This Has to Stop

[KevinM1]

He'll hit you with quotes attributed to Jones in which he identifies as agnostic/atheist.

Meh. Doesn't matter to me in the least, which is why I was happy enough to agree that Jones was an atheist in sheep's wool.

Just another 'look at the atrocities that atheists have committed' derail. As if anyone here advocated the actions of Jones/Stalin/Mao/Pol Pot/whomever. Fantasists will cling to every reed they can clutch.

Oh, I'm sure. I honestly don't know much about Jones. From what I can see, he started off as a Christian, and then became a weird pastiche of Christian and hardline communist. He still, apparently, engaged in woo (there were 'healings' and whatnot), but his message turned into creating a communist utopia here on earth. Seems like he latched onto the old "god helps those who help themselves" adage, to the nth degree.

The thing is, however, is that the massacre wasn't done in the name of atheism. He wanted to flee with his cult to the Soviet Union. They denied his request, and the Feds were closing in due to the allegations of abuse. The mass suicide (and struggle with the Feds) was in response to getting cornered/caught.

So, everything he did - even if the rhetoric touched on atheistic themes - was done to create a literal cult of personality, and then to deny the Feds the satisfaction of his/their capture.

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I would also say that "some atheists do bad things, too" isn't much of an argument.