Do people kill in the name of atheism?

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• It is a brain teaser.
  I have no clue..

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  by Spicy Hot on September 9th, 2009

• The question is whether people kill IN THE NAME of or for atheism, not do atheists kill. A tendency for violence isn't the point, the reason for acting on that violent tendency is the point surely? No brain teaser there, (it's your question Spicy so if you're not sure did you mean to word it that way)?

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  by Who Is She on September 9th, 2009

• I asked this question because I am looking for an answer, not because I know the answer.
  Atheist do kill, I am not sure if they do so in the name of "not being religious" against a religious person or religious group, Have they started wars because they dont want others to be religious?

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  by Spicy Hot on September 9th, 2009

• i'm not sure what cyclone "who is she" blew in from, but, DUCK!!! you say that communism and capitalism are economic systems. i say that communism and capitalism are belief systems that unite people and arm people and tell them to go off and kill in the name of communism or capitalism. i'd argue that beliefs in economic systems have been responsible for more deaths than beliefs in religious systems. any belief system, unchecked and unjust, can lead to violence.

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  by Bob on September 9th, 2009

• I don't think there is any significant example of this in history, no, but needless to say there may well be a small scale example of a singular nutter killing say Christians or whatever because he / she's got a gridge / issue. That's all though to date I think and I can't even think of an outstanding example of this happening.

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  by Who Is She on September 9th, 2009

• Agreed Bob but what does that have to do with killing for atheism? Killing for the Communist ideology, for example, would not be tantamount to killing for atheism by any stretch of the imagination.

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  by Who Is She on September 9th, 2009

• the point isn't the specific belief held, whether it is christianity or judaism or hinduism or communism or capitalism or marital fidelity. the point is the depth of the attachment to that belief system. the stronger the depth of the attachment to that belief system, the easier it is that people can be manipulated and will even kill for that belief. i suggest above that there's a difference in the depth of attachment to the atheistic ideal between those who BELIEVE in atheism from those who don't believe in god. the less attachment, the less likely to kill, of course. you're right, most atheists are not deeply attached to any such belief system, and, as such, they are less likely to kill. those atheists who wear their atheism like a badge of honor are more likely to be able to be manipulated.

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  by Bob on September 9th, 2009

• Hasn't happened yet. The question asks if 'people kill in the name of atheism?' and that'd be a no to date, en masse at least. The point (re. what's specified in this question), IS the belief system held and re. atheism (a standpoint if not a belief system), there has been no large-scale killing in the name of / for it to date.

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  by Who Is She on September 9th, 2009

• the question is vague on whether killing 6 million once is the same as killing 1 person six million times. there've probably been a few dozen cases where religious beliefs have resulted in mass killing but never has atheistic beliefs resulted in mass killing. on the other hand, if you look at the inverse, in our state and federal prisons, we find that the majority of murders are professed atheists. for them, and their victims, the absence of a belief system has been costly.

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  by Bob on September 9th, 2009