Ask a Catholic

[Munch]

It does in so much that authoritarian nations lead by atheists have generally been significantly more violent (based on their actions in the 20th century when they were at their peak) than their religious counterparts. It's a lot easier to assert control without having the need to be quite as violent when you bring religion into the equation.

The Crusades would argue otherwise. Its estimated around 3,000,000 people died because of that holy war.

[Moralnihilist]

It does in so much that authoritarian nations lead by atheists have generally been significantly more violent (based on their actions in the 20th century when they were at their peak) than their religious counterparts. It's a lot easier to assert control without having the need to be quite as violent when you bring religion into the equation.

To get some clarification(before ripping your argument to shreds) what "authoritarian nations led by atheists" are you referring to?

And do keep in mind the following:
1. The crusades
2. The inquisition
3. Witch trials

And thats just christianity. Then there are the muslims, greeks, romans, vikings, russian imperialists, etc.

[Mike Cl]

It does in so much that authoritarian nations lead by atheists have generally been significantly more violent (based on their actions in the 20th century when they were at their peak) than their religious counterparts. It's a lot easier to assert control without having the need to be quite as violent when you bring religion into the equation.

Can you site some examples of what countries and leaders you are referring to?

[Hydra009]

It does in so much that authoritarian nations lead by atheists have generally been significantly more violent (based on their actions in the 20th century when they were at their peak) than their religious counterparts.

Authoritarian nations led by theists weren't peachy, either.  You're seeing atheism as the problem when authoritarianism was always the actual problem.

[SGOS]

It does in so much that authoritarian nations lead by atheists have generally been significantly more violent (based on their actions in the 20th century when they were at their peak) than their religious counterparts.

As long as you ignore Mideastern Islamic nations, and the very Christian US, then yeah, you might be able to make that claim.

[Contemporary Protestant]

I agree with Hydra, its authoritarianism thats the problem.

[stromboli]

The world's 10 most peacful countries. They also happen to be the least religious.
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eglg45gjfkl/and-you-thought-living-here-was-pie-in-the-sky-9/

Oh, and they also have lower percentages of abortion because they advocate and have free birth control. Shit like that.

[Lachish]

The Crusades would argue otherwise. Its estimated around 3,000,000 people died because of that holy war.

3 million over the course of how many centuries vs. 3 million over the course of a few months?

That's the most worthless list I have ever seen. 100,000 of my people died in the last decade and it still made the most peaceful list. I won't even go back for fear of being decapitated. What a farce.

[Mike Cl]

3 million over the course of how many centuries vs. 3 million over the course of a few months?

That's the most worthless list I have ever seen. 100,000 of my people died in the last decade and it still made the most peaceful list. I won't even go back for fear of being decapitated. What a farce.

you lost me--what are you talking about??

[Hydra009]

3 million over the course of how many centuries vs. 3 million over the course of a few months?

Roughly two centuries, though the Crusades is hardly the only example.  Lots of religious wars and much less showy but no less lethal religious violence.

WWII is obviously the reigning champ (Gott mit uns, btw) though I don't see how the existence of wars fought for secular reasons somehow makes religious wars any less horrible.

That's the most worthless list I have ever seen. 100,000 of my people died in the last decade and it still made the most peaceful list. I won't even go back for fear of being decapitated. What a farce.

Going to need a couple details here.  Who, what, when, and where.  Maybe a why.

http://www.visionofhumanity.org/#page/indexes/global-peace-index/2014

If you click "Full Stats", they give nice breakdowns for why each country got the rating it did and give their sources, though I would prefer direct links to the sources rather the simply listing the organization they pulled the numbers from.

[Solitary]

It's no contest, religion wins the war game!

http://godandwar.wikispaces.com/List+of+Religious+Wars

   Religion 1
   Religion 2
   Religion 3
   Religion 4
Albigensian Crusade
   Christian (Catholic)
   Christian (Cathar)
   
   
Almohad Conquest of Muslim Spain
   Islam
   Christian
   
   
Anglo-Scottish War (1559â€"1560)
   Christian (Protestant)
   Christian (Catholic)
   
   
Arab Conquest of Carthage
   Islam
   Christian (Catholic)
   
   
Aragonese-Castilian War
   
   
   
   
Aragonese-French War (1209â€"1213)
   
   
   
   
First Bearnese Revolt
   
   
   
   
Second Bearnese Revolt
   
   
   
   
Third Bearnese Revolt
   
   
   
   
First Bishop’s War
   
   
   
   
Second Bishop’s War
   
   
   
   
Raids of the Black Hundreds
   
   
   
   
Bohemian Civil War (1465â€"1471)
   
   
   
   
Bohemian Palatine War
   
   
   
   
War in Bosnia
   
   
   
   
Brabant Revolution
   
   
   
   
Byzantine-Muslim War (633â€"642)
   Islam
   Christian (Orthodox)
   
