To be fair and honest, I must say that although atheism is not a belief system, atheists can do evil on the basis of their beliefs. For example:
I am an atheist. I have no belief in a deity. However, I do believe religion is a scourge of mankind. That belief might motivate me to want to burn down a church or commit some other criminal atrocity. Fortunately, when I left religion behind, I also left behind my willingness to do evil, supposedly in the name of good.
But atheism is not a belief system and therefore neither nurtures or inspires any of this. If I were such an evil person I would have gotten into this sick state of affairs some other way.
Now, if we consider religion... I'm qualified since I've been there and done that... We know that religion teaches and nurtures both intolerance and the violence to go along with the intolerance. We can find examples of these teachings in biblical scripture. Deut. 13:6-9 is an excellent example. The equivalent can be found in the words of Jesus in Luke 19:27 "And those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither and slay them before me."
Whether one wishes to argue these words are metaphorical or not is irrelevant since they mean the same thing either literal or metaphorical.
Therefore, religion cannot excuse itself and say that evil acts of intolerance are not of its nurturing or making. The proof is in scripture and it's in many sermons in many churches, synagogues and mosques around the world.
I am an atheist. I have no belief in a deity. However, I do believe religion is a scourge of mankind. That belief might motivate me to want to burn down a church or commit some other criminal atrocity. Fortunately, when I left religion behind, I also left behind my willingness to do evil, supposedly in the name of good.
But atheism is not a belief system and therefore neither nurtures or inspires any of this. If I were such an evil person I would have gotten into this sick state of affairs some other way.
Now, if we consider religion... I'm qualified since I've been there and done that... We know that religion teaches and nurtures both intolerance and the violence to go along with the intolerance. We can find examples of these teachings in biblical scripture. Deut. 13:6-9 is an excellent example. The equivalent can be found in the words of Jesus in Luke 19:27 "And those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither and slay them before me."
Whether one wishes to argue these words are metaphorical or not is irrelevant since they mean the same thing either literal or metaphorical.
Therefore, religion cannot excuse itself and say that evil acts of intolerance are not of its nurturing or making. The proof is in scripture and it's in many sermons in many churches, synagogues and mosques around the world.
