Does the fact that atheists have killed millions "excuse" the violence within Christianity?

Question

Since the 1st century until very recent centuries, Christianity has been VERY oppressive and violent towards non believers, those of other faiths and enemies within. Very close to *ALL" Christianity denominations have been guilty. It is WELL documented, and can't be "truthfully" denied.

But, why do almost all the Christian fundies here on YA, offer atheist killings as an "excuse" or "explanation" for Christians who have killed, tortured, dominated and oppressed in the name of God throughout history?

Answer 1

The communist regimes did not kill in the name of atheism (i.e., in the name of non-belief in the existence of a god ). They killed in the name of the Marxist/Leninist para-religion of communistic dialectical materialism.They wanted allegiance to their para-religion only.



The Christians, on the other hand, killed in the name of their religion and their god.





Added



Example.



In the early thirteenth century, a crusade was called to eradicate the Albigensen “heresy” in southern France. As a result, whole towns were destroyed and tens of thousands of people were murdered. When the crusaders attacked the town of Beziers in southern France, they asked the papal legate who was their commander how they would be able to distinguish the town’s fellow Catholics from its Catharistic “heretics.” His reply: “Kill them all. God knows his own.” The crusaders, in their religious fervor, were quite happy to oblige the order. But after growing bored with giving the town’s inhabitants a quick death by the sword, they amused themselves by torturing their victims in unspeakable ways.

Answer 2

I am responsible for my own actions! I neither have to apologize or make excuses for the actions of others.



NDMA ...... therefore you are saying that your actions have never, ever been influenced by anything whatsoever. Think about it ...... THAT'S what you really said.

1 minute ago



NO, Which word didn't you understand?



I said i am responsible for my own actions not the actions of anybody else. What may or may not influence my actions is a side issue.



Right the League of Militant Atheists did not kill in the name of atheism the killed in the name of league or militant! The difference is one who as as you claim 'kills in the name of Christianity" is going against the principles of Christianity - one who kills as an athiest is not going against the principles of atheism.



Lets look at the Crusades. What was the basis for them? The Muslims invaded the "Holy Roman Empire" It was about defending the homeland and later about getting them over there before they come over here.. It was not about Christianity but defending the empire against foreign invaders. That the empire happened to be Catholic does not make it something based on Christianity.



Has the propaganda machine used religious sentiment to dupe the people into war. Sure, as have idealogies like Nationalism, Patriotism, Politics etc. If you get educated and read a few books you would know that in the common era there have been about 1500 wars fought. Of those more than 1200 were completely secular with no identifiable religious component. If you do the math 16% of the 1500 had a religious component. That means 84% were for secular wars. If it were about religion or of Christianity were particularly violent those numbers should be reversed...

Answer 3

I don't try to justify religion's violent past. I look at it this way.

Christianity didn't cause the problems, religious followers did. To make my point clearer, if a school had a group of bad students and they eventually got rid of them, would the school be remembered and known just for the bad students?



Edit: @Peter: Christianity isn't inherently evil in itself, though, as you seem to be implying. I'm not like the fundies you've described, and thankfully, so are a lot of people.

And David F probably said it better than anyone else here.

And if you want to believe all religion is bad, then why are you asking us this question?

Answer 4

Sour ***** Stalins objective was to eradicate God and any memory of Him from the nation . That is the definition of atheism , and the motivation of those atrocities , if that can be trivialised into "non knitters" you are an idiot .



However the atrocities wrought by Roman Cathlocism are not Christian , catholics follow the pope .



neither deeds are excusable , but get your facts straight before you accuse people ., and slandering a group of people .

Answer 5

Your mostly speaking of the Roman Catholics. Yes they have done a whole bunch of horrible things in the name of "Christianity" upon closer look you will know they do not teach sound doctrine. This is why there was the Protestant Movement. The Catholics added extra books to the Bible, taught that you should pray to Mary and the Saints, infant baptism, heck they even change the Sabbath day from Saturday to Sunday.

Answer 6

I'm guessing that this is about the early Russian and Chinese communists who claimed that they were atheists. It is true that these countries were against religion and god; and Russia under Stalin murdered millions. But these people had a weird view that it was their particular country that was god.



Calm down peter. This issue won't be solved tonight.

Answer 7

But they do not! They lie about people concerned being atheist when they were not showing either lack of education or simply deliberate false claims!



Stalin was raised a Catholic and completely controlled the Russian Orthodox Church!



Fidel Castro was at the worst agnostic and actually protected religions!



Kim Jong-Il is a god head for his own religion and is very pro religion and encouraged the building of Russian orthodox churches in North Korea!



Napoleon Bonaparte had a strong belief in God, but he voiced many criticisms of organized religion!



Ho Chi Minh was a Mahayana Buddhist!



Che Guevara was raised a Catholic and although he left the catholic church he remained a Christian!



Benito Mussolini Converted to Roman Catholicism in 1927 and encouraged the building of Catholic churches!



Mao Zedong was a Buddhist!



Pol Pot is the only one who might have been an atheist but all the historians will say is that he saw the dreadful things done to his people in the name of religion and that is why he banned it!



But what silly claims like theirs do is draw attention to the fact that whilst there has never, EVER, been a war in the name of atheism there have been many in the name of Christianity!



Crusades.



Inquisition.



WWII - Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord. - Adolf Hitler



My feelings as a Christian points me to my Lord and Savior as a fighter.

- Adolf Hitler



George W Bush started FIVE wars in less than eight years stating each time that it was his "God Given Duty” and in 2001 even called it a Crusade!



Not his duty to the electors!



Not his duty to America!



Just his duty to keep slaughtering heathens for his god!

Answer 8

What atheist killings? I've never heard of these killings.

Anyway, no, it doesn't excuse the Crusades.

Answer 9

I think you're confusing pagan Romans with Atheists.

Answer 10

No, because there's nothing in "I don't believe in god" that orders you, or justifies killing people, or doing immoral things, like there is in Christianity.

Answer 11

Anyone that says atheists killed millions is an idiot; you might as well say non knitters killed millions as I'm pretty sure stalin, hitler, polpot and mao weren't into knitting.

Answer 12

While there have been atheists who were evil (Pol Pot comes to mind), they did not kill because of religious belief. Pol Pot did not kill in the name of atheism, but political ideology.

Answer 13

Name one bad atheist whose actually physically killed someone.

Remember: hitler was not atheist