Atheist Criminal Investigation Documentary Covered By Atheist Historian Brett Keane
Jeffrey Dahmer, an infamous serial killer and atheist sentenced to 900 years in prison, said “if a person doesn’t think that there is a God to be accountable to, then what’s the point of trying to modify your behavior to keep it within acceptable ranges?”.
Jim Jones urged Temple members to commit suicide in order to make a political point. Some discussion ensued -- an alternate plan put forth by Temple member Christine Miller involved flying Temple members to the USSR -- but Jones prevailed, after repeatedly telling his followers that Congressman Ryan was dead, and that would bring the authorities soon (an audiotape of this meeting exists, and is just as creepy as you'd think). Jones first insisted that mothers squirt poison into the mouths of their children using syringes. As their children died, the mothers were dosed as well, though they were allowed to drink from cups. Temple members wandered out onto the ground, where eventually just over 900 lay dead, including more than 300 children. Only a handful of survivors escaped Jonestown -- primarily residents who happened to be away on errands or playing basketball when the mass suicide/massacre took place.
Jones, his wife, and various other members of the Temple left wills stating that their assets should go to the Communist Party of the USSR. Jones himself did not drink poison; he died from a gunshot to the head, though it's not entirely clear whether it was self-inflicted. (Because Jones likely died last or nearly so, he may have chosen suicide by gun rather than by cyanide, because a cyanide death is extremely traumatic -- and he would have seen hundreds of people experiencing cyanide death's effects, including foaming at the mouth and convulsions.) Toxicology reports found high levels of barbiturates (sedatives) in his blood. Jones was reportedly hooked on a variety of substances, possibly explaining his increasingly erratic behavior over the decades.
Joseph Stalin Killed almost 100 million people. The devastation this Atheist caused was so terrible his impact is felt even now. He killed with war, fear, and starvation. Anyone under his iron grip stood no chance. All of this begs the question: If religion is such an essential part of our lives, why have there been efforts to eradicate it altogether? One such attempt came from the leaders of the infamous Soviet Union when it underwent the communist revolution. Lenin carried forward the ideals of Karl Marx, denouncing religion and calling it a ‘venereal disease.’ These ideals were not just anti-religion but were also pro-science and thought.
More importantly, though, the Leninist-Marxist approach considered organized religion a scam and believed that it was present just to exploit the poor. This meant that there was significant hatred towards religion, and attempts were made to rid the masses of its ‘vile grip.’ All of this was carried forward by later leaders of Soviet Russia, including its famous dictator, Joseph Stalin.
From the eradication of churches and other places of worship to the formation of government-sponsored anti-religion groups, take a look inside the atheist campaign within Soviet Russia.
Stalin’s Perfect Man — One Free From Religious Shackles