   
Byzantine-Muslim War (645â€"656)
   Islam
   Christian (Orthodox)
   
   
Byzantine-Muslim War (688â€"679)
   Islam
   Christian (Orthodox)
   
   
Byzantine-Muslim War (698â€"718)
   Islam
   Christian (Orthodox)
   
   
Byzantine-Muslim War (739)
   Islam
   Christian (Orthodox)
   
   
Byzantine-Muslim War (741â€"752)
   Islam
   Christian (Orthodox)
   
   
Byzantine-Muslim War (778â€"783)
   Islam
   Christian (Orthodox)
   
   
Byzantine-Muslim War (797â€"798)
   Islam
   Christian (Orthodox)
   
   
Byzantine-Muslim War (803â€"809)
   Islam
   Christian (Orthodox)
   
   
Byzantine-Muslim War (830â€"841)
   Islam
   Christian (Orthodox)
   
   
Byzantine-Muslim War (851â€"863)
   Islam
   Christian (Orthodox)
   
   
Byzantine-Muslim War (871â€"885)
   Islam
   Christian (Orthodox)
   
   
Byzantine-Muslim War (960â€"976)
   Islam
   Christian (Orthodox)
   
   
Byzantine-Muslim War (995â€"999)
   Islam
   Christian (Orthodox)
   
   
Camisards’ Rebellion
   
   
   
   
Castilian Conquest of Toledo
   
   
   
   
Charlemagne’s Invasion of Northern Spain
   
   
   
   
Charlemagne’s War against the Saxons
   Christian
   Pagan
   
   
Count’s War
   
   
   
   
Covenanters’ Rebellion (1666)
   
   
   
   
Covenanters’ Rebellion (1679)
   
   
   
   
Covenanters’ Rebellion (1685)
   
   
   
   
Crimean War
   
   
   
   
First Crusade
   
   
   
   
Second Crusade
   
   
   
   
Third Crusade
   
   
   
   
Fourth Crusade
   
   
   
   
Fifth Crusade
   
   
   
   
Sixth Crusade
   
   
   
   
Seventh Crusade
   
   
   
   
Eighth Crusade
   
   
   
   
Ninth Crusade
   
   
   
   
Crusader-Turkish Wars (1100â€"1146)
   
   
   
   
Crusader-Turkish Wars (1272â€"1291)
   
   
   
   
Danish-Estonian War
   
   
   
   
German Civil War (1077â€"1106)
   
   
   
   
Ghost Dance Uprising
   
   
   
   
Siege of Granada
   
   
   
   
First Iconoclastic War
   
   
   
   
Second Iconoclastic War
   
   
   
   
India-Pakistan Partition War
   
   
   
   
Irish Tithe War
   
   
   
   
Javanese invasion of Malacca
   
   
   
   
Great Java War
   
   
   
   
Kappel Wars
   
   
   
   
Khurramite’s Revolt
   
   
   
   
Lebanese Civil War
   
   
   
   
Wars of the Lombard League
   
   
   
   
Luccan-Florentine War
   
   
   
   
Luccan-Florentine War
   
   
   
   
Holy Wars of the Mad Mullah
   
   
   
   
Maryland’s Religious War
   
   
   
   
Mecca-Medina War
   
   
   
   
Mexican Insurrections
   
   
   
   
War of the Monks
   
   
   
   
Mountain Meadows Massacre
   
   
   
   
Revolt of Muqanna
   
   
   
   
Crusade of Nicopolis
   
   
   
   
Padri War
   
   
   
   
Paulician War
   
   
   
   
Persian Civil War (1500â€"1503)
   
   
   
   
Portuguese-Moroccan War (1458â€"1471)
   
   
   
   
Portuguese-Moroccan War (1578)
   
   
   
   
Portuguese-Omani Wars in East Africa
   
   
   
   
Rajput Rebellion against Aurangzeb
   
   
   
   
Revolt in Ravenna
   
   
   
   
First War of Religion
   
   
   
   
Second War of Religion
   
   
   
   
Third War of Religion
   
   
   
   
Fourth War of Religion
   
   
   
   
Fifth War of Religion
   
   
   
   
Sixth War of Religion
   
   
   
   
Eighth War of Religion
   
   
   
   
Ninth War of Religion
   
   
   
   
Roman-Persian War (421â€"422)
   
   
   
   
Roman-Persian War (441)
   
   
   
   
Russo Turkish War (1877â€"1878)
   
   
   
   
First Sacred War
   
   
   
   
Second Sacred War
   
   
   
   
Third Sacred War
   
   
   
   
Saladin’s Holy War
   
   
   
   
Schmalkaldic War
   
   
   
   
Scottish Uprising against Mary of Guise
   
   
   
   
Serbo-Turkish War
   
   
   
   
Shimabara Revolt
   
   
   
   
War of the Sonderbund
   
   
   
   
Spanish Christian-Muslim War (912â€"928)
   
   
   
   
Spanish Christian-Muslim War (977â€"997)
   
