Is religion the number 1 killer of all time?

Originally posted by LordBucket
reply to post by djbj597922

 

Is religion the number 1 killer of all time?

If you mean "has religion killed more people than everything else combined" then that could go either way. It's close. If you mean "is religion responsible for more deaths than any other single source," then yes, very likely.

This site combined with wikipedia give some excellent lists with numbers, but there are some issues.

According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, a total of roughly 248 million people have been "martyred." Meaning, "killed because of their faith." This beats the roughly 222 million listed on wikipedia from wars and conflicts, but comes in at less than the roughloy 290 million you get if you combine all wars and conflicts with fmailes, and genocides.

However...as the first linked source points out, the "people martryed" figure only includes people killed for their religion...not for their lack of religion. So, if muslims kill hindus for being hindu, that gets counted. But if christians kill athiests for not being christian, that wasn't counted.

So the 248 million figure may be a bit low.



[edit on 7-2-2010 by LordBucket]

[edit on 7-2-2010 by LordBucket]

Finally, a voice of reason. I am not slamming religion. I am just pointing out a fact.

Originally posted by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
Reply to post by djbj597922

 

Greed and lust for power not religion. And it's now obvious you do take excuses as fact, thank you.

 

Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

 

No sir/mam, I just observe! To ignore the facts is to take excuses as fact.

[edit on 7-2-2010 by djbj597922]

Reply to post by djbj597922

Um, in case you haven't notice practically everything has been used as a excuse for murder at somepoint or another. That means those things aren't the problem. The people that do them are. But it is easier to scapegoat the thing I understand, it hides the fact we are all human and lets some believe they are better than some or most.


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reply to post by Jinni

no religion sanctions mindless murder and tyranny that we have today.

The short, easy list:

Muslims- See also 16 year old girl buried alive, suicide bombers, Taliban, ect

Christianity- See also pat Robertson, the Haiti kidnapping 10, and pulpit- pimps .org.

Judaism- see also Zionism, Israel's latest fun times, ect.

Same goes for just about every other religion- they ALL have nasty little secrets.

So no what sanctions what again, exactly?

Reply to post by djbj597922

Then perhaps stop letting your bias cloud your perception? As you are accepting the excuse if you agree a concept made them do it.


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reply to post by TheWalkingFox

That title would probably go to influenza.

Difficult to to say, but maybe. Wikipedia claims "deaths of hundreds of thousands worldwide annually, and millions in pandemic years. " The 20-40 million of 1918 is a quarter to half of what the World Christian Encyclopedia claims for martyrs of even individual faiths, but if you start multiple those "hundreds of thousands annually" by centuries, that really starts to add up. But it's uncertain how much you can do that. 200,000 influenza deaths per year for 500 years is only 100 million. But, 500 years ago the entire world's population is estimated at only 450 million. So it's unlikely that the number of deaths per year has been constant. If you adjust those "couple hundrted thousand" by ratio of world population, 200,000 deaths from influenza today works out to only about 13,000 people per year in the 1500's.

smallpox.

Ahh. Here we go. Smallpox: 300–500 million deaths

That probably beats religion. We still don't have numbers of being killed by religious people for the crime of not being religious...but smallpox looks like a very likely contender for beating religion. If you want to say "disease in general" that's almost definitely going to be more than religion.



[edit on 7-2-2010 by LordBucket]

Originally posted by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
Reply to post by djbj597922

 

Um, in case you haven't notice practically everything has been used as a excuse for murder at somepoint or another. That means those things aren't the problem. The people that do them are. But it is easier to scapegoat the thing I understand, it hides the fact we are all human and lets some believe they are better than some or most.

 

Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

 

So as your argument goes, you think guns should be banned??? Because guns don't kill people, people kill people!

reply to post by LordBucket


And that's just the estimate for the 20th century. And when you think about it, twenty years of the 20th century don't count.

Watcher,

That line of reasoning doesn't pan out very well. While people make excuses for their bad behavior all the time, only religion has been consistently used to not only excuse, but justify the ill behavior of entire societies and civilizations.

When you look at the Mexica yanking out 500 hearts a day for Huitzilopitchli, do you think it was because the priests were "looking for power or wealth"? If so, they could have found much more effective ways to do so. No, they did it expressly because they thought the world would end if they didn't.

Not only could they look back and say "well, our god wanted us to do it so it's okay (excuse) but they also had "Our religion says we have to do this, so we must" (justification).

[edit on 7-2-2010 by TheWalkingFox]

Originally posted by Jinni
reply to post by djbj597922

 

Can you justify in the Bible where it says it is acceptable to kill and eat babies ?

