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[[Image:Stalin-140508 27880t.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The brutal [[atheism|atheist]] [[Joseph Stalin]] was greatly influenced by the work of [[Charles Darwin|Charles Darwin who was also an atheist]] (see: [http://www.conservapedia.com/Charles_Darwin#Religious_Views_of_Charles_Darwin religious views of Charles Darwin) ].<ref>http://www.icr.org/index.php?module=articles&action=view&ID=276</ref><ref>http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1804/</ref><ref>http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1914/</ref> Dr. R. J. Rummel, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Hawaii, is the scholar who first coined the term democide (death by government). Dr. R. J. Rummel's mid estimate regarding the loss of life due to atheistic [[communism]] is that communism caused the death of approximately 110,286,000 people between 1917 and 1987.<ref>http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COM.ART.HTM</ref> [[Evolution|Evolutionary]] ideas significantly influenced the thinking of the nineteenth and twentieth-century [[Communism|communists]].<ref>http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1804/</ref><ref>http://www.icr.org/index.php?module=articles&action=view&ID=276</ref><ref>http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1914/</ref>  

[[Image:Stalin-140508 27880t.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The brutal [[atheism|atheist]] [[Joseph Stalin]] was greatly influenced by the work of [[Charles Darwin|Charles Darwin who was also an atheist]] (see: [http://www.conservapedia.com/Charles_Darwin#Religious_Views_of_Charles_Darwin religious views of Charles Darwin) ].<ref>http://creation.com/the-darwinian-foundation-of-communism</ref><ref>http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1804/</ref><ref>http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1914/</ref> Dr. R. J. Rummel, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Hawaii, is the scholar who first coined the term democide (death by government). Dr. R. J. Rummel's mid estimate regarding the loss of life due to atheistic [[communism]] is that communism caused the death of approximately 110,286,000 people between 1917 and 1987.<ref>http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COM.ART.HTM</ref> [[Evolution|Evolutionary]] ideas significantly influenced the thinking of the nineteenth and twentieth-century [[Communism|communists]].<ref>http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1804/</ref><ref>http://creation.com/the-darwinian-foundation-of-communism</ref><ref>http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1914/</ref>  

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The '''history of atheism''', depending on how one defines the term, can be dated to as early as the 6th century BC, or as recently as the late 18th century AD. The word ''[[atheism]]'' itself  was not coined until the 16th century.<ref>http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atheism</ref>  

The '''history of atheism''', depending on how one defines the term, can be dated to as early as the 6th century BC, or as recently as the late 18th century AD. The word ''[[atheism]]'' itself  was not coined until the 16th century.<ref>http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atheism</ref>  

Modern atheism did not begin until the Enlightenment.  In addition, the [[French Revolution]] increased the spread of atheism in [[Europe]].<ref>http://www.investigatingatheism.info/historyeighteenth.html</ref>  Baron D'Holbach's book ''The System of Nature'' was the first publication which explicitly denied the existence of God. Other atheists from this time included the philosopher [[David Hume]]. Others denied being atheists (heresy and blasphemy were capital offences) but held materialistic, empiricist, broadly deistic views; these include [[Voltaire]], [[Thomas Hobbes]], [[Thomas Paine]], [[John Locke]], [[Immanuel Kant]] and [[Benjamin Franklin]].

Modern atheism did not begin until the Enlightenment.  In addition, the [[French Revolution]] increased the spread of atheism in [[Europe]].<ref>http://www.investigatingatheism.info/historyeighteenth.html</ref>  Baron D'Holbach's book ''The System of Nature'' was the first publication which explicitly denied the existence of God. Other atheists from this time included the philosopher [[David Hume]]. Others denied being atheists (heresy and blasphemy were capital offences) but held materialistic, empiricist, broadly deistic views; these include [[Voltaire]], [[Thomas Hobbes]], [[Thomas Paine]], [[John Locke]], [[Immanuel Kant]] and [[Benjamin Franklin]].

==Militant Atheism and Atheistic Communism==

==Militant Atheism and Atheistic Communism==

The atheism in [[communism|communist]] regimes has been and continues to be [[militant atheism]] and various acts of repression including the razing of thousands of religious buildings and the killing, imprisoning, and oppression of religious leaders and believers.<ref>http://www.academia.org/campus_reports/2000/March_2000_4.html</ref><ref>http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/frroman1.aspx</ref><ref name="ny">http://www.nysun.com/article/23082?page_no=1</ref><ref name="jjl">http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/5/7/120250.shtml</ref><ref name="mim">http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_26_116/ai_56249447</ref><ref name="daily">http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=35818</ref><ref name="china">http://theworldnow.wordpress.com/tag/around-the-world/asia/china/</ref>  The theory of [[Evolution|evolution]] played a prominent role in regards to atheistic communism.<ref>http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3054/</ref><ref name="icr">http://www.icr.org/index.php?module=articles&action=view&ID=276</ref>

The atheism in [[communism|communist]] regimes has been and continues to be [[militant atheism]] and various acts of repression including the razing of thousands of religious buildings and the killing, imprisoning, and oppression of religious leaders and believers.<ref>http://www.academia.org/campus_reports/2000/March_2000_4.html</ref><ref>http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/frroman1.aspx</ref><ref name="ny">http://www.nysun.com/article/23082?page_no=1</ref><ref name="jjl">http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/5/7/120250.shtml</ref><ref name="mim">http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_26_116/ai_56249447</ref><ref name="daily">http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=35818</ref><ref name="china">http://theworldnow.wordpress.com/tag/around-the-world/asia/china/</ref>  The theory of [[Evolution|evolution]] played a prominent role in regards to atheistic communism.<ref>http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3054/</ref>http://creation.com/the-darwinian-foundation-of-communism</ref>

It has been estimated that in less than the past 100 years, governments under the banner of communism have caused the death of somewhere between 40,472,000 to 259,432,000 human lives.<ref>[http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/finalconflict/fcrevb102.html The Black Book of Communism]</ref><ref>[http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~hpcws/lelivrenoir.htm The Black Book of Communism]</ref><ref>http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COM.ART.HTM</ref><ref>[http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat1.htm Source List and Detailed Death Tolls for the Twentieth Century Hemoclysm]</ref><ref>[http://www.sarasotamagazine.com/blog/template_permalink.asp?id=365 Memory and Ideology]</ref><ref>[http://www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=2526 The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression]</ref> Dr. R. J. Rummel, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Hawaii, is the scholar who first coined the term democide (death by government). Dr. R. J. Rummel's mid estimate regarding the loss of life due to communism is that communism caused the death of approximately 110,286,000 people between 1917 and 1987.<ref>http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COM.ART.HTM</ref>

It has been estimated that in less than the past 100 years, governments under the banner of communism have caused the death of somewhere between 40,472,000 to 259,432,000 human lives.<ref>[http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/finalconflict/fcrevb102.html The Black Book of Communism]</ref><ref>[http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~hpcws/lelivrenoir.htm The Black Book of Communism]</ref><ref>http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COM.ART.HTM</ref><ref>[http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat1.htm Source List and Detailed Death Tolls for the Twentieth Century Hemoclysm]</ref><ref>[http://www.sarasotamagazine.com/blog/template_permalink.asp?id=365 Memory and Ideology]</ref><ref>[http://www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=2526 The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression]</ref> Dr. R. J. Rummel, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Hawaii, is the scholar who first coined the term democide (death by government). Dr. R. J. Rummel's mid estimate regarding the loss of life due to communism is that communism caused the death of approximately 110,286,000 people between 1917 and 1987.<ref>http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COM.ART.HTM</ref>