Christian Propaganda, and Why Two Wrongs Do Not Solve the Problem of Evil

 

In one of my more recent conversations with a Christian, the topic of "atheist regimes" cropped up, which has motivated me to write this post in order to clear up the misconceptions and turn the tables on the propaganda we have been inundated with concerning the so-called "atheist regimes" of China and Russia for example.  Now, there is no doubt that some who claim to be atheists have in fact committed heinous deeds, but that does not take away from the fact that even if they were atheists, and had committed atrocities, that would not make Christianity or their god, if he existed, anymore worthy of worship--nor would it solve the problem of evil.  The problem of evil being that if the Christian god is said to be all-knowing, all-good and all-powerful, then there should be no atrocities at all in the first place.   As the bible tells us, "...EVERY decision is from the Lord." (Proverbs 16:33) meaning EVERYTHING, if we believe the bible, is because the Christian god made a decision for that to happen.  Many Christians too have committed heinous atrocities, and still do--but two wrongs do not make a right.  Furthermore, even those that Christians claim were "atheist regimes" were heavily influenced by Christianity, and if Christianity had not been such a powerful force, perhaps the atrocities committed by these so-called "atheist regimes" may not have happened at all.  Let me explain why.

The following is an excerpt from the book I am currently writing. This excerpt begins by explaining how the writings of Martin Luther influenced Hitler's ideology:

"The anti-Semitism and atrocities committed by Hitler's Nazi's was influenced heavily by the works of Martin Luther, including his "On the Jews and Their Lies" in which Luther called for all Jewish rights, including rights to their own religious writings be eliminated; their properties razed; their monies confiscated; and to use Jews as forced agricultural labour. Because of this view of the Jews that was held by many Germans--especially those Germans who were familiar with Luther's writings--the Jews were easily scapegoated.  The Jews were also blamed for the death of Jesus, so it was easy to incite hatred against them and to implicate them for the economic hardships the Germans faced after WWI--which happened not because the Jews were the money changers--but because of the economic sanctions placed on Germany after the Treaty of Versailles, where they were made to pay restitution for starting WWI. Therefore, the reasons for the atrocities committed in Germany in WWII against the Jews were very, very heavily influenced by Christianity. On an even deeper level, it makes one wonder how Christians can trust their own bible (half of which consists of the Jewish Tanakh) when as Luther claimed, the Jews are "untrustworthy"-- this is a non-sequitur of epic proportions.

It was not only during WWII that the influence of Christianity can be seen.  Many of the so-called "atheist regimes,"and their totalitarianism were not created to impose atheism on others, but to free themselves from the tyranny of Imperialist/Christian rule. For instance, in Russia before the Russian Revolution (1917), the Russian Orthodox Church and the czarist autocracy controlled the country and the wealth, while peasants and the working class suffered in poverty. Nothing could be done to influence the Czar to change his policies, which then resulted in worker strikes, culminating in actual revolution. Their revolutions were anti-Imperialistic, and directed towards removing Imperialism (which works hand in hand with the church) in order to establish socialism and a more even distribution of wealth within the country. As church and state worked hand in hand in oppressing their nation, it would therefore be a natural progression for the socialists to eliminate religion along with the Czarist government.

Just as was in the case of Russia, China too, was a feudal society where the few elite controlled the wealth and power, while the majority barely survived, resulting in many peasant uprisings. Their revolution and the communism that followed was an effort to elevate the living conditions of the poor and oppressed workers. In the case of China, Christianity had been in practice since the 7th century, and although it waned between the 10th and 14th centuries, it reestablished itself the 18th and 19th centuries. This "western influence" then led to the Taiping Rebellion from 1850-1864--a civil war launched by a heterodox Christian who believed he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ. This rebellion is considered one of the deadliest in history, and resulted in the deaths of approximately 20 to 47 million people.*

We can see then, that just as it was in the case with Russia, when the Communist Party of China came to power in 1949, China viewed Western religions such as Christianity as the tool of Western colonialism.  In an effort to separate themselves from Western Colonial influence, Mao, in a similar move to Jefferson's, aimed for the separation of church and state. This move had nothing to do with forcing atheism onto the people, and everything to do with removing the influence of Imperialistic regimes. Therefore, it can be seen that many of the so-called "atheist regimes" were heavily influenced by Christianity, and none of these atrocities may have occurred if it were not for the imperialist/Christian noose that was around the necks of those who otherwise had no power to control their own destinies."

Therefore, if the atheist regimes were atheist, they were heavily influenced by Christianity; two wrongs do not make a right; and blaming atheists for committing atrocities does not solve the problem of evil. 

 Just as the Jews had been scapegoated in the past by Christians wielding power, I believe that atheists today are being viewed in much the same way.  Atheists are some of the most hated people in America--not because they commit heinous acts--but because atheists do not believe in Jesus, and just like in the case of the Jews, Christians believe we "cannot be trusted."  This is pure propaganda that must be stopped before history repeats itself.


*Revolutionary armies in the modern era: a revisionist approach By S. P. Mackenzie p. 78