10 Things Christians and Atheists Can (And Must) Agree On Posted: 5 months ago by sidran32
Something that I was linked to in another Christianity debate on another forum by someone I know (who for the record is non-Christian). I find it an excellent read and I agree with the points, overall. I think it's something that those on both sides would gain from reading. I swear, cracked.com has better articles on it than it deserves.

Posted because I feel it is poignant given the current state of forum conversations. :)
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  comments (5) 
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Posted: 5 months ago by Doggylives:
You Can Do Terrible Things in the Name of Either One
Bull.s**t

You can't do terrible things in the name of not believing in gods. Just because Mao and Stalin didn't have a belief in any gods doesn't mean they did what they did in the name of Atheism.
Score: [-] 153 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by sidran32:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Christians_in_the_Soviet_Union#Official_Soviet_stance


The Soviets' official religious stance was one of "religious freedom or tolerance", though the state established atheism as the only scientific truth.[9] Criticism of atheism was strictly forbidden and sometimes lead to imprisonment.[10]
While religion was never outlawed in the Soviet Union and the Soviet Constitution actually guaranteed religious freedom to all Soviet citizens, persecution of Christians was still government policy. The persecutions were usually carried out for political rather than religious reasons and largely abated during World War II, at which time Stalin's government reached a truce with the Church in order to use it as part of its program to inspire Russian patriotic fervor.
Nevertheless, the Soviet government sought to put the Church under control by appointing loyal men as priests, allegedly ending up with the entire upper ranks of the Church being officers of the KGB.
It isn't a slight on you, but it's just a fact of humanity. Just as people can do horrible things in the name of God, they can do horrible things to promote atheism. It's the human condition.
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Posted: 5 months ago by bernardblack:
« sidran32 : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Christians_in_the_Soviet_Union#Official_Soviet_stance

It isn't a slight on you, but it's just a fact of humanity. Just as people can do horrible things in the name of God, they can do horrible things to promote atheism. It's the human condition.
no, that wasn't to promote atheism. It was to promote control over people.
Score: [-] 97 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by DerAlt:
...It isn't a slight on you, but it's just a fact of humanity Just as people can do horrible things in the name of God, they can do horrible things to promote atheism....
Any examples of that?

When did an atheist kill someone, in modern times, because they were non atheist?

On the flip side Madelyn Murray and her son were killed because they were atheists.
Score: [-] 111 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by sidran32:
« bernardblack : no, that wasn't to promote atheism. It was to promote control over people.
Criticism of atheism was strictly forbidden and sometimes lead to imprisonment.
To promote control over people is one goal sometimes. But also to promote atheism.

The Stalinist government was horribly hypocritical, when their words said "freedom of religion" but their actions said "atheist or criminal".

But when you marry religion to the government, it's always to promote control over people. But then that doesn't prevent people from decrying Catholicism during the Holy Roman Empire, they aren't saying it was just for control over people. It's the same thing, only substitute the Catholic Church with atheistic government officials.
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