Kill People Who Don't Listen to Priests.'
Kill Witches
Kill Homosexuals
Kill Fortunetellers
Death for Hitting Dad
Death for Cursing Parents
Death for Adultery
Death for Fornication
Kill Followers of Other Religions.
www.evilbible.com...
etc etc.

Ya no signs of God teaching murder in that books

Reply to post by djbj597922

Huh? Where did you get THAT? I was quite obiviously saying the opposite. But, your assertion that religion is the problem is simular to that.


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Originally posted by djbj597922

Originally posted by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
Reply to post by djbj597922

 

Um, in case you haven't notice practically everything has been used as a excuse for murder at somepoint or another. That means those things aren't the problem. The people that do them are. But it is easier to scapegoat the thing I understand, it hides the fact we are all human and lets some believe they are better than some or most.

 

Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

 

So as your argument goes, you think guns should be banned??? Because guns don't kill people, people kill people!

Lol, this must be the most nonsense post I have ever seen on ATS.

Watcher was saying the opposite!

Perhaps the causal factors are intelligent evil people and dumb sheeple.

Religion isn't the cause of wars, murder, genocide, ect.

Ignorant people looking for an excuse to gain power are the reason.

If you say that Religion is the #1 cause of wars, then you have to also agree that it is the #1 cause of hope, peace, joy, happiness, love, respect, friendship, community, and many other positive outcomes.

Reply to post by TheWalkingFox

An excuse IS a justification.

Main Entry: ex·cuse
Main Entry: 2 ex·cuse ex·cuse Pronunciation: Function: Date: 14th century the act of excusing
1 something offered as justification or as grounds for
2 a : something offered as justification or as grounds for being excused an expression of regret for failure to being excused b plural : an expression of regret for failure to do something a note of explanation of an absence do something c : a note of explanation of an absence,
3 : , 3, synonyms see apology

Now, the Aztecs, rather old and might I add no longer practiced religion you chose to use as an example. But, it's yet another excuse. The Aztec sacraficed war captives mostly, and I wager those that it was more convient for certain others that they be dead. But either way that doesn't mean religion is dangerous or makes people kill sorry.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Originally posted by Jinni

Originally posted by djbj597922

Originally posted by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
Reply to post by djbj597922

 

Um, in case you haven't notice practically everything has been used as a excuse for murder at somepoint or another. That means those things aren't the problem. The people that do them are. But it is easier to scapegoat the thing I understand, it hides the fact we are all human and lets some believe they are better than some or most.

 

Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

 

So as your argument goes, you think guns should be banned??? Because guns don't kill people, people kill people!

Lol, this must be the most nonsense post I have ever seen on ATS.

Watcher was saying the opposite!

Perhaps the causal factors are intelligent evil people and dumb sheeple.

Wow! That's a huge statement. The most nonsense post ever on ATS. I must get a medal or something. Have you been on here long? I hate to ask this but what religion do you follow? Please answer. Please.

Reply to post by djbj597922

What would it matter? Except for the purposes of character assasination to hide the fact you just made an incredibly boneheaded statement. He could be an atheist for all you know.


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Originally posted by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
Reply to post by djbj597922

 

What would it matter? Except for the purposes of character assasination to hide the fact you just made an incredibly boneheaded statement. He could be an atheist for all you know.

 

Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

 

So me wanting the facts is character assassination??? I follow no one religion. I am spiritual but not religious at all. I am not ashamed of my beliefs, but if someone can't admit their faith, then something is going on. If he/she is an atheist, then great. I am just asking.

Belief is the most powerful word ever conceived. Belief can make millions of people hate other people enough to want to destroy them.

Yes, religion is a tool for belief.

'Is religion the number 1 killer of all time ' ?


It would be easy to agree and say 'yes'


But the fact is, humans are the number 1 killer of all time

And if we accept the Bible as truth, we see that humans were killing each other before there existed any religions

Originally posted by Monts
Religion isn't the cause of wars, murder, genocide, ect.

Ignorant people looking for an excuse to gain power are the reason.

If you say that Religion is the #1 cause of wars, then you have to also agree that it is the #1 cause of hope, peace, joy, happiness, love, respect, friendship, community, and many other positive outcomes.

For sure, I believe it does cause hope, peace, and joy in a few. However most use it to put down other religions and faiths. The point I am trying to make is it causes us to divide.

reply to post by djbj597922


I'd say the top players are, in no particular order:

-Religion
-Money
-Power
-Land
-Oil

EDIT: But the REAL cause of unnecessary killings is IGNORANCE - deny it

EDIT: Also notice, how all the things I listed are completely materialistic and hold no real value...including religion...think about it...

[edit on 7/2/10 by CHA0S]