Comments on: Pope Benedict Attacks Atheism

By: DrewF

DrewF — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:57:02 +0000

Oh, and as to your historic claims, they are INCREDIBLY inaccurate. Religious genocides have raged for thousands of years and continue today (The crusades, inquisition, witch trials, pogroms, Israel/Palestine, 911, Bosnia, Durfur, Kashmir, the entire old testament is filled with genocidal atrocities carried out with god’s blessing, the Holocaust was carried out with religious reasoning and intolerence, I could go on and on and on…). Many atheists (I cannot speak for all) abhore this behavior, and it is one of the principle beefs we have with religion. There is no reason, and no excuse for religious beliefs, and the absurdity of the fact that so many people have died, suffered, and continue to so in its name (contrary to what you say, no one ever died in the NAME of atheism the same way that people die the name of god, that is, using it specifically as an excuse, unless they were killed by religious authorities) would be funny if it were not so breathetakingly tragic. You are articulate and no doubt intelligent. You should be an atheist, but I won’t push that. Your arguments have some good logic, but your facts are selective.

By: DrewF

DrewF — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:28:40 +0000

Alex, I believe that atheists can claim the moral high ground simply because our beliefs deny the truth claims of religion RATHER THAN asserting a moral dogma. Religion aggressively promotes intolerence, bigotry, sexism, homophobia, cruelty, violence, and the fear of science and rationality. Any atheist who promotes any of these terrible ideas (Mao, Stalin, etc…) does so out of personal (might I add, irrational) feelings and not because of dogma that atheism pushes. Atheism is MORALLY superior to the Abrahamic religions because it lacks a cruel dogma. If anything, atheism promotes a moral system based on the very real fact of our interdependence.

By: Narsufin

Narsufin — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 01:52:21 +0000

Alex, any ideology can be twisted to serve the agenda of those that espouse them. Is it the ideology that is flawed or is it just that some humans are evil bastards?

By: Ian

Ian — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 23:33:41 +0000

Atheistic Ideologies have managed to kill more people in more systematic ways than any other ideologies in history. You donâ€™t have to be religious. But atheists cannot claim any moral high ground when it comes to social manipulation and the destruction of human life.

That’s simply false. These genocides were not carried out due to religious differences, they were purely political.

By: Alex

Alex — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 21:39:55 +0000

Mega-Comrade, how can you ask if there is a connection between Stalin’s destruction of millions and his atheism? His regime was officially atheistic. “Religion is the opiate of the masses” was his political philosophy. In the name of atheism and the new secular order he sent millions to their death, and countless numbers to gulags. He was the successor of Lenin who readily killed his opposition in the name of atheism. Mao is anther who insisted that his atheism allowed him to use and loose the lives of millions of humans to fight his revolution. The Khmer Rouge left piles of skulls in the name of atheism.

You may argue that atheists, as individuals, are generally no more or less moral than religious individuals. But Atheistic Ideologies have managed to kill more people in more systematic ways than any other ideologies in history. You don’t have to be religious. But atheists cannot claim any moral high ground when it comes to social manipulation and the destruction of human life.

By: The Shane

The Shane — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 19:45:55 +0000

I agree with ya, Tom. Also, Ex Patriot: Don’t you know it’s not a sin when it’s done to the Nonbelievers!? [No, I am NOT being serious, I am being ridiculous.]

By: Ex Patriot

Ex Patriot — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:18:48 +0000

The pope should not be one to talk considering the history of the church, the crusades, the inquesition, the buning of witches, the murdering of there own in exterminating the Knights Templars, the church has a nasty history of torture, killing, greed and exploiting the less educated peoples and trying to run countries for their own selfish benefit, not to mention the priests in the U.S. especially who seemed to like alter boys. He has no room to say anything about anyone else

By: Tom Donald

Tom Donald — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:27:34 +0000

Ratzinger should shut the fuck up. The catholic church is a disease that infects societies with fear and guilt and exploitation. We are curing ourselves with liberal atheism.

By: Mega-Comrade

Mega-Comrade — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:15:29 +0000

I would ask the pope to name a single one of his “greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice” that. Yes Stalin was an Atheist but as Richard Dawkins pointed out he also had a moustache, as have many dictators, is there some connection?

“type of moralism”

Maybe someone should give the Pope a dictionary so he can look up what ‘A-theism’ means.

By: a

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:15:53 +0000

Oh that’s so funny… maybe he has forgotten to notice the effect of christianity in the wars on this planet for the past 2000 years?