Why do Communist/Dictator Religions dominate the world?

[Ramaraksha]

Watching a netflix video on North Korea i couldn't but help notice the similarities between the language the north koreans were using and the dominant religions of the day - "our dear loving leader will lead us to victory. Don't listen to outsiders, they are all evil. Only listen to what dear loving leader says. Only read his manifesto, his book. All other books from outside countries are evil and try to mislead you, don't listen to them" etc etc

Sound familiar?

"Place your trust in only Jesus, only he can give you heaven. Read only the Bible. All other books are satanic and are trying to mislead you, they are all evil. All other religions are evil, do not read their books, they will mislead you - they are satanic works" etc etc

Islam is the same way - try reading a bit of the Koran - you can't miss it - in page after pager unbelievers and people of other religions are constantly implored to change their religion or abandon their beliefs and join the "true religion" or else! The threats are constant and in almost every page!

Collective condemnation and punishment for those who do not join their religion and collective rewards for those who do - again we see Communist/Dictator ideas here

What is chilling to me is the silence - the silence from Atheists, Hindus and Buddhists and even from good christians and muslims - we do live in the 21st century, we do celebrate free speech and freedom of thought, don't we?
Then how do we explain the dominance of these Communist religions in todays times?

I can't. Sometimes when i think of religion i think i might be living in a twilight zone or something

 

[bilby]

Watching a netflix video on North Korea i couldn't but help notice the similarities between the language the north koreans were using and the dominant religions of the day - "our dear loving leader will lead us to victory. Don't listen to outsiders, they are all evil. Only listen to what dear loving leader says. Only read his manifesto, his book. All other books from outside countries are evil and try to mislead you, don't listen to them" etc etc

Sound familiar?

"Place your trust in only Jesus, only he can give you heaven. Read only the Bible. All other books are satanic and are trying to mislead you, they are all evil. All other religions are evil, do not read their books, they will mislead you - they are satanic works" etc etc

Islam is the same way - try reading a bit of the Koran - you can't miss it - in page after pager unbelievers and people of other religions are constantly implored to change their religion or abandon their beliefs and join the "true religion" or else! The threats are constant and in almost every page!

Collective condemnation and punishment for those who do not join their religion and collective rewards for those who do - again we see Communist/Dictator ideas here

What is chilling to me is the silence - the silence from Atheists, Hindus and Buddhists and even from good christians and muslims - we do live in the 21st century, we do celebrate free speech and freedom of thought, don't we?
Then how do we explain the dominance of these Communist religions in todays times?

I can't. Sometimes when i think of religion i think i might be living in a twilight zone or something

Communist dictatorships don't dominate the world. North Korea is one tiny country (or perhaps more accurately, half a country). Cuba is a small island, and dominates nothing. China is communist in name only, and is getting rich off all the capitalism they deny having (and the same is true of Vietnam). And the Soviet Union hasn't existed for twenty six years.

The world is dominated by the USA and her wealthy allies and trading partners.

RIP Communist Totalitarianism, 1917 - 1991. Missed by few.

Your concern for this scourge of mankind, that was so ineffective as to last only one human lifespan, is a quarter century out of date.

 

[Philos]

Hi Ramaraksha,

I have noticed the similarity that you describe between political and religious ideologies. However, I would not limit political ideology to just communism.

Maybe there is something more general about people and clanishness?

A.

 

[Ramaraksha]

Bilby: Please re-read the question

 

[bilby]

Bilby: Please re-read the question

I did read the question - and you have things backwards. Perhaps you should re-read my answer.

Religions are not like communist dictatorships. Communist dictatorships were deliberately made to work like religions, in the hope that they would have similarly long lifespans. This failed miserably - communism lasted 70-80 years, with a few minor hold-outs clinging on a little longer; While religions can easily last for ten or fifteen centuries. Clearly whatever it is that religions do to keep people subscribing to nonsense is far more effective than what communists did. The analogy is weak, backwards, and useless.

 

[repoman]

religions never have to deliver on their promises

 

[Sarpedon]

Most religions are short-lived. People tend to call short-lived religions by other names, which obscures the often transitive nature of religious belief.

 

[ronburgundy]

You're confusing communism with authoritarianism. The dominant religions of Christianity and Islam are inherently authoritarian but not communist.
Communism on a national scale will always lead to authoritarianism but it isn't the only way to get there. It leads to it because it ultimately requires devaluing the principle of individual rights and personal liberty in order to coerce people into acting againts their own interests and will.
OTOH, Abrahamic monotheism doesn't "lead to" authoritarianism so much as it starts with authoritarianism and zero value for individual rights as its basic premise. There is a singular unelected and unquestionable authority whose personal whims are the determinate of all that should be, and every humans only purpose is to know and obey that will. That is THE central message of the Koran and Bible.

So, then the OP seems to really be asking why is it that authoritarian systems that are so inhumane so widespread and successful.
Well, part of it is that they murder everyone who disagrees. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all did this for centuries.

Another part is that cultural success depends on organized efforts to spread particular ideas and values. Authoritarianism is a tightly controlled form of organization that will tend to be more effective at spreading its ideas and values. Almost by definition, there is no controlled organization pushing for the principle that each individual should be the ultimate controller and authority of themselves. People who feel that way tend not be committed to organizations.

A third aspect is that many humans simply prefer the comforting certainty and simplicity of authoritarian power structures. They want someone to tell them what they should do and how they should feel. They want the black and white answers on complex moral and scientific questions. It is a way of diverting any ethical responsibility for one's actions, and of reducing anxiety about what one should do or stressful doubts about whether one did the right thing. This is why, even when a society gets out from under authoritarian rule, there will always be members of society who disdain the resulting liberty and push for the return to it. In the US, they are called conservatives and GOP voters. While there are those of the far left with communist forms of authoritarianism that isn't motivated by a desire for authoritarian simplicity in itself, but rather a misguided effort to correct inequalities and injustices via quick-fix efforts that violate principles of personal liberty and thus will produce abusive authoritarianism in the long run.

 

[Learner]

I can't. Sometimes when i think of religion i think i might be living in a twilight zone or something

I'd comment more on your previous OP post but for curiosity and clarity. Do you include Judaism or the Jews in your original post?