Signals of Mind

Secular ideologies have done the exact same thing — communism, Nazism, Maoism, Pol Pot — responsible for far more deaths in the 20th century than all religious wars combined. People don’t commit atrocities because they believe in God, they commit them because of human greed, pride, and lust for power — and they’ll use any banner (religious or secular) to justify it.

Religion doesn’t corrupt good people — power does. History proves that secular ideologies can be just as dangerous, if not more. True faith condemns violence. Jesus’ teachings (“love your enemy,” “turn the other cheek”) run completely opposite to violence. When religion has fueled violence, it’s almost always politics wearing religious clothing — not religion itself. Secular certainty without evidence can be just as dangerous (e.g., gulags, purges, fascism).

“Violence comes from fanaticism, not faith. Secular fanatics have done the same — the problem is fanaticism, not God. Teaching children values, morality, and identity is not abuse — it’s parenting. Every worldview (atheist, secular humanist, Christian, Muslim, etc.) passes on its values.

What would atheists prefer — a value vacuum? Kids raised with no moral compass until they’re 18? That’s not neutral, that’s neglect. Most studies show religiously raised children tend to have stronger family bonds, lower substance abuse, and better community engagement.

“Calling faith ‘child abuse’ is an insult to real abuse victims. Every parent passes on values — religion gives children a moral compass, not trauma. Religion has also inspired enormous good: hospitals, universities, abolition of slavery, human rights movements, civil rights (MLK Jr.), charities worldwide.

If you remove religion, you don’t get peace — you get the same human problems under a different flag. Poison everything? No — religion has healed and uplifted millions. Religion doesn’t poison everything. It’s inspired hospitals, universities, human rights, and charities. That’s a cure, not a poison. Yes, religious wars exist — but the bloodiest centuries (20th century) were overwhelmingly secular. Wars are almost always about power, territory, and economics — religion just becomes the label.

Blaming all of religion for the Crusades or terrorism is like blaming all science for the atomic bomb. People abuse religion to justify violence — just as they’ve abused science, politics, and ideology. That’s a human problem, not a God problem.”

If religion and belief in God is the problem then the solution is simple. Get rid of religion and the belief in God and you will have a safer better society. Well that experiement has been tried before and it was a disaster. If I were asked today to formulate as concisely as possible the main cause of the ruinous revolution that swallowed up some 60 million of our people, I could not put it more accurately than to repeat: ‘Men have forgotten God; that’s why all this has happened.’”

If the people that believe in God are dangerous and spreading ignorance then half of science is doing the same. Half of scientists believe in God. But what makes you think that things would get better if you did away with religion. Many countries now have abandonded their religion and their crime is just as bad or worse.

Some religions are bad or have convinced their followers to do bad things. But not all religions are bad. Accepting blind naturalism, scientism, and materialism is a religion in of itself. But it is an empty, morally bankrupt religion with no hope or meaning. Its a religion that can't offer any guidance, or path to deeper development. And with no moral grounding it may be the most dangerous religion of them all.