What is the biggest killer of man?

[CommunitarianKevin]

I was taught,"Never infer." LOL.

Statistics 101, Flinders University, South Australia, 1969.

It's just a double edged sword because when you explain every little thing people get annoyed say "I know what you mean, you don't have to explain everything" or "What do you think I am stupid?" Oh well...

[lightly]

hmmm maybe surprise? Very few people expect to die when they do. LOL

[karmakazi]

Disease by far, even war doesn't seem able to top it.

[Sensible Logic]

I guess next time I will specify "deaths no from old age..." This is why you need to explain every single little thing to people. You expect that people can infer things...nope

If you didn't want selections outside specific ones you should never had made other an option.

[+Link of Hyrule]

It's been said and the majority consensus seems to agree that Disease is the biggest killer. There was a good list put up a few posts back about how many people were killed from Smallpox/Black Death/Malaria/etc, but let's put a context here to see that this question really is a no-brainer:

2001 - Deaths as a result of 9/11 WTC bombing: 2,985 including 19 terrorists.

2001 - Deaths in the US as a result of cancer: Estimated at 553,400 according to this link

Move outside the U.S, sure there may be more religious violence, but there'll be more cancer there too (not to mention other diseases that kill)

Middle Ages - Deaths as a result of the Crusades: debatable, some estimates say just over a million. Other estimates say as much as 9 million. For the sake of argument, assume 9 million.

Middle Ages - Deaths as a result of the Bubonic Plague: estimated at 75 million.

Move beyond the Crusades, there may be more religious violence (eg, inquisition), but there'll be more plagues also, not to mention cancer and other diseases.

~ Regards, PA

Edited April 18, 2012 by Paranoid Android

[Karlis]

I have often heard the claim that religion is the biggest killer of all times. What do you think it is? I made a poll for fun but this is intended to be more of a discussion.

Old age could well be amongst the top causes of death.

[Pauly Dangerously]

Chuck Norris

[Mr Right Wing]

I have often heard the claim that religion is the biggest killer of all times. What do you think it is? I made a poll for fun but this is intended to be more of a discussion.

The Black Death killed more than have died in all the wars (including religious wars) combined.

Edited April 19, 2012 by Mr Right Wing

[+Link of Hyrule]

Chuck Norris

Lol, after careful reconsideration, I have to say that Chuck Norris really is the biggest killer of man

[hetrodoxly]

Women.

[Beckys_Mom]

JEDWARD....lol....and I am here to allow the rest of you to suffer... Think of this like a nuclear explosion --> http://www.planetjedward.net/

What's worse..and I hate to admit it but.................*deep breath * ... THEY'RE ..................IRISH

I watched these two clown on the X factor a while ago....It was painful....It was like when you go into shock, your face freezes up ...water pours from your eyes and you are not crying.. and you can see the remote control but your body is in a frozen state...thinking.. What the heck and I watching?

So....... suffer this and weep y'all lol

Edited April 19, 2012 by Beckys_Mom

[Big Bad Voodoo]

I dont see how ones prey or meditating can kill other. Wierd.

[Beckys_Mom]

I dont see how ones prey or meditating can kill other. Wierd.

Well.....To prey...means to hunt and kill..........To victimise and kill the defenceless.... Or like animals - Hunt, catch, eat their prey...........It usually involves killing of ones prey

Noun prey - A person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence; "he fell prey to muggers"; "everyone was fair game"; "the target of a manhunt" - http://www.thefreedictionary.com/prey

Now there is - Pray...... Prayer.. or Praying... Which is something one will do in worship to a God......Some will pray to a saint, angel. the lord. or whatever... It usually finished with a big AMEN at the end

I have a feeling you thought you were talking aobut Prayer as in worship....and not Prey as in kill lol Both spelled slightly different... I have seen so many mix these two words up though..

