On 3/6/2003 7:11:36 PM, Kimberly Ingols
wrote:
> the heads of state mentioned weren't
>really marxists (Marx wouldn't have
>thought so!) More important, I
>don't
>think the fact that the
>mentioned communists were
>also atheists has anything to
>do with said killing.

>In other words, those killings
>had nothing to do with
>atheism per se.

Much of Stalin and Mao's mass slaughter
of innocents were religiously motivated,
and both had a strong adhernece to
Marx's belief that religion was "the opiate
of the masses" and ought to be stamped
out, though neither men adhered to
Marx's democratic ideals. They certainly
claimed to be followers of Marx and were
motivated by atheism to persecute and
kill people of faith.

However, conceding your argument about
Stalin and Mao, the same could be said
about the leaders of the Inquisition and
the Crusades. Were they REALLY
following the teachings of Christ, who
said to turn the other cheek, blessed are
the peacemakers, he who lives by the
sword, dies by the sword, etc? One might
argue that theCrusades and the
Inquisition and Europes "religious wars"
had nothing to do with religion per se, but
were political or culture in nature.

Prof. Borrowdale
borrowdalej@lanecc.edu