Hindus

[DBTrek]

Disease killed people in the new world, not religion, GCF.

And yes, declaring an atheist state, persecuting religion, and killing millions directly or through state policy comes back to both atheism and communism.

This is where you drew a line from “people not being religious” to Communism.

The atheist, communist, state, disallows religion so it cannot compete with communist authority. That’s not drawing a cause/effect relationship between atheism and communism. That’s ascribing communist-induced deaths (which far outpace any religious war) to an atheist state policy that has removed religious barriers of resistance.

[Montegriffo]

God, you are ignorant.

You can't say that about God, you will get thrown out of the church.

[BjornP]

False correlation. But I would wager that mass homicides and religious wars decline.

Yes, without religions religious wars would probably decline. *ahem*

As for the most common forms of war (inheritence wars, economically motivated conflict), and as for mass murder, they would of course not decline. Try actually googling historical mass murders/genocides and wars by civilian deaths. Don't just go on your feels.

It was said with humor. ‘Mass homicides’ was a lazy term. I should have said ‘persecutions’.

Ok. So, just in terms of percentages compared to today: By how many percentages would you imagine the amount of persecution in the world, and/or amount of war, would decline if religion was abolished everywhere? 1% 2? 25% 50? 80%? Other?

[SuburbanFarmer]

Disease killed people in the new world, not religion, GCF.

And yes, declaring an atheist state, persecuting religion, and killing millions directly or through state policy comes back to both atheism and communism.

This is where you drew a line from “people not being religious” to Communism.

The atheist, communist, state, disallows religion so it cannot compete with communist authority. That’s not drawing a cause/effect relationship between atheism and communism. That’s ascribing communist-induced deaths (which far outpace any religious war) to an atheist state policy that has removed religious barriers of resistance.

Nobody was discussing an Atheist State, until you wrote this. See first page for context.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Yes, without religions religious wars would probably decline. *ahem*

As for the most common forms of war (inheritence wars, economically motivated conflict), and as for mass murder, they would of course not decline. Try actually googling historical mass murders/genocides and wars by civilian deaths. Don't just go on your feels.

It was said with humor. ‘Mass homicides’ was a lazy term. I should have said ‘persecutions’.

Ok. So, just in terms of percentages compared to today: By how many percentages would you imagine the amount of persecution in the world, and/or amount of war, would decline if religion was abolished everywhere? 1% 2? 25% 50? 80%? Other?

I don't advocate state abolishment of religion. I advocate the individual rejection of it.

If all religion were "abolished", the consequences would be horrific.

If humanity were to reject it en masse, and simply opt out of superstition, we would quickly reach a new Golden Age. But it won't happen in my lifetime, unless we somehow contact another intelligent civilization.

[DBTrek]

If we all believe in trite materialism and an infinity of unconsciousness, we’ll reach the “Golden Age”.

Sounds legit.
Read it on the internet so it must be true.
I mean, animals don’t believe in God(s), and they’ve all clearly achieved their Golden Age. That’s why the term animalistic, or animal intelligence, or simply calling other people animals is seen as highly complimentary.

[Fife]

[SuburbanFarmer]

If we all believe in trite materialism and an infinity of unconsciousness, we’ll reach the “Golden Age”.

Sounds legit.
Read it on the internet so it must be true.
I mean, animals don’t believe in God(s), and they’ve all clearly achieved their Golden Age. That’s why the term animalistic, or animal intelligence, or simply calling other people animals is seen as highly complimentary.

There are other human motivational systems than fear of the supernatural. With far less oppressive consequences.

If anything, Capitalism is inherently a rejection of religion, just as much as Communism. It's just been implemented in a less totalitarian fashion - so far.

[BjornP]

It was said with humor. ‘Mass homicides’ was a lazy term. I should have said ‘persecutions’.

Ok. So, just in terms of percentages compared to today: By how many percentages would you imagine the amount of persecution in the world, and/or amount of war, would decline if religion was abolished everywhere? 1% 2? 25% 50? 80%? Other?

If humanity were to reject it en masse, and simply opt out of superstition, we would quickly reach a new Golden Age. But it won't happen in my lifetime, unless we somehow contact another intelligent civilization.

A golden age, huh? Based on...? Do you believe that the only reason people would possibly murder each other in massive numbers, the only possible motivation people can have to commit genocide, to persecute people, to wage war... is religion/spirituality/superstition?

[DBTrek]

There are other human motivational systems than fear of the supernatural. With far less oppressive consequences.

If anything, Capitalism is inherently a rejection of religion, just as much as Communism.

Did you just call fear of the supernatural more oppressive than communism?

Seems like there would be more people clamoring to get into North Korea than studying in seminaries and madrassas if that were the case.