The tired argument that Hitler&Stalin were atheists...

[davidraphael]

The faithful often say "Atheism doesn't have such a good track record; after all, Hitler and Stalin were atheists"

It's an argument that one hears again and again. Well, I have found something that can be used to counter such ridiculous arguments...

1. Apart from the fact that, as Dawkins and others continually point out, their atheism is a secondary trait and has no bearing. One might as well say that all people with moustaches are evil because both Hitler and Stalin had moustaches.

2. Hitler was brought up a Catholic and he was also interested in quasi-religious experiences and incorporating them into the 3rd Reich.

3. MOST INTERESTINGLY...
 I found the the following quote, which you may be able to use in your arguments/debates with Christians who make this claim.

"Secular schools can never be tolerated because such schools have no religious instruction, and a general moral instruction without a religious foundation is built on air; consequently all character training and religion must be derived from faith...we need believing people..."

It sounds like it could have been said by a contemporary proponent of Intelligent Design, right?
But it was in fact said by Adolph Hitler in a speech in 1933...

[Dretlin]

If you are interested in the other side of this coin, some other horrible human beings such as:

-Robert Mugabe   - Catholic
-Francisco Franco - Roman Catholic
-Kim Il-sung         - Presbyterianism
-Saddam Hussein - Sunni
-Emperor Hirohito - Shinto

Religion doesn't have a "good track record" now does it?

The very "coin" I mentioned is ridiculous. See how inane my argument is? Tallying off who was a good person or not, then secondary looking at their religious beliefs, more than likely has no baring, what so ever, on the motivation for their actions. Of course, sometimes it does - BUT - it is never, ever the whole picture.

But of course you knew that already. And so does everyone with half a mind.

[Albino_Raptor]

Why are religions often forbidden in dicatatoric nations? Simple: There is always only room for ONE totalitarian, dogmatic system in a society.
Don't mistake the selfish, weapon-enforced notion of "The people can not have another god but ME to believe in" with a freedom of thought based and reached atheistic system.

[philosoraptor]

My answer to assholes who like to bring up that Hitler and Stalin were atheists?

NO ONE EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION!  Pretty sure Christians have killed way more people in the name of their God than atheists for any reason.

[AthiestsAreMorons]

Hitler was a briliant vissionary so who cares if he was athiest or not. He was a super beast. Ethics he was like a super F----------. But his idea's were like all A+. For the betterment of the human species to actually fucking progress are humanity instead of just keep it at a blurred wigly line. Like it is now and has been for years. Natural Selection has been murdered. Foundation of life u know w/e. ah anyway piss on meh all uze want , but know that deep in ur sole ur either a moron or denying these things i have pointed out  :bananacolor:     :pop:

[curiosityandthecat]

Hitler was a briliant vissionary so who cares if he was athiest or not. He was a super beast. Ethics he was like a super F----------. But his idea's were like all A+. For the betterment of the human species to actually fucking progress are humanity instead of just keep it at a blurred wigly line. Like it is now and has been for years. Natural Selection has been murdered. Foundation of life u know w/e. ah anyway piss on meh all uze want , but know that deep in ur sole ur either a moron or denying these things i have pointed out  :bananacolor:     :pop:

You're right... I know it deep in my sole.

[pinkocommie]

Oh ho ho, you wacky kids these days.  Keep it up and someday you might graduate from obvious troll to probably troll.  I believe in you!

[DuckPhup]

Fascism, Naziism and Communism are all totalitarian ideologies... and so is Christianity. In the case of the Christ-cult, an invisible, magical, all-powerful, supernatural sky-fairy is supreme... in the other cases, the 'state' is supreme, although sometimes the 'state' is embodied in the form of a despot.

Atheism is not any kind of 'ideology'. There are books of 'God-stories', and people who go around spewing various verses and bon-mots from these 'God-stories, accompanied by God-slogans and usually fortified with dire threats of horrible eternal punishment or promises of eternal love and bliss, all aimed at getting other people to 'believe' (the ILLUSION of knowledge) that these God-stories are 'true'.

There is a dismayingly small percentage of humanity that is NOT so stupid and gullible that they can be made to 'believe' these God-stories. That absence of stupidity and gullibility earns those people a label... 'atheist'. That is it... that is all. No ideology.

As for people being killed in the name of 'atheism'... to the best of my knowledge, no people have been systematically killed because of a disagreement over the reasonableness or unreasonableness of 'believing' in invisible, magical, all-powerful, supernatural sky-fairies. However,many millions of people have been systematically killed because of disagreements over the details relating to 'belief' in invisible, magical, all-powerful, supernatural sky-fairies. How stupid is that?

[Squid]

...deep in ur sole...

Yes...deep in my sole...

[Tom62]

Revelation 23:1 "These boots are made for walking and that's just what they do"
"One of these days, these boots are gonna walk all over you"

[karadan]

[Kylyssa]

...deep in ur sole...

Yes...deep in my sole...

Ur boot turns me on, deep in my sole.

[Killa_Kron]

Hitler was a briliant vissionary so who cares if he was athiest or not. He was a super beast. Ethics he was like a super F----------. But his idea's were like all A+. For the betterment of the human species to actually fucking progress are humanity instead of just keep it at a blurred wigly line. Like it is now and has been for years. Natural Selection has been murdered. Foundation of life u know w/e. ah anyway piss on meh all uze want , but know that deep in ur sole ur either a moron or denying these things i have pointed out  :bananacolor:     :pop:

Ok seriously what the fuck...for one, Hitler was a complete dumbass as tactics, for two he was a royal dick, and for three and here's the biggie, HE TRIED TO EXTERMINATE AN ENTIRE RACE! That HARDLY qualifies as brilliant. Oh and my sole really hurts...i've been walking too much  

[SSY]

...deep in ur sole...

Yes...deep in my sole...

[EssejSllim]

Hitler was a briliant vissionary so who cares if he was athiest or not. He was a super beast. Ethics he was like a super F----------. But his idea's were like all A+. For the betterment of the human species to actually fucking progress are humanity instead of just keep it at a blurred wigly line. Like it is now and has been for years. Natural Selection has been murdered. Foundation of life u know w/e. ah anyway piss on meh all uze want , but know that deep in ur sole ur either a moron or denying these things i have pointed out  :bananacolor:     :pop:

Ok seriously what the fuck...for one, Hitler was a complete dumbass as tactics, for two he was a royal dick, and for three and here's the biggie, HE TRIED TO EXTERMINATE AN ENTIRE RACE! That HARDLY qualifies as brilliant. Oh and my sole really hurts...i've been walking too much  

Actually, Hitler was brilliant. He manipulated his way through a political scene that shifted constantly. He rose to control a country he wasn't even born in. He pulled a country out of arguably the worst economic disaster in world history, then turned that country into the premier economic and military force in the world. He forced the French out of the Rhineland, then crushed them in a matter of weeks. He made a pact that kept the USSR out of the war. He manipulated and fought his way towards controlling all of continental Europe. He came the closest anyone ever has (since William the Conqueror) to successfully invading England. He managed to ally with Japan (historically most friendly with England). In short, he very well may have conquered the world if he hadn't let his emotions overrule his brilliant tactical mind (invasion of USSR, slaughter of Jews/Slavs).