Originally posted by divegeester
Well I guess we will disagree, although I do see you point about accuracy and balance of course.
I find it interesting that the majority here will defend Islam based on the "no true scotsman" argument when there are "real" atrocities being carried out today to real people in numerous countries in the name of Allah, and yet those same people vehemently ...[text shortened]... efore you or your team attack me for being a bigot or an Islamaphobe, I assure you I am neither.
Is the Islamic religion a contributing factor to some acts of violence and oppression
around the world?
Yes, of course it is.
However so is Christianity, and a number of other religions. Both historically and
presently.
Do the Islamic Holy books have parts that advocate and condone violence?
Yes, of course they do.
But so does the bible, and many other holy books.
Does religion on the whole promote peace and harmony or violence and conflict?
On net almost certainly violence and conflict.
Would we be better off without Islam or Christianity or religion in general?
Almost certainly.
Is that going to happen any time soon?
No, of course not.
However, the vast majority of the violence and intolerance is primarily caused by
corrupt political systems, inequality, poverty, starvation, conflict over land and
resources and possessions, and a lack of good education for all...
Which is why the violence tracks poverty and inequality much much more closely
than it tracks religious affiliation. (although levels of religiosity also track poverty
and inequality and lack of education)
And is why the overwhelming majority of this violence occurs in poverty stricken,
war torn, countries, and not in the rich west.
Despite us having millions upon millions of Muslims in our countries.
If you blame the religion entirely, if you claim that Islam is inherently evil [unlike any other
religion] and that Muslims are all ready to strap on a suicide vest at the drop of a hat
then you are promoting intolerance and inciting hatred of Muslims as people that is both
unwarranted and likely to lead to the kind of hostility and persecution that leads to
violence. And you miss the point that the real causes of the overwhelming amount of the
violence and harm are caused by factors other then the religion and can be stopped by
dealing with those factors.
I readily admit to despising religion, and am happy to point out the problems caused by religions
and faith based beliefs, including those of Islam.
But demonising all Muslims because a tiny few are terrorists is unhelpful, wrong, and hypocritical.
Would you by happy if I started saying that all Christians are potential terrorists because of the
Irish Terror campaigns?
By degrading peoples ability to think critically and skeptically and by promoting faith based beliefs
ALL religions make irrational and immoral terrorism and other oppression and violence and cruelty
more likely.
However that doesn't mean that all religions people are all just ticking time bombs waiting to explode.
And for the rich and powerful predominantly Christian west to portray the Muslim religion as particularly
evil (when Muslims are minorities inside those countries) is inherently dangerous as it leads to
persecution of decent law abiding and peaceful members of those countries.
And while Islam may be more extreme, there is almost no charge you can lay at the feet of Islam I
can't equally Lay at the feet of Christianity.
Want to see a prototype Sharia law... Read the old testament.
Most people don't follow the commands of the bible, because they are better and more moral than
their holy book. There is no reason the same can't apply to Muslims.
ALL the Abrahamic religions are inherently bad and dangerous.
The bigotry here is that that is not what is being said.
What is being said is that the Muslim PEOPLE are inherently evil and dangerous.
And that is not a supported or supportable claim.