If you try to overlook all the posts of this forum you'll be strucked by the fact that when it comes to critics on religion the spears are pointed mostly towards Christianity.
The explanation of that may be,I guess,that all or almost all participants of the forum are living in Christian countries where liberty of speech and free expression is taken for granted.
Also from the three monotheistic regligions Christianity is best known.
Is that fair?
People are restraining themselves from criticizing Judaism due to ignorance of the subject and ,let's saying it fairly ,from fear to be categorized as anti-semite.
What about criticizing Islam?
Here we have our pants full only by thinking of El-Qaida or Hizballah or other alike nice guys.
It is true that our knowledge about Islam is minimal.
Are we a bunch of cowards?
Guys I suggest to study from serious books about the Old Testament and about the Qur'an and then take your balls in your hands, loose a bit the noose off Christianity and try to find issues in Judaism and Islam attackable by atheism

America is overwhelmingly a Christian nation. I remember a poll showing that Christian's are the #1 majority, and astonishingly Atheists are #2. It seems to me that a lot of people here are from America so of course Christianity is what we know and it is more likely than not that when our atheism is challenged in real life it is by a Christian.

Also there is a general understanding, I think, that when we argue against God it is the Abrahamic God that is believed in by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. So what we say tends to go against all 3. Furthermore, most arguments I see where the bible is concerned uses Old Testament quotes so I think the Jews are fairly well included.

I'm sure not a lot of people have read the Quran, I know I haven't. But I have been studying Islam recently and I managed to do that without you telling me to do so.

I find your comments borderline insulting and perpetuating the wrong view of atheism. The opinions you put forth here make atheists sound like some sort of hound dogs and we need encouragement to rip apart Islam and Judaism. Um, NO! Atheism is about a lack of belief in god, this community is for discussing this lack of belief with relevant issues, and what's relevant to us tends to be Christianity because that's what we deal with everyday in politics, especially America. We are not here to insult religion but for intelligent discussion. I'm sure if we have anything to say about Judaism and Islam then it will be said where it is relevant, not because we haven't attacked it enough today!

Actually I do criticize islam.

I critically examine all those practices labeled "religion". I find that Christianity is equally ridiculous to accept wholeheartedly as Wicca - I find Islam as silly as I do Zoroastrianism (the religion Freddy Mercury was inducted into as a boy btw). However, as I've criticized and railed against, over time I've also looked at different aspects as well - the underlying unities in historical origins, shared/stolen practices and rituals, underlying psychological processes and so forth. A while back I realized that I was directing all my attention to just Christianity. Was it out of fear or ignornace? Fear, no. Ignorance, somewhat. So I changed and am still changing that. My previous focus on Christianity was simply because it is the most salient religion affecting my life. If I lived in, say, Iraq, it would be Islam or other variants thereof.

Expanding my view to be more inclusive has also resulted in my eschewing of inquiry in to specific particularities of each religion and, as I stated earlier, attempting to examine them from a more etiological stance. I think, also, because of my background in the brain sciences, I tend to examine them in the frame of psychological/biological processes for the most part. I don't think that this method of inquiry is any less valid or more valid than others, just another angle.

All religion/spiritualism boils down to the same thing for me so when I say "god(s)" I mean any of them.

As for aiming at Christianity, I am usually replying to a christian poster. I'd be saying very similar things to an islamic/jewish/zoroastrian!

I don't know the details of Islam. I know about the 5 pillars and Mohammed's revelation in the cave, and some history about Medina and Mecca. It's just as bat shit crazy as Christianity, but I can't quote chapter and verse in order to deconstruct it in the same way I can Christianity.

As I was a born again Christian and spent many years heavily involved in the church and in Bible study I am better qualified to rip it. And personally involved.

Like many atheists, I view any religion that is based on "holy revelation" and scripture as foolish. Christianity just happens to be my suburb. I would like to think that were I brought up Hindu I would now be atheist and banging on about how Shiva, Vishnu and Wosisname don't exist or were I brought up Muslim I would be atheist and railing on about the non-existance of Allah.

