Would it be accurate to say...?

Question

that religion is the leading cause of death?

Harlomcs, there is much politics in religion.

Answer 1

i think it would be a fairly accurate statement

Answer 2

Probably not. I think heart disease has that market cornered.

But even as far as ideologies go, in the 20th century at least, the atheist and neo-pagan ideologies of Communism and Nazism beat religion hands down. The concentration camp and the gulag were far more lethal than any jihad or crusade. We all know that Hitler exterminated 6,000,000 Jews (and some several million more other gypsies, homosexuals, disabled, and other "undesireables"). In addition, Stalin alone was responsible for over 40,000,000 deaths.

Deaths due to religious fanaticism throughout the ages are harder to tally (it's also harder to tell "religion" from "politics" before the Enlightenment, so it might be argued that religion's tally is even lower than it might otherwise appear), and it's hard to say whether or not Innocent III would have availed himself of nuclear technology against the Muslims if he'd had it (I suspect not, since that would have obliterated the Holy Land). So, final scores aren't in yet, but at least this last round looks pretty bad for secularism.

Answer 3

Actually, the leading cause of death is mortality. It is a fact of life that each of us will die. We each have a 100% chance of death.

There are all sorts of methods of death. Some are natural, like old age. Some are due to our own mistakes in life. Smoking is a leading cause of cancer, which is one way we damage our own bodies to the point that they just cannot carry on the functions of life.

Some are violent, perpetrated by other humans for a variety of reasons. Insanity for one. War for another. Religion can be blamed, but usually it is misuse of religion for personal gain that is the true culprit.

Answer 4

I'm sure it's up there. Unfortunately, it's more accurate to say that OTHER PEOPLE'S religion is a leading cause of death.

Answer 5

No, it's generally old age and pullmonary adema, followed by heart failure due to congestive arterial clogs (caused, generally by Red Meat, McDonalds, Wendys, Burger King) followed by cancer, followed by car crashes, followed by gun shot wounds.

So you now have to ask youself, are you an old person with excessive histamine flow who eats hamburgers at fast food restaraunts, takes birth control pills, lives near a GE plant that puts PCBS into the water, drives a can, owns a gun (or knows people who owns them)?

If so, you're life expectancy is very low, even if you're an atheist!

Don't come to me with those items on your resume and ask me to insure you. I don't give you very good odds of living past 58!

Neither does the Goverment, that's why they've raised the retirment age for anyone under 45 to 67 or 72. The goverment KNOWS you have LOW odds of making it that far!

Answer 6

No. Take Russia for instance. In the 10 years after the abolition of the church, they killed more people than had been killed in the 200 years before.

Answer 7

No. Deviation from religion is.

Answer 8

no, mortality is still in the lead--once we figure out how to become immortal, it'll all be good

Answer 9

I would have to agree that it is on the top of the list...

Answer 10

It's a close second to old age annd disease.