Mao was an atheist

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Mao Zedong was an atheist. There is no denying it. But his atheism was, as with any other atheist despot, not the cause of his immoral actions. Mao was one of the founders of Communism in China, and his legacy is ever-evolving. Although he caused the deaths of millions, Mao is a very controversial character in Chinese history. He is said to have been one of the most influential people in Chinese history by some and is claimed to have made China a superpower.

Counter apologetics

Association fallacy

He didn't use atheism to further his destructive plans; he just happened to be an atheist. Without evidence that atheism was somehow involved in Mao's decisions, the argument commits at least two logical fallacies. One would be the argument that morality depends on religion: i.e., without God, there can be no moral decision making, and Mao certainly made amoral and immoral decisions. The other would be a guilt by association fallacy, such as, Mao was an "atheist" tyrant, therefore all atheists are morally suspect.

In addition, Chritopher Hitchens once stated something to the effect that attempting association of atheism with despotic rule is something "up with which I will not put."

Scriptural arguments

According to Christianity, God supposedly places those in authority in power Romans 13:1 Bible-icon.png, including corrupt and psychotic leaders. This makes God responsible for the actions of Hilter and shows that God is capable of evil.

References