Why Does Christianity Spawn Evil Dictators?

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Why Does Christianity Spawn Evil Dictators?

Post #1

Post by Diogenes »

Hitler claimed to be Christian. Stalin was a Christian acolyte. Trump, the 'Grab 'em by the _ _ _ _ _ President who is revered by fundamentalists, and now Vladimir Putin engulfs the world in war, misery, and genocide while championing his Christian faith. How does the faith of Jesus of Nazareth spawn such actors? https://religiondispatches.org/is-putin ... questions/
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Re: Why Does Christianity Spawn Evil Dictators?

Post #21

Post by William »

Athetotheist wrote: Thu Apr 07, 2022 8:47 pm Christianity in particular----and theism in general----certainly don't hold a monopoly on spawning evil dictators.

That being said......

Christianity isn't just a set of morals; it's an apocalyptic religion with prophecies revolving around the return of Jesus. Jesus' return has been expected at numerous times by numerous groups of Christians and has never happened. Every time something is prophesied and the prophecy fails, it can push those who trusted the prophecy further into culture shock and make their reactions to life more and more irrational.
But if indeed Christianity is a Materialist invention, the the promised return has to be seen as a carrot enticing followers to support materialism on the promise that they will be 'saved' by the fictional return...

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Re: Why Does Christianity Spawn Evil Dictators?

Post #22

Post by William »

Athetotheist wrote: Thu Apr 07, 2022 8:59 pm [Replying to William in post #15
Also, we can see that materialist-based science is non-theistic and has become the number one reason why we are now entering an extinction event situation.......

.......So if one is looking for somewhere to hang the blame...
Wherever the blame can rightfully be hung, it can hardly be hung around the necks of the scientists who have been warning us of the very extinction event situation you mention.

One must remember that it is a particular branch of Materialistic science to which the blame could be hung - and that the scientists doing the warning are most likely not of that particular branch...they may be biologists rather than cosmologists and so understand the importance of preserving the planet-ship we are sailing upon [@ about 1.6 million miles per day] rather than creating space-junk and reaching for the stars...I did say "Exact Science" after all.

You do know where the Nazi Scientists went after the defeat of Hitlers Germany, right? [Hint - it was not to the hangman's noose.]

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Re: Why Does Christianity Spawn Evil Dictators?

Post #23

Post by Tcg »

William wrote: Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:11 pm
You do know where the Nazi Scientists went after the defeat of Hitlers Germany, right? [Hint - it was not to the hangman's noose.]
There is no mystery there. The mystery is what this Triva question has to do with the dictators mentioned in the O.P. Are you suggesting that Wernher von Braun became a dictator?


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Re: Why Does Christianity Spawn Evil Dictators?

Post #24

Post by William »

[Replying to Tcg in post #23]

It is all about ripple effect. Otherwise such questions re the OP are simply dwelling on a past that is irrelevant to the news of today.

Which is why it need be noted. What is worse. These monsters of the past or an extinction event on the horizon which was caused by the ripple effect of former monstrosities?

If it is just a case of grumbling and pointing fingers at self proclaimed "Christians" whilst ignoring the details, and the non-theist contribution to the horrors inflicted on humanity, then - I have no horse in that race.

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Re: Why Does Christianity Spawn Evil Dictators?

Post #25

Post by Tcg »

William wrote: Fri Apr 08, 2022 12:04 am [Replying to Tcg in post #23]

It is all about ripple effect. Otherwise such questions re the OP are simply dwelling on a past that is irrelevant to the news of today.

Which is why it need be noted. What is worse. These monsters of the past or an extinction event on the horizon which was caused by the ripple effect of former monstrosities?
Extinction event on the horizon? Caused by former monstrosities? I'll look forward to your presentation of verifiable evidence that either is a supportable claim. And take note of your failure to answer my question concerning your Trivia question and Wernher von Braun.


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I must assume that knowing is better than not knowing, venturing than not venturing; and that magic and illusion, however rich, however alluring, ultimately weaken the human spirit.

- Irvin D. Yalom

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Re: Why Does Christianity Spawn Evil Dictators?

Post #26

Post by Miles »

.


In a very real sense Christianity has indeed spawned dictators; its very own Papacy. Through ruthless dictatorial disregard for life it saw fit to slaughter countless millions. Although there are no firm numbers, many estimates have been made: Of particular interest is the following source:


...............................................ESTIMATES OF THE NUMBER
.................................................KILLED BY THE PAPACY IN
...................................................THE MIDDLE AGES AND
...........................................................LATER

.......................................................See HERE

"For example, it has been estimated by careful and reputed historians of the
Catholic Inquisition that 50 million people were slaughtered for the crime of
"heresy" by Roman persecutors between the A.D. 606 and the middle of the 19th
century." [p 3]

"The Catholic crusade against the Albigenses in Southern France (from 1209-
1229), under Popes Innocent III., Honorius III. and Gregory IX., was one of the
bloodiest tragedies in human history. ... The number of Albigenses that perished
in the twenty years‘ war is estimated at from one to two millions." [p 4]

"Walter M. Montano, a former Catholic priest, asserts in his book, Behind the
Purple Curtain that it has been estimated that fifty million people died for their
faith during the twelve hundred years of the Dark Ages. (Citing Walter M.
Montano, Behind the Purple Curtain, Cowman Publications, 1950, page 91." [p 8]

"A high estimate for the
Thirty Years‘ War is that the population of Germany was reduced from 20 million to 7
million, implying 13 million killed [Cushing B. Hassell, History of the Church of God,
Chapter XVII]; actually the population should have increased by about 3 million during
this time, so we can estimate 16 million killed." [p 22]

