Atheists not
responsible for past genocides
Michael A Dingwall
January 04, 2017 Jamaica Observer
Though I am an atheist, I
do like to listen to some of the many church services that are
aired – mainly for their comic relief. Recently, while listening to
one, I heard the argument being put forward that virtually all of
the most heinous atrocities that happened during the last century
were done by “wicked atheists” like Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and the
like. Of course, I had a good laugh. As those who really know,
these supposed atheists weren’t really atheists at all.
Perhaps the most famous
supposed atheist ever to walk the Earth during the last century was
Adolf Hitler. He is credited for killing millions of Jews and
others and starting World War II, largely, it is being claimed, out
of his atheistic hatred of anything good. Now those who really know
Hitler know that that he would fly into a rage with anyone who
would call him an atheist.
Hitler was anything but an
atheist. His air force was decorated with Christian crosses when
they went on their blitzkrieg bombing runs across Europe. The Iron
cross was one of Nazi Germany’s highest national awards. One of
Hitler’s main reason for invading Russia in 1941 was to rid the
world of “that wicked atheistic Russia”. In fact, Hitler himself
justified his extermination of the Jews by claiming that he was an
instrument for God’s vengeance against them for what they did to
Jesus.
Then we have the founder of
Red China today, Mao Zedong. It is said by some that, on account of
his atheistic convictions, he was responsible for the deaths of
tens of millions of his own people, in an effort to rapidly advance
his country.
Now while Mao may have seen
religion as a threat to making China great, he himself never
professed to be an atheist. In fact, Mao was born into a devout
Buddhist family and a practising Buddhist when he was young, and
while he may have proclaimed China to be officially atheist,
Buddhism was protected by communist policy. In fact, in a
conversation he had with Pham Van Dong, Mao, talking about his
illness said “…I have had a cough for some days. It is time to go
to heaven. It seems that I am summoned to meet the good god…”
Hardly the convictions of an atheist.
Pol Pot was the infamous
leader of Cambodia during the cold war who is credited for
exterminating a quarter of his country’s population. He has been
branded a cruel atheist by many — very wrongly so. Pol Pot was also
a Buddhist. He first studied at a Buddhist monastery and then at a
Catholic institution. Again, like China’s Mao, Pol Pot never
claimed to be an atheist.
Perhaps the most powerful
dictator of the last century, Russia’s Josef Stalin is credited
with killing millions of Russians and others, when he created the
Soviet Empire. However, while Stalin did appear to strengthen
atheism in Russia, there is doubt as to whether he himself was
really an atheist at all.
Not many are aware of the
fact that Stalin, when he was younger, actually was training to be
a priest – yes a priest, before he became a “rebel”. Some have said
that the earlier religious convictions that he had then may have
contributed to his iron fist rule of the Soviet Empire. I, however,
am not too sure.
Now, I want to make the
point that I am not here saying that just because these leaders of
the last century were obviously religious people or greatly
influenced by religion was the reason why they did the things that
have been ascribed to them. Not at all. You see, in any group, you
will always find both good and bad. Atheists, like theists, are
very much capable of doing things that will be seen as very bad.
However, the past atrocities, and especially the very notable ones
of the last century, had nothing to do with atheists.