidate the claim that a populous informed by Atheism would be less likely to commit ideology driven crimes against humanity and wars?
2007-02-10 08:04:37 · 17 answers · asked by Brofo 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Atheists are not a group like all Christians are. Those atheists mean nothing to me.
Atheism is a disbelief, and Christianity is a belief, which can not be compared to each other. Nobody would kill in the name of a DISBELIEF, but for a politically reason as an example. Remember, China is a communist country. Communists kill in the name of Communism
2007-02-10 08:07:43 · answer #1 · answered by FAUUFDDaa 5 · 3⤊ 3⤋
I'm sure it makes you feel better to believe that. Most wars are started out of greed for more land or political control. Religion is often used as an excuse. Atheism has never been used as an excuse. A war started by an atheist (and I'm struggling to think of one) is not necessarily a war caused by atheism. Name one war that has been fought in the name of not believing in God.
2016-05-25 03:55:40 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As far as I can see in history, the only wars started in the 20th Century by atheists were the Korean War and Vietnam, both started by communists. World War One was started when a Serbian (whom I believe was a Christian) murdered the Arch Duke Ferdinand, a Christian, and then the Germans joined in, led by Kaiser Wilhelm, who was also a Christian (the German belt buckles were emblazoned with "Gott Mit Uns:" God is with us). World War Two was started (the declared part, anyway) by Hitler, who had been raised Catholic. The Japanese had invaded China some years before, and while not Christian, they were a deeply spiritual people. Italy invaded Ethiopia in the mid 30s; anyone know an Italian who was anything but Catholic? Europe went through something like nine centuries of sectarian warfare. It's still pretty tense in Northern Ireland and the former Yugoslavia.
I'm not saying atheists are incapable of starting wars, by any means. The wars they start are political and ideological rather than religious. However, I believe an atheist would negotiate regardless of religious differences. Try asking a Muslim to leave his religion out of a negotiation. Not going to happen. I dare say a Christian would want to get his two cents in for Jesus as well.
2007-02-10 08:25:01 · answer #3 · answered by link955 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Um, the Cultural Revolution was about promoting Marxism and communism. It had very little to do with atheism other than the fact that religion went against the ideas of Karl Marx.
2007-02-10 08:17:57 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Communists happen to be atheists. Communists fight against any ideology that might supplant the state in the minds of the people. There is no necessary connection between Communism and Atheism, and your attempt to make one is a form of the fallacy "Biased Sample". Crusades and Jihad, on the other hand, are precisely because of the dictates of religious leaders.
2007-02-10 08:18:24 · answer #5 · answered by neil s 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Indeed, the wars of atheism against "religionists" have committed far worse atrocities than anything the religionists afflicted others with. I include in that category the Buddhists in, for example, Burma who have no problem killing the Christians in Burma.
Atheistic governments seek to fully oppose God by attempting to remake man in their atheistic image. What history shows is that doing this involves killing most of the people under that government to obtain a small handful whom the government can then point to as "remade."
2007-02-10 08:09:33 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The Chinese Communists killed people in the name of Communism, not Atheism. Same thing with the Soviet Union. Atheists who subscribe to Secular Humanism do not condone the murderous acts of Communists, or anyone else for that matter.
Communists are atheists, but most atheists aren't Communists. If you don't understand this go back to school.
2007-02-10 08:10:17 · answer #7 · answered by Psyleet 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Some atheists say faith, some say irrationality. Personally I think it's both... religious faith can only lead to violent disagreement and irrationality never does anyone any good. BOTH are inextricably woven into the fabric of religion and both are terribly dangerous.
And I hadn't heard that anyone was being killed in the name of non-belief. Any links? Any PROOF that this is why these alleged killings are taking place?
2007-02-10 08:08:27 · answer #8 · answered by ZER0 C00L ••AM••VT•• 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I really hate to agree withthe writers at South Park, but I don't think the problem is atheism, but rather -isms in general. The previous 16 answers to this question all included isms. Communism, catholicism, atheism, conservatism, liberalism, fundamentalism. It would seem that the problem begins when you are willing to fight to make others believe what you believe. Fundamentalism in religious beliefs causes some to fight to have everyone believe what they believe. Liberalism vs. conservatism has decided that not attempting to fix the nation's problems are better than attempting to fix them without adhering to their idealistic methods. Atheism isn't the problem, but fighting for our -isms will be the death of us all.
2007-02-11 07:23:21 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry, atheism had no part in that, just a continuation of the ruthless murderous governments of china.
Communism is not atheism, communism demands that the party be worshipped and held as infallable.
2007-02-10 08:28:39 · answer #10 · answered by corvis_9 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