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List of anti-religious people


Antireligion, or anti-religion, is a form of irreligion that is characterized by opposition, at times leading to hostility, to all religions, generally those founded on sacred texts. This includes, but may not be exhausted to, monotheism, nontheism, and polytheism, whether organized or not. As much as antireligionism, which is the act of antireligion, rejects significance of all forms of religion, it also opposes them. In this way, antireligionism goes beyond the spectrum of atheism and even anti-theism, both of which contends with the existence of a deity. Antireligionism stretches its reach to reject and oppose all other religions, such as nontheistic Buddhism and Confucianism. Its opposition to religion also goes beyond the misotheistic spectrum.

Antireligionism may find its beginning in the Enlightenment through self-confessed atheist Baron d'Holbach. In his book Christianity Unveiled published in 1761, d'Holbach attacked not only Christianity but religion in general as an impediment to the moral advancement of humanity. Antitheist Christopher Hitchens may be one of the leading antireligionists of the 20th century for maintaining opposition not just to the Abrahamic religions, but to some other religions such as Buddhism.

Antireligionism became increasingly violent with the rise of Communism, where hostility to all religions was realized in the national level.

While antireligionism may be attributed to Baron d'Holbach, his tirade against religion in general is only miniscule compared to his argument against theism.

The Soviet Union directed antireligious campaigns at all faiths, including Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Jewish, and Shamanist religions. In the 1930s, during the Stalinist period, the government destroyed church buildings or put them into secular use (as museums of religion and atheism, clubs or storage facilities), executed clergy, prohibited the publication of most religious material and persecuted some members of religious groups. Less violent attempts to reduce or eliminate the influence of religion in society were also carried out at other times in Soviet history. For instance, it was usually necessary to be an atheist in order to acquire any important political position or any prestigious scientific job; thus many people became atheists in order to advance their careers.


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