Hey, atheists . . . .

[MrFun]

Often, on this forum, whenever there is discussion of religion in general, some resident atheists here like to rehash exclusively on historical and present accounts of how people of different religions have oppressed others, focusing only on the ugly side of religion.

Well I guess some of you have forgotten the crimes against humanity that were committed for the sake of gaining political power by some atheists. Stalin's bloody purge of Orthodox and Catholic clergy for example. And how about Mao's Cultural Revolution, when he and his goons systematically destroyed monasteries and churches?

My point to you guys is that while religions of the world have their ugly side, you cannot ignore the ugly side of atheism. Keep that in mind next time you jerk your knee in excitement when you're about to rehash the usual tirade about the bloody Crusades, or today's persecution of gays and women in extreme-Muslim countries while ignoring the good that religions have done for humanity.

I can acknowledge and discuss the ugly side of religions but at least I'm also knowledgeable about the good that others of the different religions have done. Can some who are atheists honestly do the same thing?

[Vesayen]

What is the ugly side of athiesm, besides the fact that a minority of them are well, douche bags, compared to say, slavery, the crusades and millenia of opression of various minorities?

[BlackCat]

lunatic atheists are reason enough for excusing religions committing atrocities - difference is that ordinary atheists doesn't have a "we know the real god and acts upon his commands" mantra that excuses anything done to belivers of false faiths.

[Pekka]

Uummm, exactly how is destroying churches an "atheist attack"??? Hey, consider this MrFun, if people don't kill for God, there's still plenty of reasons to kill that are not "atheist reasons". Get over yourself. Churches and priests etc are often under attack because they have power. Just like the elite in general, or do you think some military dudes just hate teachers and people like that because, uhm, they're teacherists?

YOu can't start a discussiona bout the positive sides of religion by starting "ATHEIST MURDERERS OF RELIGUN HATERZ32 plenty examplkems" VALIDITY COMES HERE! ??? PROFIT!

Maybe we should also remember that Hitler built roads and lifted the economy and was an artist before we only look at the bad things in him, right ?

And no, I'm not comparing religions to Hitler, I was just pointing out the ridiculous nature of your argument.

[Dinner]

Please. Stalin didn't give a **** about religion other then that it might be a possible challenger to his dictatorship thus it had to be destroyed. The rhetoric was just propaganda. Notice how the communists basically ignored individual religious people once the organization itself, the part that might challenge it, was dismantled?

[Lorizael]

Godwinized by the fourth post, ladies and gentlemen. Nothing to see here. Go home.

[Lorizael]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Please. Stalin didn't give a **** about religion other then that it might be a possible challenger to his dictatorship thus it had to be destroyed. The rhetoric was just propaganda.

And you think the rhetoric of the crusades was anything more than propaganda?

[Pekka]

Oerdin, hey no **** hombre. It's like someone would actually believe it makes sense to attack religious people just because you aren't religious. "I kill you for you believe in God and religions and I think there is no such thing!".

No. If you want power and the church doesn't comply, you need to waste them. In fact, if you're pretty sure they won't be praising you, you should waste in pre-emptively. They can denounce you and play with the auhtority, who is the bigger authority, some dictator or God? You know you can't have that. Same with higher education and so forth. Or are books banned and burned because they don't believe in books? No.

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Vesayen
What is the ugly side of athiesm, besides the fact that a minority of them are well, douche bags, compared to say, slavery, the crusades and millenia of opression of various minorities?

... while a minority of religious types are the same. Most religious atrocities and whatnot are just as blameable on politics/etc. as the atheist ones are (to oerdin's point)...

[Pekka]

Lori, it doesn't matter in religion vs atheism. If religion is used as an excuse to fire up people who then in turn get up in arms and kill.... well, that's what is an issue then. In non-religious wars, I Mean you can't point them to be the opposite of religious wars and then say it's the "atheist wars" instead. That's laughable.

And please do note, I'm not bashing ANY religion here. JUst the argument. I just think it doesn't fly, it wouldn't work as a metaphor, it doesn't work as an analogue, in fact there's nothing logical in this argument.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Lorizael


And you think the rhetoric of the crusades was anything more than propaganda?

I'm pretty sure that the opponents had similiar rhetorics. While probably mainly based upon religion, there probably also was a small bit of politics involved.

[snoopy369]

Atheism is just as much a religion as Catholocism. It's Athe-ISM for a reason...

Agnostic is not a religion, on the other hand. Atheists believe there is no god; agnostics don't give a !@%$.

Those anti-religious actions listed in the OP were Atheist religious actions; I don't think Mao/Stalin believed in Atheism any more than half of the top religious types believe truly in any religion. In both cases they are using rhetoric to accomplish a political goal...

[SlowwHand]

Originally posted by MrFun
Often Can some who are atheists honestly do the same thing?

Evidently not.

Originally posted by Vesayen
What is the ugly side of athiesm, besides the fact that a minority of them are well, douche bags, compared to say, slavery, the crusades and millenia of opression of various minorities?

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by SlowwHand


Evidently not.

Atheists haven't had nearly as long to do their dirty work

[Pekka]

Besides what's the point of this anyway? If someone doesn't know the benefits of religion or the positive effects of it, I mean they're dumb as a rock.