Atheism has claimed more lives than all religions combined?

I'm sure this was debated here before, but here goes anyway. I recently came across this argument in favor of religion - the claim is that atheism (and atheistic regimes) have killed more people than all religions combined. The person making this claims continued with sweeping generalizations about the propensity of violence and unrest of different religions. I will not mention that here. I am more concerned with this statistic. Common examples of atheists responsible for mass-killings are Hitler Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot.

First of all, can anyone verify the religious beliefs, or lack thereof, of the people above?

Do you believe there is any truth to this argument?

How can one accurately tally the deaths caused by these two subgroups (deaths "in the name of 'God'" and deaths by "atheists?"

Are we justified in pinning the blame of the killings solely on the religious proclivity of an individual?

entropyecho

I think it's important to seperate a mass murderer who kills people because his atheist belief dictates it's right, and a mass murder who kills people for completely unrelated reasons but happens to be atheist.

[QUOTE="Oleg_Huzwog"]

Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot were atheists. Hitler definitely wasn't.

CRS98

Hitler had a religion, although it was the absence of religion inside him that led to his hatred and all the murder he committed. In fact, he actually used science as a tool for murder, in this case the science of Eugenics. Funny how people never really mention this, but then again I suppose its because religion is evil and science is always wonderful.

Man A kills 5 people. Man B kills only 4 people because he didn'tget thechance to kill 6 people. Which one is the good man? They're both bad. There's no need to sugarcoat one because he's your homie.

I think it's a very weak argument, and a very superficial historical analysis. None of those people killed in the name of atheism, but in the name of their respective dogmatic ideologies. There's very little difference, objectively, between Bolshevism and religious extremism. -Sun_Tzu-

[QUOTE="cowplayinghalo"]

Atheism has claimed more lives, because there are a lot more people to kill in modern times. In Biblical times and the Crusades, way too many people were killed in the name of religion, but there were fewer people back then. Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot were all atheists, but Hitler was either some denomination of Christianity or he was secretly Jewish (that's almost funny. Almost). It's probably pretty close if you're talking about number of deaths, but atheism has "killed" more people than all religions.

MrGeezer

You're making a mistake.

It's fair to say that atheISTS have killed a hell of a lot of people.

But atheISM hasn't killed one single person, ever.

One could also say the same thing about religions, and I'd agree with that. That's why I don't treat people like scum just because they gfo to a church or believe in the Bible. However, there IS a difference. There is NO holy text for atheists. There is NO set of rules by which they should conduct their lives. There's no ideology for them to follow. It's simply a term for one's beliefs about a very narrow and specific topic. It's not a way to live, it's about as meaningful as categorizing people on the basis of whether or not they like the Foo Fighters. Has nothing to do with morality or their propensity to kill/steal/do other bad ****. No religion MAKES people do horrible ****, but atheism is different from religions in that it has absolutely nothing to say about how people should conduct their lives.

The Roman Chatolic Church started the witch hunts...
Atheism didn't start the holocaust...

I dont care if Hitler was christian/jewish/atheist/pastafarian, those religious orginisations never told him to go out and start the holocaust.

Well, it is true that communism as envisioned by Karl Marx is necessarily atheist. Marx referred to religion as the opiate of the masses.

Claiming that this means that all acts of communists are done in the name of atheism, however, is absurd. The Soviet Union was not known as the Unholy Atheist Empire.

(Also, Hitler was not a communist.)

GabuEx

This seems like a pointless argument.

People kill people because they are fanatics about something, religious or not.

But most of the time those people "killing in the name of..." definitely misinterpreted their religion ie the Crusades.

[QUOTE="CRS98"][QUOTE="Oleg_Huzwog"]

Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot were atheists. Hitler definitely wasn't.

Mr_Splosher

This. If I recall the details correctly, he believed Jesus came to kill all of the Jewish people.

hitler was protestaint i think

religion has killed more over the years as atheism is fairly new

I believe there is some truth to this argument. It shows that atheists are capable of being destructive to their own ends. It shows that atheism can be mishandled. In fact, I think atheists today still mishandle their own beliefs.

EDIT: Actually, this argument is often used by atheists to show how religion is wrong. I cringe whenever nonreligious people bring up how much evil religion has done when communism has done far worse.

