Atheism in Politics: Atheism as a political philosophy has been interwoven into politics for centuries but none more so than in the philosophy of communism; although many atheists distance themselves from it, claiming at best political atheism amounts to secularism (however this was actually founded by the Islamic philosopher Averroes,[1][2][3] who first advocated the separation of religion and state).[n. 1] Communism, itself was an "economic-political philosophy founded by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels" where "[i]n 1848 they wrote and published "The Communist Manifesto".".[4] Marx believed that religion originated from the primitive recesses of the human mind, and was "alien" to man.[5] He believed that communism provided the means for man to rid himself of God, and that in a purely atheistic society man would be free of religious burden.[6] He directly stated that "communism begins where atheism begins",[6] and also believed that "Christians and Jews must cease to be Christians and Jews if they wished to be free".[7] His most famous quote relates a drug to religious belief as it is "[i]t is the opium of the people".[8] Therefore communism is a form of political atheism, as it is dedicated to the destruction of religion (indeed those that pushed for communism were the worst dictators in human history, often motivated by atheistic beliefs to murder people; such were Mao Zedong, Joseph Stalin, and Pol Pot); however atheists today often claim this is solely down to communism not atheism; however the very core of communism has atheism built into it; though it's proponents will fervently deny any historical wrongs.[n. 2] Some examples follow. Atheism as a political philosophy has been interwoven into politics for centuries but none more so than in the philosophy of communism; although many atheists distance themselves from it, claiming at best political atheism amounts to secularism (however this was actually founded by the Islamic philosopher Averroes,who first advocated the separation of religion and state).Communism, itself was anwhereMarx believed that religion originated from the primitive recesses of the human mind, and wasto man.He believed that communism provided the means for man to rid himself of God, and that in a purely atheistic society man would be free of religious burden.He directly stated thatand also believed thatHis most famous quote relates a drug to religious belief as it isTherefore communism is a form of political atheism, as it is dedicated to the destruction of religion (indeed those that pushed for communism were the worst dictators in human history, often motivated by atheistic beliefs to murder people; such were Mao Zedong, Joseph Stalin, and Pol Pot); however atheists today often claim this is solely down to communismatheism; however the very core of communism has atheism built into it; though it's proponents will fervently deny any historical wrongs.Some examples follow.

The "Communist Manifesto".