What do Atheists think about atheistic N. Korea where the "Dear Leader" is worshipped as a God?

Question

Do Atheists ever stop and think and realize that if Christian doctrine were to disappear completely, some future powerful leader could force his subjects to worship him as a God?

Isn't it Christian doctrine that gives people the sense of liberty by birthright and the will to resist such tyranny? Christianity tells people that only God deserves worship, no human does.

Hitler was atheistic and hated religion, so were Stalin and Kim Jong Il. Notice anything in common about those guys?

In public Hitler pretended to be cool with the Church, but according to his Biography, in private, Hitler hated religion. He wanted people to worship the State, which is why Nazism developed a sort of cult following and all those rallies etc. where they would carry torches..

Grammar,

You bring up things that happened 500 years ago. Many mistakes have been made. Do you now renounce your American citizenship because America was founded by people 300 years ago who nearly exterminated the Natives? If I want to pick and choose, I could find dirt in everyone's history if I go back far enough.

Grammer...

Thanks for the follow up. Fine, but I used examples that were a little more recent and relevant to our times. Also, they are an example of what godless societies could look like...

BTW, Grammer.... you're starting to be creepy.

You're 14 you say? hmmm..... no 14 year old today listens to Pink Floyd. Sure you're not some 40 yo looking for teen chats??

Grammer, well, maybe your are 14, because you lack basic reading and logical comprehension skills. Never did I claim any of those leaders waged their wars in the name of Atheism.
Let me re-word it for you: When societies become atheistic, they become highly susceptible to be controlled by their governments as has occurred in Nazi Germany, Soviet Union and right now in N. Korea.

Answer 1

You know, Christianity isn't the only religion that exists...
Morality and humanity exist out of religion as well, it's not like us Atheists lack an ounce of these very basic human concepts.
And besides, those dictators you listed? None of them EVER committed their atrocities in the name of Atheism. On the other hand, as far as the Inquisition, Crusades, and Witch hunts go.... Well, sounds like a decent sense of "liberty" doesn't it?


*Edit:
Excellent. You brought up the point that any of us can find filth in any one belief. So why, while you state this obvious fact, must you make a pathetic attempt to do so with Atheism?

*Edit:
You have been pitifully verbally beaten by a 14 year old.

:)

*Edit:
Still trying ehh? Well, you still fail to present your case that these leaders are committing their crimes in the name of Atheism.


*Edit:
Rest assured, I'm not a pedophile.


*Edit:
Sorry, I was out for lunch. Now, on your last edit, just because religion disappears, the automatic alternative is NOT a mad hatter dictatorship (although it can happen). Hell, even theocracies can often be categorized as dictatorships! What do you have to say of Herod? Under a religion, it is equally possible for a nation to fall into a crazed frenzy of religious fanaticism, which can be equally destructive as nationalistic fanaticism.


*Edit:
I think we've reached a stalemate.

Answer 2

You are absolutely wrong. Christians worship Christ, who was a man. As for North Koreans, I can tell you that any true atheist would not worship anyone as a god since we do not believe in god. As for your examples, Hitler hated religion, true, but he still believed in god. You should probably read more sources, since there are numerous biographies on him. Stalin was a madman who was a sociopath. No religion could have changed that, and Kim Jong Il appears to be no different. It is curious why you left Pope Urban II, who started the Crusades and actually said that Christ commanded the slaughter of an entire race of people, off of your list. You have also failed to mention the numerous other leaders who have started wars and killed in the name of your supposedly peaceful god.

And for the record, the Constitution never once uses the word "god" anywhere, and America was largely founded by non-Christians. Also, Christian morality has been found lacking throughout history, and it was church leaders who often used the Bible to defend slavery until the bitter end.

"Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burned, tortured, fined and imprisoned. What has been the effect of this coercion? To make half the world fools and half hypocrites; to support roguery and error all over the world"- Thomas Jefferson

Answer 3

Ok, so only if one is Christians is he/she able to resist tyranny? Hmm.... I hope thats not your intent with this question. Also I believe worshipping only one true god started with the Jews, well as far as common western religion is concerned. I'm also fairly sure Muslims worship only one true god, so I guss your Christian thing is not so exclusive using only that, perhaps some more proofs would be helpful in your attempt.

Now for my own little rant. Are there any true atheist? By this I mean people who hold nothing sacred and above all else? Perhaps something like money, power, sex or science. In some way could all those also be considered a religion of sorts?

Thanks for taking the time to read all that.

peace and chocolate

Answer 4

Firstly, how would Christian doctrine in anyway stop N. Korea from being led by a tyrannical dictator who wants to be worshipped like a god (that’s not technically atheism if you ask me).

“Isn't it Christian doctrine that gives people the sense of liberty by birthright and the will to resist such tyranny?”
--Uh, no. explain how it does, ‘cause I just don’t see it. lol

Hitler was Catholic. He died in good standing with the Catholic church.
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Edit: Ah but one way or the other, Hitler used the Christian religion to justify killing the Jews. Christianity was an accessory.

It didn't stop that dictator and Germany was a Christian country.

Answer 5

If they are worshipped as gods then it is hardly atheism. Mao was also idolised by the masses, that is cult of the personality not atheism. History book's in the library... good one, Mao Zedong : a bibliography by Alan Lawrance.

edit: I do not think that any government you have cited above has ever set out to create an atheistic nation, they were established using different social forms of governance rather than on religious grounds, they are not theocracies but totalitarian states centred around socialism, not atheism. It just so happens that socialism favours secularism rather than theism in its make up. China is a prime example, you should really change your wording to; totalitarian forms of government are more prone to individuals abusing their power base to further their own ends, deification in the eyes of the people is merely a by-product of propaganda and censorship.

Answer 6

An excellent point, one that will come true at the end of days. Kim Jong Il, Stalin are lesser versions of men being worshipped as gods whose pictures were forced into every home and saluted as gods. Even the atheists know that atheism will die unless it becomes another religion with some man as a god. I think humanism is figuring this out the hard way: You can't eliminate god(s), you simply substitute new high priests and new rituals and create a religion in order to survive. August Comte attempted just that, placing his deviant ideas as a religion to be followed. So did Nietzche who went mad attempting it and Hitler died implementing it.

Answer 7

What do Christians think of Tim Haggard, Jim & Tammy Baker, Jimmy Swaggart, and Fred Phelps? These people are Christians, whether Christians like them or not.

I could also mention the Pope who called the Chrusades, the Spanish Inquisitions, the massacre of Native Americans, etc.

Answer 8

"Do Atheists ever stop and think and realize that if Christian doctrine were to disappear completely, some future powerful leader could force his subjects to worship him as a God?"

Did you ever stop to think that kind of thing doesn't work on atheists? We're the ones who don't believe in gods.

I'm amazed at how good you are at forgetting that fact when it's convenient.

Answer 9

You worship a man as God...........don't you claim Jesus was God in the form of a man?

There have been several instances when this has occurred in a smaller group of Christians.

Davis Koresh
Jim Jones
John Nichols Thom
Ayya Vaikundar
Klaus Kinski
Sergei Torop
Grigory Grabovoy
Steve d'Orleans

Truth hurt?

Answer 10

Have you seen Jesus Camp? Any of the scenes where 6 year olds enthusiastically declared that they would die for Jesus? The constant references to waging war?

Don't try to tell me that Christians are immune to manipulation. What's worse, these are the people who are most closely following the writings.