I cringe whenever nonreligious people bring up how much evil religion has done when communism has done far worse.Genetic_Code

[QUOTE="Genetic_Code"]I cringe whenever nonreligious people bring up how much evil religion has done when communism has done far worse.scorch-62

Not to mention that Communism isnt a religion...

Religion or not, im sure god was pretty annoyed with him, Thou Shall Not Kill.

Religion or not, im sure god was pretty annoyed with him, Thou Shall Not Kill.

pete_merlin

Eh the church probably modified that a bit...

"thou shall not kill, unless we say so"

[QUOTE="scorch-62"][QUOTE="Genetic_Code"]I cringe whenever nonreligious people bring up how much evil religion has done when communism has done far worse.chaplainDMK

Not to mention that Communism isnt a religion...

[QUOTE="scorch-62"][QUOTE="Genetic_Code"]I cringe whenever nonreligious people bring up how much evil religion has done when communism has done far worse.chaplainDMK

Not to mention that Communism isnt a religion...

[QUOTE="chaplainDMK"]

[QUOTE="scorch-62"] Communism is not to blame. It's the corrupt leaders in charge.scorch-62

Not to mention that Communism isnt a religion...

You guys are mixing up religion and a form of goverment...

Stalin didn't kill 20 million people because atheism commanded him to do so...

But Christian's did kill all those "witches" in the middle ages because the Church commanded them to do so...

[QUOTE="chaplainDMK"]

[QUOTE="scorch-62"] Communism is not to blame. It's the corrupt leaders in charge.scorch-62

Not to mention that Communism isnt a religion...

Atheism is not like religion.. Atheism is basically like saying you like french fries.. It is merely a characteristic with a set standard of ideals and other such things.. While Christianity, and just about every major religion preach or the soceity makes people believe that their culture is preached in the holy scripture.. On how to follow your life.. Atheism can not be compared.

[QUOTE="scorch-62"][QUOTE="chaplainDMK"]Not to mention that Communism isnt a religion...sSubZerOo

Well, typically, with communism comes Atheism.

Atheism is not like religion.. Atheism is basically like saying you like french fries.. It is merely a characteristic with a set standard of ideals and other such things.. While Christianity, and just about every major religion preach or the soceity makes people believe that their culture is preached in the holy scripture.. On how to follow your life.. Atheism can not be compared.

I did word that previous statement of mine kinda weird . . . I did not intend to relate Atheism to religion. I apologize for the confusion.

Atheism is not like religion.. Atheism is basically like saying you like french fries.. It is merely a characteristic with a set standard of ideals and other such things.. While Christianity, and just about every major religion preach or the soceity makes people believe that their culture is preached in the holy scripture.. On how to follow your life.. Atheism can not be compared.sSubZerOo

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"] Atheism is not like religion.. Atheism is basically like saying you like french fries.. It is merely a characteristic with a set standard of ideals and other such things.. While Christianity, and just about every major religion preach or the soceity makes people believe that their culture is preached in the holy scripture.. On how to follow your life.. Atheism can not be compared.Vandalvideo

QUITE true, but if we are going to use historical examples.. We will see a set core of beliefs in the major sects of religion when your religious standing defined your poltiical stance.. This is only really a pretty modern event in which religious dominations don't control the set code of beliefs.. When in places like 1700s of Ireland, being a Catholic barred you from ownign land, voting, and other numerous things.

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"] Atheism is not like religion.. Atheism is basically like saying you like french fries.. It is merely a characteristic with a set standard of ideals and other such things.. While Christianity, and just about every major religion preach or the soceity makes people believe that their culture is preached in the holy scripture.. On how to follow your life.. Atheism can not be compared.Vandalvideo

[QUOTE="Vandalvideo"][QUOTE="sSubZerOo"] Atheism is not like religion.. Atheism is basically like saying you like french fries.. It is merely a characteristic with a set standard of ideals and other such things.. While Christianity, and just about every major religion preach or the soceity makes people believe that their culture is preached in the holy scripture.. On how to follow your life.. Atheism can not be compared.scorch-62

Atheism is a belief, a belief that a god doesent exist.
But i doubt its a religion.

[QUOTE="hedden93"]My teacher said he was 1/25th Jewish so I wouldn't really consider him a jew.scorch-62