(November 25, 2014 at 5:08 pm)abaris Wrote:(November 25, 2014 at 5:05 pm)Confused Ape Wrote: Even atheism could be turned into an ideology and used to control people.
Nope. Atheism isn't enough, since it's only disbelief. You'd had to attach some ideology to pull that trick. Communism is an example. It was led by atheists, but it wasn't an atheist movement, since the absence of god didn't make up the belief system.
I came across some very scary atheists in another forum who tried to turn it into an ideology. They insisted that atheists should do this and not do that and it was every atheist's duty to stamp out religion etc etc etc. Sam Harris was regarded as a heretic because he meditates and Richard Dawkins wasn't atheist enough for them either. After all, he's only a 6.999 on the scale of probability instead of a 7 and he declared himself a cultural Christian. Oh, the horror, because he still sends Christmas cards and likes singing carols.
So, that's how atheism could be turned into an ideology - declare it to be THE TRUTH and coerce the gullible into believing that a world without religion will be an Utopia. Luckily the really scary atheist fanatics are unlikely to get into power and start a 'cleansing' to rid the world of religious people.
Where are the snake and mushroom smilies?