Even if Hitler was an atheist, so what? Hitler was also a vegetarian. Does that suggest that vegetarians have a special tendency to be murderous, bigoted racists?
The point is that there is a logical pathway leading from religion to the committing of atrocities. It’s perfectly logical: if you believe that your religion is the right one, you believe that your god is the only god and you believe that your god has ordered you through a priest, or through a holy book, to kill somebody, to blow somebody up, to fly a plane into a skyscraper, then you are doing a righteous act. You’re a good person. You’re following your religious morality.
There is no such logical pathway leading from atheism, or secularism, to any such atrocious act. It just doesn’t follow.
Richard Dawkins
Friday, September 12, 2008
Hitler and Atheism?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Reminds me of a short part from a show, with a prison guard talking to one of the Nazi POWs.
ReplyDelete"So, did the Furher go hunting?"
"No, he believed it was cruel to kill animals."
Short pause, than they both start laughing.
"Even if Hitler was an atheist, so what? Hitler was also a vegetarian."
ReplyDelete"The point is that there is a logical pathway leading from religion to the committing of atrocities. It’s perfectly logical:"
Great post .And what amazes me is how simple and easy it is for the religious , to turn a blind eye to the religious influences that were sure known to be present in Hitlers early life even though its well known that influences of early childhood really effect people.He had a jewish father who was a drunk and beat him , and met with orthodox preists who said jews were scum acording to religious beliefs .
The religious also try to blame the acts of starlin on much the same yet turn a blind eye to his youth .
quote:Father Abashidze, whom Stalin nicknamed "the Black Spot"—harassed the rebel students through student informers, nightly patrols and surprise dormitory raids.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalin#Childhood_and_education.2C_1878.E2.80.931899
Yet the religious dont even stop for a single moment to give this all a second thought .And then complain when people call them ignorant and blind and make suggestions of being persecuted backed with religious quotes that try to suggest that that is what is expected to happen anyway.
Which i suggest only serves to make them look even more ignorant.
Pity a few more of them didnt stop for a moment and think instead of just feeling sorry for themselves .
Dawkins is kidding himself if he believes that there is no possible connection between atheism and committing atrocities.
ReplyDeleteTo use the same form as him:
It’s perfectly logical: if you believe that your worldview is the only right one, you believe that we are all alone in the universe and that there is no higher source of morality, you believe that life is inherently meaningless and valueless, and that there is no one out there besides us meaningless humans to judge our actions, then everything is ultimately permissible.
Of course, most atheists don't abide by that reasoning, though there have been some, like Jeffrey Dahmer. Most atheists don't commit atrocities in the name of their belief system. Then again, most religious people don't either. It's an invalid argument either way.