"Estimates for the number killed in the Huguenot wars in France range as high as 4
million, and probably almost all of these were killed by Catholics." [p 22]

"Another
example is the persecution of the Waldensians; Halley‘s Bible handbook, 1965 estimates
900,000 Protestants killed from 1540 to 1570 in the persecution of the Waldenses." [p 23]

"Gottfried Christian Voigt (1740-1791) extrapolated from his section of Germany
to calculate 9,442,994 witches killed throughout Europe. From this came the
common estimate of 9 million." [p 51]

"In short, it is calculated by authentic historians, that papal Rome has shed the blood
of sixty-eight millions of the human race in order to establish her unfounded claims
to religious dominion (citing Dr. Brownlee‘s ―Popery an enemy to civil liberty‖, p. 105).
Estimates range up to 7 to 12 million for the number who died in the thirty years‘
war, and higher:"
[p 5] (my emphasis)

ETC.
ETC.
ETC.


.

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Re: Why Does Christianity Spawn Evil Dictators?

Post #27

Post by brunumb »

William wrote: Thu Apr 07, 2022 8:17 pm
brunumb wrote: Tue Apr 05, 2022 7:57 pm I feel that Christianity does not spawn these evil leaders as much as it enables them. Be meek and mild, turn the other cheek, accept your miserable lot for your rewards await in heaven, the evil will get their just deserts, etc, all allow the believing populace to be manipulated and remain compliant to the will of the leader. Would those tyrants have achieved their status if the people, right from the beginning, forcefully rejected them before they got a foothold? I wonder.
Re the case of the materialist agenda, at what point do you think 'right from the beginning' would have been re the optimum moment to have rejected said agenda?
:? I have no idea what materialist agenda you are talking about.
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Voltaire: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."
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Re: Why Does Christianity Spawn Evil Dictators?

Post #28

Post by Tcg »

brunumb wrote: Fri Apr 08, 2022 1:05 am
William wrote: Thu Apr 07, 2022 8:17 pm
brunumb wrote: Tue Apr 05, 2022 7:57 pm I feel that Christianity does not spawn these evil leaders as much as it enables them. Be meek and mild, turn the other cheek, accept your miserable lot for your rewards await in heaven, the evil will get their just deserts, etc, all allow the believing populace to be manipulated and remain compliant to the will of the leader. Would those tyrants have achieved their status if the people, right from the beginning, forcefully rejected them before they got a foothold? I wonder.
Re the case of the materialist agenda, at what point do you think 'right from the beginning' would have been re the optimum moment to have rejected said agenda?
:? I have no idea what materialist agenda you are talking about.
It's the one that doesn't exist but is rather made up absent evidence.


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- wiploc


I must assume that knowing is better than not knowing, venturing than not venturing; and that magic and illusion, however rich, however alluring, ultimately weaken the human spirit.

- Irvin D. Yalom

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Re: Why Does Christianity Spawn Evil Dictators?

Post #29

Post by TRANSPONDER »

William wrote: Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:11 pm
Athetotheist wrote: Thu Apr 07, 2022 8:59 pm [Replying to William in post #15
Also, we can see that materialist-based science is non-theistic and has become the number one reason why we are now entering an extinction event situation.......

.......So if one is looking for somewhere to hang the blame...
Wherever the blame can rightfully be hung, it can hardly be hung around the necks of the scientists who have been warning us of the very extinction event situation you mention.

One must remember that it is a particular branch of Materialistic science to which the blame could be hung - and that the scientists doing the warning are most likely not of that particular branch...they may be biologists rather than cosmologists and so understand the importance of preserving the planet-ship we are sailing upon [@ about 1.6 million miles per day] rather than creating space-junk and reaching for the stars...I did say "Exact Science" after all.

You do know where the Nazi Scientists went after the defeat of Hitlers Germany, right? [Hint - it was not to the hangman's noose.]
I find it very strange that the Christian religion saw itself as deserving credit for leading the West in its' battle against Two successive dictators and not worrying much about irradiating the earth and offering jobs to Ex - Nazis to do it, and now they are the ones who are fighting the (scientific) efforts to clean up the planet. Ok there is space junk. But the answer is to find a way to deal with it, not bash science because it is atheist when it is rather Christian - funding corporations that have found the pushing of technology (and never mind space junk, plastic bags and atmospheric pollution) very profitable.

So we can do without trying to blame ruination of the planet on atheistic materialism. And bear in mind that we pretty much have the means to deal with an asteroid threat (and had decades ago when they were all panicking about it) while religipon's only answer is to call for mass prayer - like that ever accomplished diverting a single earthquake, war or Tsunami, never mind what the Bible promised just as few of them praying in Faith.

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Re: Why Does Christianity Spawn Evil Dictators?

Post #30

Post by William »

[Replying to TRANSPONDER in post #29]
I find it very strange that the Christian religion saw itself as deserving credit for leading the West in its' battle against Two successive dictators and not worrying much about irradiating the earth and offering jobs to Ex - Nazis to do it, and now they are the ones who are fighting the (scientific) efforts to clean up the planet.
I think [but am not sure] that this is what the OP is focused upon. It is folk calling themselves "Christians" who are "doing this".
Ok there is space junk. But the answer is to find a way to deal with it, not bash science because it is atheist when it is rather Christian - funding corporations that have found the pushing of technology (and never mind space junk, plastic bags and atmospheric pollution) very profitable.
To be clear, pointing out historical factors is not bashing...either theist or non theists. It is just pointing out the historical factors.

Essentially what we have here is that materialists calling themselves "Christians" or "Atheists" [theists or non-theists] are doing the profiteering and subsequent damage.

[The observation of which appears not to be related to the actual reason for the thread topic]

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