(November 14, 2018 at 11:18 am)Jörmungandr Wrote: I'll also point out that theists like Atlas are fond of claiming that the deaths under Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, and the Gang Of Four were motivated by religion.
And whatever else you might say, the Israelli situation, Afghanistan, ISIS, and Sunni and Shi'ite violence are all about religion.
Ultimately it's a pointless argument. Yes, other things besides religion start wars. And yes, nothing as stupid and pointless as a religious war is as common as one.
The former fact doesn't reduce the significance of the latter fact.
To be fair to Atlass, plenty of Christians and Jews pull the same argument too.
And they'd all be wrong because religion never left those dictatorships. Dictators are not about oppressing religion as being their only goal, but any and all dissent. Dictators will leave the religious alone if that group kisses their ass. All of them had to pander to religious groups to gain and keep their support.
