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Religious zealots certainly can justify extreme actions as being mandated or approved by a supreme being, but let's not kid ourselves: there are plenty of secul
by MrZongle2 9y ago
Religious zealots certainly can justify extreme actions as being mandated or approved by a supreme being, but let's not kid ourselves: there are plenty of secular examples as well. Consider, for example, the millions of deaths that took place under anti-religious Communist regimes.
This certainly isn't to say one is more acceptable than the other; it isn't.
- Nursie 9y agoAny time ideology comes before living, breathing humans we have a problem. Religion certainly seems to provoke this in some people. Political systems can do the same.
- MrZongle2 9y agoI guess I should be shocked that what should be a non-controversial statement has been downvoted heavily. But this is HN. Feels before reals.
- notgood 9y agoIt is true that it is not that controversial and mostly true, the thing is that in most places there is much less repulsion from saying "Marx was wrong, communism doesn't work" than for saying "God is wrong, these divine laws are useless". So religion is a strong barricade against criticism, it uses fears no other ideology can use (fear of death/afterlife, fear of non-purpose), and yeah some people have made of communism or fascism and other ideologies even stronger barricades, but at the end of the day, the less ideologies (incl. religions) there are as possible barricades for demagogues to use the better we out to be.