2007-10-04 10:08:21 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I didn't know we said communism is a religion even though it does not have a god figure.
2007-10-04 10:11:59 · answer #1 · answered by atheist 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Although Religion usually refers to a belief system that has a god head, a god head is not necessary to a belief system. See entry #4 below which was copied from an on-line dictionary.
re·li·gion (r -l jn) n.
1. a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. b. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
2. The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
3. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
4. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
2007-10-04 10:26:48 · answer #2 · answered by wry humor 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"The State" or "The Leader" takes the role of the god figure. The Kims in North Korea, Stalin, Mao, etc.
This is Communism-in-practice, which is totalitarianism with red stars and worker's overalls. Communism-in-theory is even advocated in the NT.
2007-10-04 10:18:34 · answer #3 · answered by Doc Occam 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What?!
I've never said communism is a religion! It's a political ideology.
Political ideologies can become like religions if their proponents believe they hold all the answers and no other ideas can make a valid contribution.
2007-10-04 10:18:44 · answer #4 · answered by K 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
sorry, you have strange atheists friends. Communism is not a religion but a philosophy, which might be adopted or discarded even by atheists and agnostics. Have a nice day.
2007-10-04 10:17:09 · answer #5 · answered by remy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
communism is not a religion for that and many other good reasons. however, the way that communism has been implemented by people such as mao and stalin, as an ideological system that must not be questioned, is very similar to certain religious approaches. unfortunately for communism, it is unclear how it could be implemented in any other way.
2007-10-04 10:13:30 · answer #6 · answered by vorenhutz 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
They don't. But since communism is a belief in a system without ANY hard evidence of success or truth and since the believers in it are fanatical, self-deceived, and irrationally devoted to their philosophy despite monumental amounts of evidence that it's flawed, I would say that there is a decent case to be made comparing communism and religion.
2007-10-04 10:16:25 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
I guess that can be true if you define religion as a way of life, so it can be anything to having God around to help you, or relying on other things aside from God.
2007-10-04 10:21:48 · answer #8 · answered by wind m 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I doubt that atheists would say that.
In pure philosophical terms its closer to atheism and prominent communists were atheist, in practice it falls apart though and seems to be enforced so rigidly that it becomes a dogma and then ends up having more in common with dictatorships or religious laws.
2007-10-04 10:13:22 · answer #9 · answered by Leviathan 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
We don't. A Christian wrote a book about communism called "The God That Failed". Perhaps that is your source of confusion.
2007-10-04 10:13:10 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