do atheists cause wars?

Question

sl you just totally contridicted yourself

Answer 1

I'm sure they do, as do religious folks. Religious folks tend to do it because of their religion, whereas atheists tend to do it for other reasons - power, land etc. - not because of their atheism.

Answer 2

Not that I am aware of. There were wars by Communists who were atheists but not secondary to atheism itself, it was about promoting Communism. Today if we look at how societies are faring it is the secular ones with the lowest levels of religious belief that are doing the best at providing peaceful, stable societies.


I am not saying that atheists are perfect people or that some are terrible people just that nothing can be generalized to be inherently wrong or war mongering about atheists. Whilst religion has propagated much divisiveness, competition, and war.

Answer 3

There's not been one war fought by any of the major powers over religion. And I think most of those here who cite religion as a common cause of war are merely repeating a lazy slogan that has been floating in the ether for a few decades now. I guarantee you none of the people repeating this can cite examples. Name one American war, Russian war or Chinese war fought in the name of religion in the last century.

I rest my case.

Answer 4

Throughout history, religion has been a most contentious and controversial subject. Wars have been fought in the name of religion. As examples, the Crusades come to mind, as well as the Islamic wars. People have been burned at the stake. Untold human misery has been caused in the name of religion.
So, let's set aside our differences and concentrate on what we can agree on. If you believe in an all-knowing and all-mighty God, then let God decide who is going to make it. If you don't believe that, you can at least believe in and promote a better future. In either case, we must learn to live and let live. Do stand up for your own beliefs, but don't follow those who seek to divide us for their own ends. Rather than fighting or harming or killing those who differ from us, we must learn to live in harmony and appreciate the diversity that is the spice of life.

Answer 5

In a way, yes. People who say and probably actually think they believe in God and are religious -- but who lack whatever critical thing it would take to make them have true faith, and really follow God's teachings -- cause wars.

Bush is not an atheist by many people's definition. But in the strictest definition -- which is, does he follow God's teachings and exhibit true faith -- he fails and is closer to a non-believer / unsaved one.

-----For the guy who says "no one ever started a war FOR atheism", you're dead wrong. Materialism is atheism. Wars are started every day over oil and gold. Read your history. Most religious talk meant to justify war is just window dressing to manipulate the home folks who need to hear a rationale for war.

Answer 6

No, we have better things to do than motivate a nation by inflating their pride to the point they feel they are superior to another nation.

This is usually done by emphasizing and degrade the differences in another nations culture and religion.

Once you can convince people that your religion and culture are better than another it is easy to motivate them to kill those others and they fee justified doing it.

This is basically demonizing your enemy to get the people behind you. You can see this tactic used by all governments on their people. It is what they use to get their people motivated to kill other people.

The reality is that we as human beings need to take responsibility. If people where not so willing to kill, Christian or otherwise, we would not be so easily motivated. it is not religion that is the problem it is us.

Answer 7

If one looks at history....
The Christian church, in what is considered historically to be the worst century for "killings", managed in the 11th century, with fall of Jerusalem in July of that year, to kill about 900,000 Muslims, Jews and Christians.

The atheist governments that ruled the USSR, China, North Korean, North Vietnam and Cuba in the 20th century managed to exterminate about 183 million of its people.

That gives the atheist about a 23:1 kill ratio victory over the worst the church has ever mangaed in a single century.

Answer 8

Nope.
People wanting what somebody else has causes wars.

Answer 9

Never heard of a war from them.

Answer 10

Some do, stalin for example. But as far as I know it's not over atheism.

Answer 11

Only to the extent that the religious feel justified (even obligated) to control and dominate those that don't buy in to their delusion. Religion is the biggest lifcense to kill ever invented.