December 1, 2007
Pope: Atheists behind greatest cruelty
An item about Pope Benedict XVI caught my eye at the J-Walk Blog. In a 76 page encyclical letter, Ratzinger lays into atheism, saying that it has led to the greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice.
The document is erudite and eloquent, and I share the concern about technology, wealth, and ideology (though I would add religious ideology). But like so many scholarly books and writings, it feels like a studiously crafted bit of clever but essentially empty wordplay. And it confirms that the Roman Catholic Church still hasn't come to grips with any of the intellectual and political changes that have occurred over the last 300+ years. (Of course, it took them until 1992 to make up with Galileo.) So they fall back on the pain and suffering caused by Marxist regimes.
Contrary to popular opinion, Marxist political ideology is not synonymous with atheism. And the argument that atheists are evil and single-handedly responsible for all the horrors of the 20th century is really tired. (I might expect it from a second-rate high school debate squad, but surely the Vatican can do better.)
I certainly suspect it's easier for Ratzinger to point the papal finger at the atrocities committed in the name of Soviet nationalism than at the atrocities committed in the name of German and Italian nationalism, in which the Catholic Church and its adherents were totally complicit.
Really, though, there's not much point in spending too much time attacking or defending any political ideology or religion. It seems they've all caused plenty of pain and suffering. (Actually, the best defense can be mounted for atheism since it's not a political ideology or a religion, but I'll leave that to others.)
When it comes down to it, I think ideology - religious and political - is essentially icing on the cake. If you're really interested in the ultimate roots of human behavior, biology provides the most satisfying answers. Human tendencies toward ingroup bias and coalitional behavior, for example, make more sense from an evolutionary perspective than any other. And as far as sweeping statements about what group of people causes the most violence, warfare, and "cruelty", here's one that actually holds: Across human societies in both time and space, it's men.
Why? Look into it and you'll find it's not because they're all atheists, Marxists, or even Catholics.
01 Dec 14:45 | Link | Category: Human/Primate Evolution & Behavior, Opinion & Thoughts, Science