Brainstorm

[Edwardo Piet]

Your being against religions does mean you're against religious people as well - insofar as they are religious. I'm sorry, but P.C. culture has brainwashed you into ridiculous language games.

If you don't know the difference between being against what a belief represents and being against a person then you're not only not as smart as you think you are (you already certainly aren't) but you're far less smart than you think.

Seriously?

And I thought you could see Sam Harris' point that it's possible to feel compassion for individuals and not hate the individuals despite being firmly against their beliefs.

Here's an example: I'm against the belief that abortions are wrong in 100% of circumstances, does this mean I'm against all individuals who are 100% pro life? No way, it doesn't represent the person as a whole. I can be extremely strongly against something that someone believes, but that doesn't make me against them because it doesn't make them a bad person at all.

Good intentions matter. I like to believe you have good intentions too but... I have great difficulty continuing to believe that...

[Excited Penguin]

Your being against religions does mean you're against religious people as well - insofar as they are religious. I'm sorry, but P.C. culture has brainwashed you into ridiculous language games.

If you don't know the difference between being against what a belief represents and being against a person then you're not only not as smart as you think you are (you already certainly aren't) but you're far less smart than you think.

Seriously?

And I thought you could see Sam Harris' point that it's possible to feel compassion for individuals and not hate the individuals despite being firmly against their beliefs.

Here's an example: I'm against the belief that abortions are wrong in 100% of circumstances, does this mean I'm against all individuals who are 100% pro life? No way, it doesn't represent the person as a whole. I can be extremely strongly against something that someone believes, but that doesn't make me against them because it doesn't make them a bad person at all.

Good intentions matter. I like to believe you have good intentions too but... I have great difficulty continuing to believe that...

You answered your own questions here. I don't disagree with any of it. You're just on my case and unable to think clearly about what I'm actually saying. You overreact and you assume I hold positions I never said I hold.

Just to be clear, this isn't the same when I say I wouldn't like to be friends with a Muslim or have a beer with them. In their case, you can actually tell what kind of people they are by what they believe. It's the same with Christians and Jews and other religions. You can't tell what kind of person an atheist is just because he's an atheist. You can however tell whether they are a good person or not, to a certain extent, if you inquire into whether they are also an antitheist.

I claim this. There's only three things a person can be. An antitheist, evil, or stupid.

[Catholic_Lady]

What problematic beliefs of Christians/Jews are you referring to?

Beliefs of Christians:

1. You are, just by participating in the sin or your birth, evil.

2. You are not simply imperfect, as in failing to approach the limits of the construct imagineered by humanity which we call perfection, and therefore prone to making errors as you learn to navigate this world. Nononono, you don't deserve such fair treatment as that, for the bible says, and your god has declared that you are naturally evil.

3. You are at least twice as evil if you happen to have been born female.

4. Therefore, you need the forgiveness of a god with the personality of no man who you would tolerate in society, much less in your home. This is a true Mafia don of a god, who demands your worship, tribute, and respect de facto. He's not a bully, he's righteous!

5. God's love is so deep that he doesn't really want you to be tortured for all eternity in the firey hell which he cannot in any credible way disavow his responsibility for, which goes with the responsibility you carry when you happen to be able to see all of the future, have all the power to alter any scenario, and can do this everywhere all at the same time. Therefore he decided to take out all his rage for your offenses brought on by being born imperfect, just as he made you to be, on his own son by killing him on a cross. What a hell of a great Dad your God da Fatha Yahweh Corleone is! Actually, he makes Al Pacino's Corleone look like a really nice guy by comparision!

Ok, I don't believe any of those things. 

If you don't mind my asking, I'm curious as to how you, as a young woman, feel about having the rules for your own conduct handed down by a bunch of old guys who have so little empathy for your gender, and may not have ever so much as spent a night with a woman, much less really loved or cared about one? They know so little about you that to them you're almost a different species, and yet you allow them to lord their authority over you? They also may have something to say about your avatar photo, if that's really you sporting those bare shoulders, low-neck blouse, and shit-eating grin - very naughty!

Do you want my honest answer? 

I feel much more disrespected and demeaned by what you're saying to/about me here than I have ever felt by Church teaching. Which is 0.

[Excited Penguin]

For what it's worth, most people fall into the latter category. But with Islam, I'm not willing to assume everyone falls fully into the latter, and not into the second. If you think that's somehow bad, I think your morals are kind of warped.

[Edwardo Piet]

I claim this. There's only three things a person can be. An antitheist, evil, or stupid.

You're clearly both an anti-theist and stupid though if you think those are really the only 3 options.

[Ravenshire]

(Bolded by me)

If you don't see the problem with you saying that then I'm not sure how to respond.

I'll take that as an admittance of defeat and won't read any further into it.

You sure do like to trumpet your imaginary victories, don't you.

[God of Mr. Hanky]

I'm anti-Islam EP, but I'm not anti-all Muslims. I'm against religions but not against religious people.

The above was your original statement.

So are you just against Islam or do you really not feel comfortable around any Muslims at all? Does an environment involving a random Muslim really make you feel unsafe or not?

That's hard to answer. Life isn't that black and white.

Your being against religions does mean you're against religious people as well - insofar as they are religious. I'm sorry, but P.C. culture has brainwashed you into ridiculous language games.

Oh, please pull your head out of your ass and get it professionally examined! Normal people don't want those who they disagree with to die, we want them to understand what we do and stop doing hurtful shit in the name of their mythical sky-daddys. I'd like to see those who make themselves and others miserable with their religion become happier, more productive people. Why do you have to take such a hateful stance with those who you don't understand? Oh, of course there it is - you really don't understand religious people, do you? It would help a lot if you stopped making ignorant assertions of them, read a few books, and actually listen to those who will talk to you more than talk around them.

[Ravenshire]

I'm anti-Islam EP, but I'm not anti-all Muslims. I'm against religions but not against religious people.

The above was your original statement.

So are you just against Islam or do you really not feel comfortable around any Muslims at all? Does an environment involving a random Muslim really make you feel unsafe or not?

That's hard to answer. Life isn't that black and white.

Your being against religions does mean you're against religious people as well - insofar as they are religious. I'm sorry, but P.C. culture has brainwashed you into ridiculous language games.

Still speaking for others I see...

[Edwardo Piet]

You answered your own questions here. I don't disagree with any of it.

That contradicts the following:

[...]you can actually tell what kind of people they are by what they believe. It's the same with Christians and Jews and other religions.

You clearly do disagree with it. My entire point was that you can't tell what kind of a person someone is just by whether they're a Christian, a Jew or a Muslim, etc. And yet you say that you can.

You can't tell what kind of person an atheist is just because he's an atheist. You can however tell whether they are a good person or not, to a certain extent, if you inquire into whether they are also an antitheist.

Bullshit. I know many good people who aren't anti-theists, including both atheists and theists. I'm not an anti-theist either and I'm a good person. I have theists friends who are good people... most of my best friends are atheists but most of them are not anti-theists.

I claim this. There's only three things a person can be. An antitheist, evil, or stupid.

LOL and you claimed this above:

You answered your own questions here. I don't disagree with any of it.

You couldn't disagree more with my post actually. I didn't answer any of my own questions, I asked you questions and you claimed to agree and then went on to say the exact opposite of what I said, you certainly don't agree.

[Ravenshire]

I claim this. There's only three things a person can be. An antitheist, evil, or stupid.

If you really believe this tripe, you need to retire from humanity.