Does anybody have any good examples of Atheist violence?

Question

Everybody seems to be scared to death of Atheists, but it's always the religious who are actually doing the really violent and cruel stuff, like the "honor-killings" of girls in Muslim countries, terrorism, the Inquisition, the burning of countless Jews again and again throughout the ages right here in old Breslau...

I'm sure you'll find a few examples, but can the track record of the Atheists even begin to compare with any given major religion? Try to answer with at least two examples.

Stalin and Polpot! Good answer, with the little dot-dot-dots! I was just wondering though, did they do their killing in the name of Atheism? Or did something else lead them to this? I only ask to make this distinction because Stalin, for example, would be frightening to me based on his particular communist beliefs, not his so-called atheism

hotrod, that's a great link! "all done by Atheists" you say? Is there a branch of Atheism called Jews?
First freakin section entitled:
"Persecution of early Christians by the Jews"

Why not read your link before providing it???

hotrod, there is even a section of your link entitled:
"Persecution of Christians by Christians"

Please tell me more!!!

Well, looks like hotrod has deleted his answer. He had a wikipedia link to Christian persecution, and apparently my playful chiding persuaded him to actually read it! There's an idea, Christians! Read and think before you react!

Answer 1

Stalin and Pol Pot are not good examples; they didn't kill people because they were atheists, they killed because of their ideology.

Hitler was insane, and thought he was doing God's work - an example of what happens when a crazy Christian gets power.

Nero had a huge mental illness, that's not debated.

Napoleon was a military genius, not a genocidal freak.

Answer 2

Stalin and Lenin built a Soviet Union that was officially atheist. This gov't killed more than 60 million people in about 4 decades, not counting their losses during WWII.

Hitler was a Theospohist and launched WWII during which millions more died.

Mao Zadong ruled over Communist China and slaughtered 30 million or more Chinese- once again an officially atheist nation.

Pol Pot destroyed Cambodia imposing Maoist Communism and killing about 1/3 of the nation- or 2 million Cambodians.

Communism is always officially atheist countries.

Answer 3

It depends on how you define Atheist since it is really a very general term form many beliefs that include the disbelief in god.

ADD: The words "under god" were added to the US Pledge to combat Communism which suppressed religion (if not actually seeking to destroy it).

A good point was made above: Atheists usually kill for their politics or ideology since they do not believe in god. It almost makes it an apples and oranges question.

ADD ADD: Socrates was called an Atheist because be believed differently then most of the people in his time. Do you define Atheist as self proclaimed or proclaimed by others? Do they have to be Atheist their whole life? What if they claim religion to get into power but never expound the idea of being religious?

Answer 4

Atheism doesn't stand for anything, so how can someone kill in the name of atheism?

By the way, read about Joseph Stalin sometime. He murdered over 30 million people and he was an admitted Atheist.

There are many more, but what's the sense? I think I will stop at 30,000,000 deaths.

Answer 5

There are a few examples, like the first poster said, Stalin. Some will argue that Hitler was an atheist too. But none of that compares with what people have done in the name of religions. Like the Crusades, the Inquisition, Salem Witch Trials, and most recent example, the Iraq War.

EDIT: Steve, you are the idiot. Bush has used his belief in God to justify the Iraq War. He's the one that said God told him to do it.

Answer 6

BTK Strangler......oh wait. No he was president of the Lutheran Council for his church.

Now the fun part is to list all the religious violence.

People Temple (Jonestown)
9/11
Branch Davidian's
Medieval Inquisition
Spanish Inquisition
Portuguese Inquisition
Roman Inquisition
Conquistadors
Heavens Gate
MftRotTC
Aum Shinrikyo
Lord's Resistance Army
Manson Family
Soldiers of Heaven
House of Yahweh
Solar Temple
Anti-Abortionists
200 Year Crusades
John Paul I Murdered 33 days after inaugaration.

Answer 7

Stalin and Pol Pot are good answers. So is Mao Tse Tung (65 million people killed). The reason is the existence of religion or the lack thereof is no guarentee of violence or peace. Some religions might be more prone to violence than others (ex. Islam). The Human Ape is a vicious predatory animal, PERIOD, and it will always be prone to violence because it is a PREDATOR.
South Park had a couple of pretty good episodes on it.
http://www.therevealer.org/archives/timeless_002719.php

"Science damn it!" "By Science!"

Answer 8

The Reign of Terror during the French Revolution killed 40,000 people, mostly by guillotine. Clergy-people suffered the highest proportional loss, as mobs targeted the upper classes.

No God! No Religion! No King! No Constitution! was one idea in "The terror."

-Atheist

Answer 9

How about countless souls being lost by the deception than God is not real. I know you don't believe it, But every time you convince someone their is no God you send them to hell. Unless someone else can show them the light of salvation. I can't think of a more cruel and violent attack than an eternity apart from the Father.

Answer 10

can't come up with any. i won't take a low blow and bring up the USSR. that's communism, not atheism.

french revolution... that was mostly atheism. or at least anti-religious sentiment.

but, atheism has always had fewer followers., thus giving a smaller chance of violence. humans in large groups are naturally violent sometimes.

Answer 11

Atheistic Communism has killed more people than any other ideology and they were killed in the name of atheism and freeing the world of religion as much aspeople were killed in the name of some religious slogan.

The persecutions in Albania i think get the prize for atheist violence in the name of atheism. Ordinary people were killed simply for saying prayers or hiding religious objects or admitting that they believed in God.

Pol Pot in Cambodia killed millions in the name of atheism,starting with all the Buddhist monks and ordinary temple worshippers

Communism has been much more murderous than all the groups you have mentioned.