@pianoman1 said
Yes, a thoughtful response. You’re right, of course. Perhaps I phrased my thread clumsily. Some men will have evil and hate inside them. Religion offers these people a channel to express and vent it to a degree greater than other starting points.

I agree with you; religion can gather in a large number of us up, causing us to act in unison to perform specific ends, some of which are (let me use the word) evil. The evil we do doesn't necessarily mean religion is always wrong or bad; in the name of good things, we can do evil, which isn't much different from some good that can come out of nasty things. Government can also act in this way; while religion is something to reach for, the government is something that we are forced to follow. I don't recall who said this, I didn't think it up, but someone who thinks they are doing good can be the worst type of tyrant because nothing about what they are doing will ever go against their conscience, no matter the unintended consequences.

Good and evil, right and wrong are what they are; if these are nothing but subjective terms, we will always run the risk of having someone for our good attempting to do right and causing all manner of damage.

@pianoman1 said
“ atheists running communist governments”

Let’s look at North Korea. A so-called communist atheist society. Communist, yes. Atheist? Well, let’s take a closer look. Kim Jong-un is worshipped in N. Korea as a god. He is divine. Like the Russian Czars he is meta human. Is that not religion by any other name?

<<@pianoman1 said
“ atheists running communist governments”

Let’s look at North Korea. A so-called communist atheist society.>>

“Atheists running communist governments,” which is what I said, is quite different from a “communist atheist society,” which is what you said.

<<Communist, yes. Atheist? Well, let’s take a closer look. Kim Jong-un is worshipped in N. Korea as a god.>>

Even if this is true, and I doubt it is for the majority of North Koreans, I’m talking about atheists running communist governments, not the people oppressed and slaughtered by them.

<<He is divine. Like the Russian Czars he is meta human.>>

This is false in reality as well as in perception for, I would wager, the vast majority of people living under communist governments run by atheists.

<<Is that not religion by any other name?>>

No, it’s not. I’m talking about atheists running communist governments. You’re talking about the people they oppress and slaughter - and oddly blaming them for being oppressed and slaughtered.