More anti-atheist bullshit, this time from a college in Dublin. Michael Nugent explains.
Hibernia College Dublin, in its Higher Diploma in Arts in Primary Education, is teaching as part of its Religion module several untrue statements about atheism and at least two defamatory allegations about modern atheists. This includes course notes that claim that “What bothers very few of its latter-day exponents is the fact that atheist humanism produced the worst horrors history has ever witnessed, namely Nazism, Fascism and Marxism…” and a mock examination where the student is expected to answer that it is “True” that “Atheist humanism produced the worst horrors history has ever witnessed.”
The jaw drops. The eyes stare. The brain freezes.
Atheist Ireland sent a letter
to Hibernia College, the Minister for Education, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council; the Teaching Council; the Irish National Teachers Organisation; the Union of Students in Ireland; and selected politicians with an interest or responsibility in this area. We have already raised the matter with two Council of Europe delegations who are in Dublin this week monitoring Ireland’s record in protecting human rights. They are the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), and the Advisory Committee for the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM).
From the letter:
1. Hibernia College should not be teaching the disgraceful libel that very few modern atheists are bothered about the causes of the worst atrocities in history, and that we feel that anything is morally justified in the absence of gods. Nor should it be teaching untrue statements about atheism, such as atheism is a religion; atheism generally places its faith in some other absolute; atheism produced Nazism, Fascism and Communism; and atheism is not a benign force in history.
2. Hibernia College should not be setting online examination questions, presented in factual multiple choice format rather than discussion format, where the student is expected to answer that it is “True” that “Atheist humanism produced the worst horrors history has ever witnessed,” and that “Atheism has had, historically speaking, a negative effect on society.”
You would think that Hibernia College must be a Catholic school but in fact it’s not. It’s a nonreligious educational institution. Yet the geniuses at spiked tell us that atheists have a stupid victim-complex!
H/t Robin.
Well, its true that I am the source of all evil and responsible for the worst horrors that history has ever seen. And its true that I’m an atheist. But those two facts aren’t actually related, and I don’t see why the rest of you atheists should be getting credit for my evil genius.
If Dave is the source of all evil, and God is the creator of everything…ergo, Dave is God! I don’t believe in Dave.
“…the fact that atheist humanism produced the worst horrors history has ever witnessed, namely Nazism…”
Check your history (something fervent god botherers seldom do); atheists were specifically prohibited from membership in the Nazi party.
What is the greatest cause of atrocities, of mass murder, of extremist political ideologies?
Absolute certainty.
Nothing makes it easier to justify murder and crime or absolve oneself of responsibility than knowing that you’re “doing it for god”, “doing it for the cause” or “doing it for the party”.
It’s the easiest of all when one claims that certainty comes from an unquestionable and untestable source.
@ #4:
Or if you’re “taking one for the team;” the team of course being yourself and the almighty.
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. Isaiah 45:7 (KJV).
This^^. This times infinity.
Here is Jacob Bronowski, explaining .
But he can’t do your homework or extinguish your zits.
Useless God.
“Absolute certainty.”
You’re sure of that? 😉
This isn’t just the standard line about atheism. We’ve heard lots of times that Stalin, Hitler and Mussolini were atheists and killed people, but this is the first time I’ve seen attributed to atheistic humanism. Stalin is the only one who was a real atheist and he was no humanist.
Atheist Ireland have already met with the college and they’ve agreed to remove this content and asked Atheist Ireland to help prepare replacement content.
http://www.atheist.ie/2012/03/atheist-ireland-to-assist-hibernia-college-with-pluralist-religion-and-ethics-curriculum/
My answer to the Hitler/Stalin accusation:
On the atheist side:
Even ->IF<- that was true (and it isn't), look around and see how many Hitlers and Stalins you see. NONE. We did away with them. We did away with the possibility of people like that gaining power.
On the Christian side:
Still with us, still causing great human misery, are the Catholic Church and other formal religious groups — the source of the Crusades, the murders of "witches," the ongoing campaign against contraception, condoms, sex education, etc.
This kind of distortion of history is only to be expected from the godly. When you base your entire philosophical foundation on an ancient book of unverifiable stories, it points to a deeply ingrained disregard for the facts. When you accept things on faith, anything you want can be true.
So atheists caused Nazism. Why not? It’s no bigger a line of bullshit than everything else they already believe.
I continue to be baffled by the claim that atheism inspired Nazism or Fascism. The claim that atheism resulted in the atrocities of Stalin or Pol Pot, okay, I’ll debate you on that. I’ll tell you why you are wrong. But if you are trying to tell me that atheism motivated Hitler or Mussolini, I can’t really manage much more than to just stare at you in disbelief.
While I’ve heard plenty of xtian apologists pardon, excuse, rationalize and justify atrocities committed in the name of God, I’ve never heard of any atheist or humanist pardoning, excusing, rationalizing or justifying the atrocities of Hitler, Stalin or Pol Pot.