   
   
   
Spanish Christian-Muslim War (1001â€"1031)
   
   
   
   
Spanish Christian-Muslim War (1172â€"1212)
   
   
   
   
Spanish Christian-Muslim War (1230â€"1248)
   
   
   
   
Spanish Christian-Muslim War (1481â€"1492)
   
   
   
   
Spanish Conquests in North Africa
   
   
   
   
Swedish War
   
   
   
   
Thirty Years’ War
   
   
   
   
Transylvania-Hapsburg War
   
   
   
   
Tukulor-French War
   
   
   
   
Turko-Persian Wars
   
   
   
   
United States War on Terror
   
   
   
   
Vellore Mutiny
   
   
   
   
Vjayanagar Wars
   
   
   
   
First Villmergen War
   
   
   
   
Second Villmergen War



Visigothic-Frankish War
   
http://atheism.about.com/od/atheismmyths/p/AtheismKills.htm

A common criticism which atheists raise against religion is how violent religion and religious believers have been in the past. People have slaughtered each other in large numbers either because of differences in religious beliefs or because of other differences which are further justified and intensified through religious rhetoric. Either way, religion has a lot of blood on its hands. Can the same be said for atheists and atheism? Haven't atheists killed more people in the name of atheism than religious theists have killed in the name of their religion? No, because atheism isn't a philosophy or ideology.   
   
How Many Have Been Killed by Communists in the Name of Atheism & Secularism?:


None, probably. How can that be? After all, millions and millions of people died in Russia and China under communist governments — and those governments were both secular and atheistic. So weren't all of those people killed because of atheism — even in the name of atheism and secularism? No, that conclusion does not follow. Atheism itself isn't a principle, cause, philosophy, or belief system which people fight, die, or kill for. Being killed by an atheist is no more being killed in the name of atheism than being killed by a tall person is being killed in the name of tallness. Communists Don't Kill in the Name of Atheism...

Hitler Was an Atheist Who Killed Millions in the Name of Atheism, Secularism:


A popular image of the Nazis is that they were fundamentally anti-Christian while devout Christians were anti-Nazi. The truth is that German Christians supported the Nazis because they believed that Adolf Hitler was a gift to the German people from God. Hitler frequently referenced God and Christianity both in public and private. The Nazi Party Program explicitly endorsed and promoted Christianity in the party platform. Millions of Christians in Germany not only enthusiastically supported and endorsed Hitler and the Nazis, but did so on the basis of common Christian beliefs and attitudes. Hitler Was Not an Atheist...
   

Do theist ever look up the facts before they put their foot in their mouth?    Solitary

[stromboli]

I don't know. Ask a Catholic. 

[Shiranu]

That's the most worthless list I have ever seen. 100,000 of my people died in the last decade and it still made the most peaceful list. I won't even go back for fear of being decapitated. What a farce.

I am assuming you are referring to Mexico, since you are in a Catholic thread.

You do realize they put it on there to point out it is nearly bottom of the list, right? As in... not very peaceful?

Also; I have lived near the border all my life, and don't feel particularly afraid of Mexico. Unless you are going to Juarez, Mexico City Tijuana or Nuevo Loredo you are pretty good. Yeah, you might not want to walk around the streets of the ghetto of Guadalajara or be poking you nose where you shouldn't be in Monterrey... but then again you could say the same things about New York, London or Paris.

I have several friends from Jalisco who are down there quite often and have no problems staying out of trouble. I also have friends who sometimes go to Nuevo Laredo and Juarez and say the same thing... just don't go into the wrong part of town after the sun starts to set. "Gringos" would cross the border all the time between New Mexico & Mexico to buy jewelery, tourist items and get dental work done.

Please stop putting out this erroneous stereotype of Mexico being some lawless wasteland where you are most likely going to get kidnapped and have your head chopped off with a chainsaw before your body is thrown in the Rio. It is no more accurate than saying you are likely to be mugged and stabbed in Chicago or getting shot because you looked at a guy funny in the South. Unless you are putting yourself in a stupid place and situation you are about as safe in most of Mexico as you are in any other major city.

Mexico has a shit load wrong with it but people will never talk about the real problems if they believe the entire nation is some lost cause wasteland. Mexico is a country with an absolutely beautiful mix of cultures and peoples who, unfortunately, are suffering as a result of America's war on drugs funding the cartels and a history of never having a truly strong government to pull all it's diverse backgrounds into one coherent country.

[SGOS]

I don't know. Ask a Catholic. 

Since this thread began, I have asked myself several times, "Why would I want to ask a Catholic anything?"  Still as far as Catholic instruction, this thread hasn't been half as annoying as the insufferable threads that Azzi used to start.

[Lachish]

you lost me--what are you talking about??

A list of most peaceful countries was posted, one of which experienced a civil war where 10,000 were killed each year, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in the world with more than 100,000 killed so far. I would call that far from peaceful.