Pope Benedict Attacks Atheism
Yup, Atheist Crusades, Atheist Inquisition, Atheist Witch Trials, Atheist Suicide Bombers.. man, us atheists are responsible for the worst atrocities known to man.
Papal encyclical attacks atheism, promises hope
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Benedict, in a new encyclical released on Friday, said atheism was responsible for some of the “greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice” in history.
The 75-page “Spe Salvi”, which takes its Latin title from a quote by St Paul (in hope we were saved), is an appeal to a pessimistic world to find strength in Christian hope.
In the second encyclical of his papacy, Benedict urges Christians to put their hope for the future in God and not in technology, wealth or political ideologies which can often be deluding.
Atheism could be regarded by some as a “type of moralism”, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries, to protest against the injustices of the world and world history, he said.
Reciting arguments made by atheists, he said: “A world marked by so much injustice, innocent suffering, and cynicism of power cannot be the work of a good God. A God with responsibility for such a world would not be a just God, much less a good God.”
History has proven wrong ideologies such as Marxism which say humans had to establish social justice because God did not exist, the Pope wrote.
“It is no accident that this idea has led to the greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice,” the Pope said. Such a concept was grounded in “intrinsic falsity”.
Marxism, the Pope wrote, had left behind “a trail of appalling destruction” because it failed to realize that man could not be “merely the product of economic conditions”.
Nov 30, 2007 @ 11:55:49
That is too farking funny.
Nov 30, 2007 @ 11:58:55
The Catholic church had great evil running through its vains for centuries. What would they be called athiest or evil? Most people are agnostic or athiest until they have some mystical experience. Children are naturally spiritual until the world ruins them by doctrine and dogma: Then their spirit becomes frustrated and they start turning to outer things unrelated to spirit.
Nov 30, 2007 @ 13:15:53
Oh that’s so funny… maybe he has forgotten to notice the effect of christianity in the wars on this planet for the past 2000 years?
Nov 30, 2007 @ 18:15:29
I would ask the pope to name a single one of his “greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice” that. Yes Stalin was an Atheist but as Richard Dawkins pointed out he also had a moustache, as have many dictators, is there some connection?
“type of moralism”
Maybe someone should give the Pope a dictionary so he can look up what ‘A-theism’ means.
Dec 05, 2007 @ 03:27:34
Ratzinger should shut the fuck up. The catholic church is a disease that infects societies with fear and guilt and exploitation. We are curing ourselves with liberal atheism.
Dec 06, 2007 @ 08:18:48
The pope should not be one to talk considering the history of the church, the crusades, the inquesition, the buning of witches, the murdering of there own in exterminating the Knights Templars, the church has a nasty history of torture, killing, greed and exploiting the less educated peoples and trying to run countries for their own selfish benefit, not to mention the priests in the U.S. especially who seemed to like alter boys. He has no room to say anything about anyone else
Dec 08, 2007 @ 14:45:55
I agree with ya, Tom. Also, Ex Patriot: Don’t you know it’s not a sin when it’s done to the Nonbelievers!? [No, I am NOT being serious, I am being ridiculous.]
Dec 08, 2007 @ 16:39:55
Mega-Comrade, how can you ask if there is a connection between Stalin’s destruction of millions and his atheism? His regime was officially atheistic. “Religion is the opiate of the masses” was his political philosophy. In the name of atheism and the new secular order he sent millions to their death, and countless numbers to gulags. He was the successor of Lenin who readily killed his opposition in the name of atheism. Mao is anther who insisted that his atheism allowed him to use and loose the lives of millions of humans to fight his revolution. The Khmer Rouge left piles of skulls in the name of atheism.
You may argue that atheists, as individuals, are generally no more or less moral than religious individuals. But Atheistic Ideologies have managed to kill more people in more systematic ways than any other ideologies in history. You don’t have to be religious. But atheists cannot claim any moral high ground when it comes to social manipulation and the destruction of human life.
Dec 08, 2007 @ 18:33:41
That’s simply false. These genocides were not carried out due to religious differences, they were purely political.
Dec 23, 2007 @ 20:52:21
Alex, any ideology can be twisted to serve the agenda of those that espouse them. Is it the ideology that is flawed or is it just that some humans are evil bastards?
Jan 30, 2008 @ 10:28:40
Alex, I believe that atheists can claim the moral high ground simply because our beliefs deny the truth claims of religion RATHER THAN asserting a moral dogma. Religion aggressively promotes intolerence, bigotry, sexism, homophobia, cruelty, violence, and the fear of science and rationality. Any atheist who promotes any of these terrible ideas (Mao, Stalin, etc…) does so out of personal (might I add, irrational) feelings and not because of dogma that atheism pushes. Atheism is MORALLY superior to the Abrahamic religions because it lacks a cruel dogma. If anything, atheism promotes a moral system based on the very real fact of our interdependence.
Jan 30, 2008 @ 10:57:02
Oh, and as to your historic claims, they are INCREDIBLY inaccurate. Religious genocides have raged for thousands of years and continue today (The crusades, inquisition, witch trials, pogroms, Israel/Palestine, 911, Bosnia, Durfur, Kashmir, the entire old testament is filled with genocidal atrocities carried out with god’s blessing, the Holocaust was carried out with religious reasoning and intolerence, I could go on and on and on…). Many atheists (I cannot speak for all) abhore this behavior, and it is one of the principle beefs we have with religion. There is no reason, and no excuse for religious beliefs, and the absurdity of the fact that so many people have died, suffered, and continue to so in its name (contrary to what you say, no one ever died in the NAME of atheism the same way that people die the name of god, that is, using it specifically as an excuse, unless they were killed by religious authorities) would be funny if it were not so breathetakingly tragic. You are articulate and no doubt intelligent. You should be an atheist, but I won’t push that. Your arguments have some good logic, but your facts are selective.