Cruelty

Cruel men believe in a cruel God and use their belief to excuse their cruelty. Only kindly men believe in a kindly God, and they would be kindly in any case. Bertrand Russell

This is certainly true when Christians deny gay rights or when they condemn non believers to hell.

Originally posted by 667joe
Cruel men believe in a cruel God and use their belief to excuse their cruelty. Only kindly men believe in a kindly God, and they would be kindly in any case. Bertrand Russell

This is certainly true when Christians deny gay rights or when they condemn non believers to hell.

what about the atheistic Khmer Rouge? how did they display any less cruelty in trying to establish an atheistic state in Cambodia by killing hundreds of thousands of people? and them Godless as well - oh dear!

Originally posted by 667joe
Cruel men believe in a cruel God and use their belief to excuse their cruelty. Only kindly men believe in a kindly God, and they would be kindly in any case. Bertrand Russell

This is certainly true when Christians deny gay rights or when they condemn non believers to hell.

I agree with you in principle. "Gay rights" are a secular matter though aren't they?

Just as Christians are all not evil, the same is true for atheists. Religion, however, gives people excuse for doing bad things like discriminating against gays or exterminating Jews, or burning witches.

Originally posted by 667joe
Just as Christians are all not evil, the same is true for atheists. Religion, however, gives people excuse for doing bad things like discriminating against gays or exterminating Jews, or burning witches.

What was the Khmer Rouge's excuse?

They have no excuse. What's your excuse? By the way, 20% of the general population are atheists, but less than 1% of the US prison population is atheist. The vast majority of prisoners in this country are Christian. That is to say, it is much more likely for a Christian to have committed a crime than an atheist in the US.

Originally posted by 667joe
They have no excuse. What's your excuse? By the way, 20% of the general population are atheists, but less than 1% of the US prison population is atheist. The vast majority of prisoners in this country are Christian. That is to say, it is much more likely for a Christian to have committed a crime than an atheist in the US.

But it was their atheism that motivated them to kill all those people and here you are telling us how religion does the very same thing, what are we to make of it other than your attempt to portray the religious as being cruel is equally applicable to the anti religious.

As regards your assertions with regard to crime i dare say that if those persons had followed Christian principles they would not have committed a single crime. We cannot say the same for the empty deception that is atheism though, can we.

Originally posted by 667joe
Just as Christians are all not evil, the same is true for atheists. Religion, however, gives people excuse for doing bad things like discriminating against gays or exterminating Jews, or burning witches.

Your argument is only really valid if; when religion is removed all these bad things stop. They won't of course. Yes religion is used as an excuse, a control mechanism and as revenue generating club. Religion sucks. I'm a Christian, but I'm not religious, hardly at all I would say.

Originally posted by divegeester
Your argument is only really valid if; when religion is removed all these bad things stop. They won't of course. Yes religion is used as an excuse, a control mechanism and as revenue generating club. Religion sucks. I'm a Christian, but I'm not religious, hardly at all I would say.

Actually his argument is valid if all these bad things are reduced.

You don't need to be perfect to be better.

There are a whole bunch of bad and irrational beliefs and mistakes people make
of which religion/s are only one kind.

However reducing religion does seem to help given that levels of atheism correlate
positively with pretty much every societal indicator you care to measure
[between otherwise roughly equivalent societies].

The direction of causation [if any] for this correlation is not however, yet established.

Originally posted by 667joe
They have no excuse. What's your excuse? By the way, 20% of the general population are atheists, but less than 1% of the US prison population is atheist. The vast majority of prisoners in this country are Christian. That is to say, it is much more likely for a Christian to have committed a crime than an atheist in the US.

No, no, no, no, no.

Let's not put the cart before the horse here.

Many, if not most, inmates in this country found Jesus after they were incarcerated.

Originally posted by Suzianne
No, no, no, no, no.

Let's not put the cart before the horse here.

Many, if not most, inmates in this country found Jesus [b]after they were incarcerated.[/b]

Nope, does not explain the statistics, they checked for that.

Originally posted by googlefudge
Actually his argument is valid if all these bad things are reduced.

You don't need to be perfect to be better.

There are a whole bunch of bad and irrational beliefs and mistakes people make
of which religion/s are only one kind.

However reducing religion does seem to help given that levels of atheism correlate
positively with pretty much eve ...[text shortened]... s].

The direction of causation [if any] for this correlation is not however, yet established.

It is hard to argue against the evidence that must of the strife in the world is caused by religious zeal. However that type of religious zeal which produces hate is in my opinion a symptom of the underlying need for one nation, race or group to persecute another. Religion, as Joe points out, makes an easy execuse that is rooted in centuries of dogma and often hatred. Without the religion these groups would just find another reason to hurl rocks at each other. Bad religious behaviour is a symptom of a deeper issue, not the cause itself.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
What was the Khmer Rouge's excuse?

Politics, power and the religion of communism.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
But it was their atheism that motivated them to kill all those people...

That's absurd.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
But it was their atheism that motivated them to kill all those people....

You clearly know nothing about them. Making false accusations even against despicable people is morally wrong.