From Enlightenment philosophy to state violence: the history of antireligion
In short: Antireligion is more than just a lack of belief in gods. It is a distinct, often aggressive opposition to organized religious institutions and practices. While atheism rejects deities, antireligion targets the systems themselves—viewing them as human inventions that can obstruct moral progress or consolidate political power.
The intellectual roots of antireligion gained momentum during the Age of Enlightenment in the 17th century. Figures like Baron d'Holbach published works such as 'Christianity Unveiled' (1766), which argued that religion was a general impediment to humanity's moral advancement. This era saw the rise of thinkers who viewed religious institutions as human constructs designed to terrify and enslave people, monopolizing both power and profit. Thomas Paine echoed this in his 1793 critique, 'The Age of Reason,' where he characterized churches across different cultures as tools for social control.
In the 20th century, antireligion shifted from philosophy to state policy. The Soviet Union adopted Marxism–Leninism and a policy of state atheism, viewing religion as an organ of bourgeois reaction used to exploit the working class. Under Stalin in the 1930s, this resulted in the destruction of churches, the execution of clergy—at least 106,300 between 1937 and 1941—and the persecution of millions of Christians. Similarly, Albania declared itself an atheist nation in 1967 under Enver Hoxha, who banned religious names and nationalized religious property to create a secular society.
The consequences of state-sponsored antireligion have been devastating. In Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge attempted to eliminate cultural heritage, including Theravada Buddhism; during their four-year rule, at least 1.5 million people perished, and only 3,000 of the original 60,000 Buddhist monks survived. Conversely, modern antireligion also manifests in secular philosophy and media, with figures like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris advocating for the removal of religious influence from public life to prevent violence and superstition.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Antireligion
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