A Simple Rule

[Minimalist]

Do you expect to find criticism of it on Isuckedallahscock.com?

In your mind, those are the only two choices, eh? If a conservative or a creationist argued like you are here, you'd spot the cheapness of the source in a heartbeat. Your standards shouldn't vary depending on the topic. Maybe you ask yourself why you have to vary them to support your position.

In case you haven't noticed, virtually everyone with a website has an agenda. Best to keep that in mind.

[Thumpalumpacus]

That's the problem I have with Harris. He's an intellectual. More power to him, but actually he should try to walk a mile in the shoes of the people he's talking about. Life hasn't changed that much in the Islamic hinterlands for the last few centuries. And that's not a religious problem but a development and cultural problem. People won't get secular just because some intellectual urges them to. They will get secular once they are more educated and provided with actual opportunities.

[robvalue]

Harris is I think appealing for global reasoning on the subject, he's not suggesting rounding up farmers and teaching them to be atheists.

He's trying to point out that moderates are a barrier. Sure he's an intellectual, but so are many moderates, and they should see the truth of what he is saying.

I'm not just talking about Islam. All moderates validate the idea of faith, and it's stupid protected status. These kinds of talks don't cover every angle sure, but we have to do what we can and come at it every way available.

Now if you'll excuse me.... Another moderate, I see you! Get back here, I've got quotas to meet.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I'm not just talking about Islam. All moderates validate the idea of faith, and it's stupid protected status. These kinds of talks don't cover every angle sure, but we have to do what we can and come at it every way available.

We regard faith as invalid. Moderates regard faith as personal. Extremists regard faith as mandatory.

I think attacking the moderates is a really bad idea, insofar as it is polarizing, and I don't think forcing moderates to choose atheist apostasy or renewed fundamentalism will redound to our benefit. We may well swell our nonbelieving numbers -- but we will certainly grow the number of extremists in so doing.

[robvalue]

Sure, I get what you're saying. I'm not advocating attacking them though, or forcing them to make a choice, just asking them to think.

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So I'm just talking here about education and the free discussion of ideas. I have no force in mind.

I'm pretty confident that as atheism and secularism grows, more and more moderates will naturally be drawn our way. I don't mean the individual people, I mean in terms of each new generation. I guess that's why I'm not explaining myself well, I'm not talking about rounding up the moderates we have today and forcing them to pick a camp. I'm talking about bringing the age of reason so that new generations can think properly for themselves.

[dyresand]

Islam is not a real religion of peace as the extremists and the ones committing violence are really showing what real Islam is like.

Here is a video of my favorite youtuber she will explain it better than i can.




And Christians want to be a Christian nation we would end up like Islam.

[robvalue]

For sure. Christianity is not a religion of peace either. The only peace in religion is peace of shit.

[dyresand]

For sure. Christianity is not a religion of peace either. The only peace in religion is peace of shit.

Hey hey leave paganism and Buddhism out of it they are the only true peaceful religions and the only true peaceful ones. I mean whens the last time you heard a Buddhist or monk blowing them selves up or commit crimes or a pagan suicide bomber.

[robvalue]

Sure, fair enough, I meant the horrible religions. Some are indeed much worse than others.

[DeistPaladin]

We can have the discussion about Islam any time and I probably be on your side. What we can't have is a discussion about muslims, since not all muslims are Islamists.

That's the only thing I'm trying to communicate.

...and that's been my point all along. Criticizing Islam and discussing how this religion might at least be domesticated like Christianity has more-or-less been is not the same thing as calling for persecution of a people.

We are not our beliefs. Beliefs can be abandoned once they are shown to be faulty. Step one is that the social taboos criticizing religious beliefs have to go out the window.