Who gives their belief system the worst name?

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

These options are taken from Listverse's 10 People who give Christianity/Atheism/Islam/Judiasm a bad name.

So:
Fred Phelps
Josef Stalin
Ayatollah Khomeini
Baruch Goldstein

Who is the worst of the four?

[Oldiesfreak1854]

The Ayatollah.

[dead0man]

Fred

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Why do you guys think Phelps is worse than Stalin?

[dead0man]

Why do you guys think Phelps is worse than Stalin?

Perhaps we think Christianity is on paper, or at least should be, better than Communism?

[Spanish Moss]

I'm a Christian, not an atheist, but I'd like to butt in on defense of atheists and atheism here.  Stalin doesn't give his belief system a bad name, because unlike the other options, his actions are not the result of atheism - there is no atheist doctrine, commandments, or anything.  Just like golfers follow the rules of golf, an a-sportsperson (an analogous made up term for someone who doesn't play sports) has no actions that are reflected by the concept of the rules of sports.

What he did was in spite of atheism - it wasn't his atheism that had any effect on his actions (this is functionally impossible, seeing as atheism isn't a spiritual belief system as much as just a term for having a lack of one).  His "belief system" that influenced his actions was the Leninist bolshevik interpretation of Marx and Engel's writings on economics and the organization of the working class (or, in my opinion, organization of the bureaucratic class).

So to put Stalin on here without clarifying it's Leninism that is his belief system of contribution, and not atheism (which is not a belief system)  - is, in my opinion, misleading and not representative of the reality of it.  And I only infer this poll as referring to his atheism because numerous times in the media I've seen Stalin as a critique back at atheists (which is intellectually dishonest) when they bring up religious extremists.  But certainly correct me if I misinterpreted the poll.

[Spanish Moss]

Why do you guys think Phelps is worse than Stalin?

Perhaps we think Christianity is on paper, or at least should be, better than Communism?

It wasn't communism, it never claimed to be.  Communism is stateless, it claimed to be socialist.  And most modern socialists (I think, accurately) decry it as not being socialist at all, but rather, "state-capitalist" (as in, it wasn't a workers democracy - the state functioned as an ownership industry with a monopoly over everything, but essentially the same undemocratic practices resembling working in a capitalist business or industry - except, also functioning as a state, was repressive of anyone who resisted.

So, I'd say, Christianity is on paper, or at least should be, better than the misguided Leninist interpretation of Marxist ideology.

[J. J.]

The Ayatollah.

Agreed.  Shia Islam, in theory, is the more moderate branch of Islam, even to the point, surprisingly, of permitting a depiction of the Prophet, if done respectfully.

[reagan84]

Ayatollah.  No contest.

[BaldEagle1991]

All of them.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

All of them.

[DemPGH]

Well, atheism is not a religion. You could argue that Stalin's "religion" was a state religion like what's in North Korea, but if that's the case it's problematic because what a state religion seems to demand is just total obedience. There's usually much more to a religion that that. Nonetheless, if that's the case then absolutely all four are equally psychotic / whacky in terms of their legalistic philosophy. Most religions have those really bad apples, unfortunately. If free, I think the vast, vast majority would reject them in favor of something more benevolent that simply makes them feel like they belong. And if a person is brought up in a closed-off society where what governs is some nutso religion, that person really doesn't have a choice. Or a chance.

[k-onmmunist]

yeah because atheism is the first thing most people associate with stalin.