What is the real force behind the mass murders of history?

In recent months, a spate of atheist books have argued that religion represents, as "End of Faith" author Sam Harris puts it, "the most potent source of human conflict, past and present."

So what do you say? Yes, tons of people died because of religion, but what about religion-free utopia like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong, whom undoubtedly produced the kind of mass slaughter that no Inquisitor could possibly match? Or couldn't they?

so religion, the need to properly give a blood sacrifice to the gods, generated the first murder.

the only problem with cain sacrificing his brother was that he did not do the ritual properly.

The answer:
'Strictly for survival'. Perhaps presentiment perpetuates it more.
Cain only killed one.

I vote religion, a-la Isaiah chapter 1 or whatnot. (IIRC)

it would HAVE to be religion, there has NEVER been an atheistic state, the russian commies were folks who came from a religious background, the official state policy was atheism but it was being forced on a religion infected population.
notice the old churches were still there when the commies quit.

who knows what the yellow peril has going on over there.

Religion for sure. The majority of the Old Testament is the Hebrew Nation wiping out opposing religions, the Crusades and the hatred spawned from them, witch trials, the Buddhist purges in Japan, the Holocaust, just about everything goes back to religion.

However, I would caution that in many instances religion was used as a scapegoat. Greed, pride, and ignorance tend to be the true villians.

uh - How does one man killing one other man = MASS murder in your mind?

Besides, everyone knows the first mass murder was when Og of the Valley lead his people to victory over the dwellers of Cave 76.

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your sig was 1.8mb

I've said it before, I'll say it again: The intolerance of one religion for the religion of another is the cause of 99% of the problems in the world.

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There must be a tread for religious fanatics claim to be superman....

How Pat Robertson Leg Pressed 2,000 Pounds

It was totally debunked by SI



Patty claims that its his protien shake that is making him super strong....

What kind of 'Protien Shake' are your taking YZF to bench '360' ????

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LOL So you have taken a 'protien shake'....Zero is going to love this.

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Someone asks about the first mass murder, you talk of one man murdering another.

topic <--------------------------------------------------------------------------------> you

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your sig was 1.8mb

sacrificing half of humanity* in one blow ~ mass murder, I can see that as an inspirational act for following generations.

*in gods raceist creation the WIVES of cain and able were NOT HUMAN, even though they bore what became the human race.

you are so full of shit...."he likely did it again"???

And I suppose you have some sort of proof of this? Of course not, I didnt think so....why do you even bother trying to expand on the bible like you do? The story is centuries old, and not for you to invent whatever other outcomes you prefer....

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"some people are like slinky,
their not realy good for much.
but you cant help but smile
when you see one tumbling down the stairs"

Physically impossible, Three Apples. Unless you're standing on a stack of bibles. And intellectually, you've neither the reasoning ability nor the attention span to be 'over' the head of Savington, nevermind adults.

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your sig was 1.8mb

TITLE OF THREAD:

Reading owns your ass yet again, Mr. "four years of engineering school"....

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"some people are like slinky,
their not realy good for much.
but you cant help but smile
when you see one tumbling down the stairs"