Ask An Atheist Anything., Actually, don't. Keep it relevant. Aliteration is cool. Options

[NoSex]

Alright, this is sort of in response to Podo's (monster's) "feeble attempt" thread.
I'm an atheist. I don't believe in the existence of any god whatsoever. Any questions?

[monster]

Atheists, why is it that you blame us for countless murders and the slaughter of innocent people when, if you look at Atheist regimes, ( AKA Communist regimes; i.e Mao Tse Tung, Kim Jung Il, Stalin, Lenin, Fidel Castro, etc,. etc. ) and you find that for each dictator, the killing and the body count starts in the millions for each dictator within a near few years?

[NoSex]

Atheists, why is it that you blame us for countless murders and the slaughter of innocent people when, if you look at Atheist regimes, ( AKA Communist regimes; i.e Mao Tse Tung, Kim Jung Il, Stalin, Lenin, Fidel Castro, etc,. etc. ) and you find that for each dictator, the killing and the body count starts in the millions for each dictator within a near few years?

Well, in either case, I think it's a generalization to suppose that anyone is suggesting that merely religiosity or irreligiosity are singularly to blame for any one crime or social illness. Society isn't that complex, but it's also not that simple. Sure, religion, I do believe, does hold a certain amount of responsibility for the crimes of the world (the crusades, the inquisition, witch burnings, etc. etc.) - however, I don't subscribe such tragedy to just theism itself (much as most atheists do not). In the cases of atheistic regimes (often Communist in nature) committing mass genocide it's often in the justification of nationalism or a similar dogma - this is something I am chiefly against: dogmatism (much as most atheists are).

The reason I believe that religion has been used as a tool for destruction and "evil" is seated in dogmatism. I am, most immediately, against dogmatic thinking - whether that thinking be religious in nature or not. Dogmatism does not favor critical thinking, questioning, skepticism, or pliability. These are bad things and they often lead to social illness which can later develop into awful "crimes against man." We don't find such crimes hidden behind rationalism, skepticism, science, and reason - the climate is not conductive to such. However, in the case of dogmatism, an individual is reduced to a sheep like follower. Intellectualism, rationality, and free thought are discouraged in favor of obedience - this often occurs in nationalistic countries. This sort of climate allows for such crimes to be committed more easily and without opposition.

The reason religion is so often attacked on this front is due to the fact that religion is one of the most popular, common, and recognized transports of dogmatism. Often its followers and proponents are not encouraged to think or challenge a position. Often its believers are motivated by "divine" rights and wills communicated through revelations which hold irrefutable authority and power (it's hard to convince someone that accepts heaven and a moral divine code of anything contrary to such a position). In the case of nationalism, the divine right is in the superiority of one's country or king. In the case of religiosity, the divine right comes from heaven. In either case, these foundations are difficult to rationally argue against and thus result in fanaticism.

The less falsifiable the belief the more difficult it is to combat (the more susceptible it is to fanatical ends) - because of this, I believe that religiosity is dangerous to society and to the individuals that follow it just as nationalism would be dangerous. What is of real danger, fundamentally, is dogmatic and irrational belief - and atheists feel that religion is full of it.

And, then, of course, I would also point to that reality that man is a vicious creature - religious or not, he is often interested in the imposition of power. This imposition of power can manifest in violent and harmful ways. An atheist can kill just as well as a theist can, and parties which do not believe have killed just as well as parties which do. However, dogmatism is to blame, largely, for some of the more heinous of these crimes. And, dogmatism, is easily found within theism, where I do not believe it is an inherent quality of atheism.

(Oh, just to add: Atheists are less likely to be involved in violent crime, let alone any crime. [1])