I have to agree with benlehman on this one. TONS of people were killed in China SPECIFICALLY because of their religious beliefs.
I'm not saying that the motivation of the GOVERNMENT (and those directly in power) was a pure, "KILL THE THEISTS!" That was just their propaganda to tighten their oligarchical control over the nation (Mao didn't run everything). HOWEVER, the lower levels of the Communist Party bought it, and on a local level just about everywhere went atheist and killed people who would not.
Just because the Wizard behind the curtain doesn't believe in his powers doesn't mean that the people of the Emerald City don't believe in his powers.
TONS of people were killed in China SPECIFICALLY because of their religious beliefs.
That's bigotry, not religion.
And you're actually arguing against Ben's point. Ben is saying atheism is a religion. It isn't. What the Chinese government is doing is creating a blind devotion to the state and bigoted hatred for a minority.
Blind obedience to the state. That's what China wants. That is a religion. But atheism, by itself, is not a religion anymore than refusal to believe in pink unicorns is a religion.
Much like theories are made of facts, both religions and philosophies are made of truth statements. Atheism or theism is a truth statement: "I (do not) believe in a divine power." That's the beginning of a religion or a philosophy, not the end. It takes a whole lot more to build a religion or a philosophy than just a single statement of fact.
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I'm not saying that the motivation of the GOVERNMENT (and those directly in power) was a pure, "KILL THE THEISTS!" That was just their propaganda to tighten their oligarchical control over the nation (Mao didn't run everything). HOWEVER, the lower levels of the Communist Party bought it, and on a local level just about everywhere went atheist and killed people who would not.
Just because the Wizard behind the curtain doesn't believe in his powers doesn't mean that the people of the Emerald City don't believe in his powers.
no subject
That's bigotry, not religion.
And you're actually arguing against Ben's point. Ben is saying atheism is a religion. It isn't. What the Chinese government is doing is creating a blind devotion to the state and bigoted hatred for a minority.
Blind obedience to the state. That's what China wants. That is a religion. But atheism, by itself, is not a religion anymore than refusal to believe in pink unicorns is a religion.
Much like theories are made of facts, both religions and philosophies are made of truth statements. Atheism or theism is a truth statement: "I (do not) believe in a divine power." That's the beginning of a religion or a philosophy, not the end. It takes a whole lot more to build a religion or a philosophy than just a single statement of fact.