The sliding scale of militancy - Atheism and Theism

[CJvR]

Atheism doesn't lend itself quite as easily to militant tendencies but it doesn't entirely exclude them either. The absence of faith in Gods is in itself not as motivating to militant action as belief in a divine command to convert the heathens, if they cooperate, and kill them if they dont. I think atheism can become militant, just as any other idea or ideology, far less likely naturally but hardly impossible so labeling Dawkins at the extreme of those tables isn't quite correct IMPO.

Points 15 & 16 could certainly be used by a regime which were convinced religion was a harmful precence in society just as easily as by any theocratic thugs.
15: Attempt to erase all traces of religion from society.
16: Use violence and intimidation against any religous expressions.
You only really need to disconnect human rights, tolerance and repect for others, things which atheism itself is unrelated to, and turn Atheism loose and you could get some horrible results.

[Lord Zentei]

It doesn't make the slightest sense to describe Commies as "secularist" as they believed that religion just like everything should be subject to highly intrusive meddling by the state, both when religion was being repressed and when the Orthodox Church was rehabilitated to be used as an arm of the state in the war against the Nazis.

The use of the Church in the war effort also shows how silly it is to try and portray the Soviets as "militant atheists", atheism is by no means a fundamental part of Communism, North Korea is a defacto theocracy, post USSR Turkmenistan heavily pushed a revisionist variety of Islam and of course the Soviets made use of the Orthodox Church.

The use of the Orthodox church by Stalin was an alliance of convenience, it had nothing to do with Communist doctrine, as I'm sure you know quite well. And North Korea doesn't even claim to be communist any more, they've removed the phrase "communism" from their constitution, apparently.

If those at the top of the party felt the revolution would be aided by repressing religion, in the way all manner of secular and atheist organisations and ideologies were repressed then religion was repressed. Alternately if those at the top of the party felt the revolution would be aided by using religion then religion was used. This could not have been the case if they were "militant atheists" but was all too possible for militant Communists.

Obviously not all communists are millitant atheists, even though "millitant atheism" includes many communists.