Edited April 19, 2012 by Beckys_Mom

[Big Bad Voodoo]

Well.....To prey...means to hunt and kill..........To victimise and kill the defenceless.... Or like animals - Hunt, catch, eat their prey...........It usually involves killing of ones prey

Noun prey - A person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence; "he fell prey to muggers"; "everyone was fair game"; "the target of a manhunt" - http://www.thefreedictionary.com/prey

Now there is - Pray...... Prayer.. or Praying... Which is something one will do in worship to a God......Some will pray to a saint, angel. the lord. or whatever... It usually finished with a big AMEN at the end

I have a feeling you thought you were talking aobut Prayer as in worship....and not Prey as in kill lol Both spelled slightly different... I have seen so many mix these two words up though..

Pray ofcourse Ah spelling. May bad. First sign that is time for bed.

Edited April 19, 2012 by Melo

[Beckys_Mom]

Pray ofcourse Ah spelling. May bad. First sign that is time for bed.

Well you'll never know... some people may be able to do a type of prayer that can lay a curse on to another and hurt them...Like praying or a form of praying to say.....A dark lord of some kind? Or the God of the OT?

I am kidding..I just see prayer as a form of meditation

[Beckys_Mom]

QUESTION - When you vote on any pole ( like inthe OP ).. I thought it only allowed you to have ONE vote and that's it ? But it reveals who all placed a vote on each category

But if you can only vote the one time..... how come it shows people who got to place more than one vote on different categories ?

You can tell that if you look at the poll options again... in small fine print beside each category.. it allows you to click on - View votes ..........Click and you will see what I mean

[+Link of Hyrule]

QUESTION - When you vote on any pole ( like inthe OP ).. I thought it only allowed you to have ONE vote and that's it ? But it reveals who all placed a vote on each category

But if you can only vote the one time..... how come it shows people who got to place more than one vote on different categories ?

You can tell that if you look at the poll options again... in small fine print beside each category.. it allows you to click on - View votes ..........Click and you will see what I mean

When starting a poll you have the option to tick a box that will allow people to choose more than one answer. The default setting is that you can only choose one answer, but I'll attach a picture to the bottom of here to show where the button is to change it.

When you see a live poll, if the boxes to click are round, it's the default setting and you can only choose 1. If the boxes are square, you can choose multiple options in the poll (but you must choose them together, once you have submitted your poll choice you cannot vote a second time). Hope this helps

~ PA

Edited April 23, 2012 by Paranoid Android

[Emma_Acid]

I have often heard the claim that religion is the biggest killer of all times. What do you think it is? I made a poll for fun but this is intended to be more of a discussion.

Why create a poll? This has nothing to do with opinion.

[CommunitarianKevin]

Why create a poll? This has nothing to do with opinion.

If this has nothing to do with opinion than why are there more than 1 answer selected? If it is not opinion, is it ignorance?

[Beckys_Mom]

When starting a poll you have the option to tick a box that will allow people to choose more than one answer. The default setting is that you can only choose one answer, but I'll attach a picture to the bottom of here to show where the button is to change it.

When you see a live poll, if the boxes to click are round, it's the default setting and you can only choose 1. If the boxes are square, you can choose multiple options in the poll (but you must choose them together, once you have submitted your poll choice you cannot vote a second time). Hope this helps

~ PA

I see... I never noticed that before.. Then again I never realy make polls ... Thanks for explaining PA..

[Sensible Logic]

The Black Death killed more than have died in all the wars (including religious wars) combined.

Incorrect. 75,000,000 people died from the black death. If we look at world wars 1 & 2 ***, about 80,000,000 died in those two wars alone. Add the rest of the wars in history and it's much greater

*** http://www.cissm.umd.edu/papers/files/deathswarsconflictsjune52006.pdf (see page 9 of the cornell paper)

[CommunitarianKevin]

Incorrect. 75,000,000 people died from the black death. If we look at world wars 1 & 2 ***, about 80,000,000 died in those two wars alone. Add the rest of the wars in history and it's much greater

*** http://www.cissm.umd.edu/papers/files/deathswarsconflictsjune52006.pdf (see page 9 of the cornell paper)

Thanks for that link. I look forward to reading that in full. I did notice one thing though. Towards the beginning it said that up to 90% of the deaths in war are due to side effects, such as disease. I guess there is some over lapping in war deaths too then.