What does 'killing in the name of X' mean?

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Theists often claim Mao, Stalin, etc kill in the name of atheism; atheists often claim the jihads kill in the name of Muslim. What does 'killing in the name of X' mean?

It seems 'killing in the name of X' just mean 'attempting' to justify ones act of killing using (non)ideology X.

In these sense a psychopath / nihilist never kill in the names of anything because they don't think killing need to be justified.

"Killing in the name of X" = Killing for the reason X

ruveyn

People who kill because they want to belong. Makes sense. People do actually do that. Think of Mao, Stalin, etc as biker gangs.

Except these guys didn't kill in the name of atheism....rather nationalism and or communism in its fanatical form. They were in many ways worshiped as gods.

Mm. Most atheists aren't atheists. They kid themselves with words but they're as goddy as anyone else.

Exactly. Nobody claim that their killing is right because 'god' does not exist. Nowhere in atheism can be used to justify any action (atheism is not a doctrine to begin with). Nobody think they need to kill in order to prove that they are atheists.

'Killing in the name of' seems to me to be a justification.
'Killing justified by' might be a more accurate way of wording that.

Killing in the name of atheism is slightly odd - I haven't seen people killing in the name of atheism.
They might have, at some point, killed people because their religion was viewed as a problem to the ideology that also involved atheism - but not as a separate reason.

Nu atheism is getting very popular and culty. It's a biker gang like any other. You don't have to kill to join... yet.

The only thing I can think of that might have been killing in the name of atheism was columbine. Where they asked the person are you a christian? if they said yes they shot them. (correct me if I am wrong on some aspect). I know their were a bunch of other factors that had to do with columbine.

You mean they were killing in the name of atheism? Were they atheists or just 2 idiots who didn't like Christians much less the kids in their school? I certainly never heard the 2 killing in the name of atheism. Atheism ie is a lack in a belief in god/s. That is the only label I give it because it doesn't have a rule book on how to behave or act toward other people like the bible, torah or quran.

Oh noes those awful atheists and their biology books. They're spreading fast. We better prepare for the holy crusade and get rid of these no good rotten heathens. How dare they not believe in an invisible sky daddy.

The founders of religions didn't want you killing people to please them either. It still happened though because followers gonna follow. Atheism is still an ism.

Okay makes sense, I was only saying the closest thing that I could think of to killing in the name of athiesm.

Do they really claim that? Shows how little they understand about history and communist philosophy (or the perverted form of it that Mao and Stalin used).

Supposedly "killing in the name of X" means that the deaths were necessary to bring about the goals associated with X. In reality I think it usually means that the leader uses X as an excuse for the killing (normally the actual goal is keeping themselves in power) and a way to brainwash people into doing the killing.

Let's look at the bible shall we?


"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword" (Matthew 1:34)

Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the LORD your God must be put to death. Such evil must be purged from Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:12 NLT)


You must kill those who worship another god. (Exodus 22:20)




Let's look at the quran shall we?

"Prophet make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites and deal rigorously with them. Hell shall be their home." (Surah 9:73)


"And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution [of Muslims] is worse than slaughter [of non-believers]... but if they desist, then lo! Allah is forgiving and merciful. And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah." (Quran 2:191-193)



Let's look at the Old Testament shall we?


"And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death." (Leviticus 24:16)





I could go on but I think you get the point.

And you make a fair point. However are there cults that're anti-god, no doubt but it certaintly doesn't qualify for atheism in an ideological cult-like sense. It certainly doesn't have a book written by an all-powerful invisible X on how to kill or convert those who don't believe in their unbeliefs much less a visible one.

Last edited by MissConstrue on 03 Apr 2012, 10:44 am, edited 1 time in total.