Isn't it Hypocritical?

Question

Isn't it hypocritical for Atheist to be so against relious people, specifically Christians, and say there evil because things like the Crusades(a legitimate defence against Muslim Triuphanism) or the Salem witch trials (male hiarchy oppressing women) when the only major Atheistic powers that ever existed, The USSR, killed and oppressed countless millions for the "common good."

China still claims to be atheist and has an atrocious human rights record. Anyone recall the pro-democracy march a few years back when China opened fire on its own citizens.

These two powers should show that it is not so much of a religious problem but extreme adherance to a particular ideology.

One group of people has always hated another. People have been exterminated obased on race or skin color and religion played no part in it.

Science can purify religion from error and superstion. Religion can purify science from idolotry and false absolutes
[Pope John Paul II]

Answer 1

It is not hypocritical to answer religion's assault on rationality.

We defend our sanity, and our right to remain sane, amidst religion attempting to force itself on us via the law.

That is not hypocrisy. It is self-defense.

(Separation of church and state is not an assault on religion. In fact, it protects it. What if Islam became the majority religion here in the US? And your money was stamped with "In Allah We Trust"?)

Answer 2

There are several flaws in your argument. You've overlooked the fact that Acadamia has been almost solely Atheistic for hundreds of years, as has science. The scientific contribution to medicine, agriculture, industry, has been colossal. Our entire way of life is built around contributions made by science, which is empirical and completely unconcerned with God. Acadamia is one of the highest callings for a human being. We are the historians, record keepers, and artists. We give humanity it's history. Without us no idea would last more than a generation.

I agree that ideological and fundamentalist thinking is the problem. But, like many people, you mistakenly assume that Atheism is a kind of doctrine or a school of belief. It is not. You can be an Atheist and belong to almost any school of belief, or adhere to any system of government-- buddhism, socialism, conservatism, fascism, etcetera Only one thing determines whether you are an atheist or not, that you don't believe in God. Atheism demands no dogma, cant, or any type of action from anyone. It is not an ideology by itself, simply a belief. As someone mentioned above, communists weren't killing anyone in the name of atheism or because of their atheism. Christians killed people in the name of Christianity and of their God.

Calling the Crusades defensive is the most blatantly unhistorical and irrational thing I have ever heard. Besides the fact that most atheists would gladly accept that Islam is just as flawed as Christianity. In fact they are incredibly similar, which makes the whole thing a bit ironic.

You forgot to mention The Inquisition.

Answer 3

I'm atheist, Buddhist and NOT "against relious people" (sic). There's a danger in making sweeping generalizations... and BTW I've read PJPII's philosophy, and it's the greatest cafeteria "picking and choosing" of what scientific advances he's going to pay attention and which he didn't. The science that supported HIS pov and rhetoric was "good" and whatever didn't was "idolotry and false absolutes", especially in his tome "The Theology of the Body", which I read cover to cover along with his other "works".

C'mon, be real already. I support and respect people who use their religion for altruism, wisdom and compassion but I have little respect for this kind of failed attempts at logic where they're used for arrogance and to cause harm.

_()_

Answer 4

You've got your "facts" wrong. The USSR and China aren't going around killing and oppressing people in the name of "no god".

The Crusades and witch hunts, however, were definitely done in the name of "god". Really two different things.

"Science can purify religion from error and superstion." Odd, since all of religion is superstition. So, bye bye religion?

And "Religion can purify science from idolotry and false absolutes" is about the dumbest thing I've ever read.

Answer 5

in general i agree that either side using the past is weak at best. But the reality is that all of the supposed "atheist powers" were flawed, in that they never replaced superstition with reason. They replaced religious superstition with Marxist superstition. And yes, blindly following one particular ideology leads to trouble.

I do however think it is ridiculous to say that religion plays no part in groups of people hating one another. More so lack of reason, yes, but there is little more dangerous than someone who thinks God is on their side in a fight.

nice quote from Joh Paul, the only problem is that once science purifies religion from error and superstition, what is left?

Answer 6

Its hypocritical for anyone to judge a whole group with the same label. Sure, I'm a muslim and the guy across the world blowing himself up is a muslim but we have nothing to do with eachother. I cannot control what he does or what any other muslim does. I cannot control what over 1.2 billion people with the same label as me do! Some christians constantly judge muslims as a whole group so some bring up the crusades to push the hypocrisy in their face. And you are doing the same by throwing this at them! I guess we are all hypocrites until we stop generalizing

Answer 7

Er, the crusades where definately about slaughtering people because they didn't believe in Christ. Witch trials were killing people who supposedly were in league with the devil. The point is here, religious reasons caused death.

The Communist nations of China and Russia killed people for a variety of reasons, because they had extremely bad ideas about how to increase economic growth, because they tried to force communism on people [which never works] and when they realised that some people didn't like it, shot them so they couldn't create a counter revolution. These are all socio-economic deaths, not directly linked to being atheists. If it was related to atheism I would expect theists being singled out and put to the sword, but this is not what we see.

So, your argument is unique [I've never seen it here before] but not correct. Sorry, I hope you can see my point.

Answer 8

I'm an Atheist and I don't "hate" anyone.Nor would I try to make laws against anyone.Nor do I try to say my truth is the only truth.Nor do I say that one way of living is the only way of living.Nor do I say that everything I know to be true says so in a book and so it must be true for everyone.Nor do I use what I know to discriminate against people based on gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, race, creed, color, gender identity, or anything else.Go figure.

Answer 9

First, I have many atheist friends and, atheists don't generally call anything evil, because they don't believe in evil (except, maybe Dick Cheney).

It is NOT hypocritical to say there is no god and then not obey God's laws.

It IS, however, very hypocritcal to say there is a God but then disobey his laws - the Crusades, the Inquisition, and any number of atrocities done in the name of God are fair examples.

And you may want to check and UNBIASED history of the Crusades, and recognize the Islamic Triumphalism (whatever you call it) was also done in God's name.

Answer 10

that's hypocritical to call anybody a hypocrite, fairly, via fact all of us surprisingly plenty are. whether i do no longer think of people who call us hypocrites are actual implying that they themselves are proper and astonishing, nor do i think of they are stupid adequate to have self assurance that they stay as much as their very own ethical standards and ethics completely. whilst they call us hypocrites this is in line with what they see--Christians preaching regarding the gospel yet no longer living via it themselves. they are in basic terms calling interest to the certainty that many professing Christians tell others they could desire to stay an analogous life they carry forth, yet in turn those Christians would possibly no longer make any straightforward attempt to stay suggested life themselves. For an occasion of what I mean evaluate why a lot of people have problems with Christians. they are going to frequently point out the bloody history of the Roman Catholic church and the Crusades, or intercourse abuse, or outspoken weirdos like Westboro Baptist Church, money-thieving televangelists, or different in-your-face obnoxious hypocrisy or atrocities. those all people is the familiar public photograph of Christianity for a lot of people and whilst they call us hypocrites this is via fact many professing Christians will brazenly admit they have a ability for honest hatred that they do no longer experience sorry approximately, or will show as plenty by way of their habit. Then there are people who call us hypocrites via fact we consume "unclean" animals via fact they have on no account study the Bible yet for some reason think of they comprehend it extra constructive than we do. :P