everyone (else) seems to be hating on atheists

[Creed of Heresy]

Actually, Pol Pot WAS a Buddhist. And he also went to a Catholic school.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pol_pot

Saloth Sar was born on May 19, 1925—the eighth of nine children,[11] and the second of three sons. He was from a moderately wealthy family of Sino-Khmer descent[12][13] living in the small fishing village of Prek Sbauv, Kampong Thom Province during the French colonialism of the area. In 1935, Sar left Prek Sbauv to attend the École Miche, a Catholic school in Phnom Penh. His sister Roeung was a concubine of King Sisowath Monivong, so he often visited the royal palace.[14] In 1947, he gained admission to the exclusive Lycée Sisowath, but was unsuccessful in his studies.

Oh dear...seems his young life had catholic teachings...Hmm. That doesn't bode well for your argument, suddenly...

Also: http://www.xefer.com/2005/08/polpot

Perhaps Short’s most controversial thesis is that it was the particular branch of Buddhism and its exhortations to the negation of ego that resonated in such a tragic way with Communist notions of state planning and control.

“You see the ox, comrades. Admire him! He eats where we [tell] him to eat… When we tell him to pull the plough, he pulls it. He never thinks of his wife or his children.”

He went so far as to ban the use of money altogether, so that people became in actuality slaves of the state, dependent upon them for their very existence...

Huh. Became slaves of the state... Like sheep...in a flock...dependent on the shepherd for their very existence for without the shepherd they do not eat, or drink, or have a place to live... Sheep...hm...where have I heard this analogy before...

...Some have criticized Short for in effect “blaming” the Cambodians for acquiescing to the tragedy, but this is simply not the point he is making. Buddhism simply colored the tragedy, it didn’t form it. I actually found this to be a rather compelling and challenge argument. People often lay the blame for genocidal tragedies at the foot of theistic mindsets; it was interesting to see how something as seemingly docile as Buddhism have a role in something so barbaric.

Hmm. The Khmer Rouge, shaped in its ideals by Buddhism...you know...a religion? Huh... Truth be told, even I did not really put the parallels together myself [I'm not exactly up on my knowledge of Pol Pot, I know him more for his crimes than his personal history but it seems he was an ass-backwards idiot who came into power...NEVER a good combination].