Reality is if I was brought up in either of those 2 I would never have had the opportunity, freedom or courage to buck the trend.

josef I was thinking about the theme of the thread and I would like to reply as to the reasons why I am so antagonistic towards Christianity.I am an American and of all the religions in the world Christianity in all it's shapes and forms is the number one religion in this country.I would not have a problem with any religion if they worshipped their god and stopped trying to conform the world to their belief system.

This country is the most hipocritical of all,since it states that church and state should not mingle.Yet the slogan 'In God we trust' is on our currency,in our court rooms etc.I can't walk down the street without having some christian trying to spoon feed me the nonsense he believes in,or a Jehovas witness knocking at my door at 8am to try to convince me to worship his evil dictator of a god.

In this country it is Christianity,not Islam nor any other religion that is ingrained in our culture.Christians in this country influence our politics and political policies.stunt the growth of scientific discovery basing themselves on their own brand of morality,and try to force feed that illogical garbage down everyones throat.They even send literature in the U.S. postal service to peoples homes unsolicited.That is the reason I hate Christianity.

(September 3, 2008 at 1:44 pm)Eilonnwy Wrote: America is overwhelmingly a Christian nation. I remember a poll showing that Christian's are the #1 majority, and astonishingly Atheists are #2. It seems to me that a lot of people here are from America so of course Christianity is what we know and it is more likely than not that when our atheism is challenged in real life it is by a Christian.

Also there is a general understanding, I think, that when we argue against God it is the Abrahamic God that is believed in by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. So what we say tends to go against all 3. Furthermore, most arguments I see where the bible is concerned uses Old Testament quotes so I think the Jews are fairly well included.

I'm sure not a lot of people have read the Quran, I know I haven't. But I have been studying Islam recently and I managed to do that without you telling me to do so.

I find your comments borderline insulting and perpetuating the wrong view of atheism. The opinions you put forth here make atheists sound like some sort of hound dogs and we need encouragement to rip apart Islam and Judaism. Um, NO! Atheism is about a lack of belief in god, this community is for discussing this lack of belief with relevant issues, and what's relevant to us tends to be Christianity because that's what we deal with everyday in politics, especially America. We are not here to insult religion but for intelligent discussion. I'm sure if we have anything to say about Judaism and Islam then it will be said where it is relevant, not because we haven't attacked it enough today!

I am happy that my thread engendered a lot of replies.
You are the only who found my thread borderline insulting and perpetuating the wrong view of atheism.
Most of the threads I wrote in the former Atheist forum were received whithout such a negative appreciation.
You are wrong by considering that to my opinion atheism is a hound
dog.
Quite contrary, I consider that while atheism denies the existence of God as a real entity and is sure that He exists only in the minds of people ,being created by them just in their minds,the religion
has had from dawn of history an important role in the development of nations and of human society as a whole.
As most social events religion has positive as well as negative effects on the society.
So are we hound dogs ? In a certain sense -yes ,we are against the negative aspects of religion as idea ,revealing it's inconsitencies with general human ethics,it's contradiction with scientific thinking etc,
You may not agree with my opinions but accusing me of perpetuating
the "wrong" atheism is far fetched ,equal to refuse to understand the opinions of others.
By the way I have read the Qur'an translated in English and found it utterly boring as the minimim I could say.

(September 4, 2008 at 1:10 pm)josef rosenkranz Wrote: By the way I have read the Qur'an translated in English and found it utterly boring as the minimim I could say.

I tried it as well, also followi,ng criticism that atheists tend to attack Christainity over the other big religions.

I found an on-line version and started (naturally) at page one.
After reading several pages about how god was going to smite the unrighteous, worded in different ways, I got very bored and gave up.

I may try again and try dipping around the whole book. Or maybe with a commentary to guide.

(September 4, 2008 at 7:45 am)StewartP Wrote: Like many atheists, I view any religion that is based on "holy revelation" and scripture as foolish.

Why foolish?