Religious Question

[Tim K]

More people have been killed in the name of religion than for any other reason.

Oh, bullshit. (with a smile and a wink) Hitler didn't kill in the name of religion, neither did Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, and most of the worlds recent tyrants. Their killings overwhelm the relatively puny numbers of people killed in the name of god by Christians, Muslims, Jews, and whoever else has had a crusade. The truly gifted mass murderers did their thing for power, not god. In many cases, the victims of these monsters were people of faith. They were not the killers, but the killees.

[Mtn.man]

Oh, bullshit. (with a smile and a wink) Hitler didn't kill in the name of religion, neither did Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, and most of the worlds recent tyrants. Their killings overwhelm the relatively puny numbers of people killed in the name of god by Christians, Muslims, Jews, and whoever else has had a crusade. The truly gifted mass murderers did their thing for power, not god. In many cases, the victims of these monsters were people of faith. They were not the killers, but the killees.

Hitler and the above only killed a few Mill.
If you research religious war death tolls
from record keeping 55+ million or more are attributed to religious wars, be it the Crusades, witch hunts, the taming of American Indians (to convert them Christianity that is), Brigham Young, Muslims , and on and on.

[Tim K]

Hitler and the above only killed a few Mill.
If you research religious war death tolls
from record keeping 55+ million or more are attributed to religious wars, be it the Crusades, witch hunts, the taming of American Indians (to convert them Christianity that is), Brigham Young, Muslims , and on and on.

Mao wins this gruesome contest all by himself with estimates ranging from 70 to 100 million. Add the others in, and it's no contest.

Hitler - 10 million
Stalin - 20 million
Pol Pot - 2 million

I'd dispute the 55+ million number also. 15 minutes of research makes it look like getting to 1 million in the events you describe would be pretty difficult.

I don't mean to dispute that much harm has been done in the name of religion. Much certainly has. However, I disagree that religion is the main cause of war and suffering. Greed and power are the true motivators in most cases.

[bellavite1]

Mao wins this gruesome contest all by himself with estimates ranging from 70 to 100 million. Add the others in, and it's no contest.

Hitler - 10 million
Stalin - 20 million
Pol Pot - 2 million

I'd dispute the 55+ million number also. 15 minutes of research makes it look like getting to 1 million in the events you describe would be pretty difficult.

I don't mean to dispute that much harm has been done in the name of religion. Much certainly has. However, I disagree that religion is the main cause of war and suffering. Greed and power are the true motivators in most cases.

Problem is (and the Vatican is there to prove it), that religion, greed and power often go hand in hand.

[Irving]

I find it highly ironic that pro-gun people talk about religion the same way that surrender monkeys talk about guns.