I'm not sure how to do the cut-n-paste quote thing, so I'll do my best to keep my reply in context.
I live in Rock Hill, SC.
I was a member of this forum years go. I was afraid you might ask me the exact date. Usually I include these thing. I like being specific. I am searching my DBs now to see if I can unearth something I can tie to a date. My date/time recollection has never been good and seems worse now due to age and the brain surgery I had a year ago to have a meningioma tumor removed. Ok, ok, I found something, it looks like I was a member of the forum in March of 05.
I think it is reasonably accepted that when people say they dislike Muslims, they broad brush the good with the bad but are generally referring to the religion that drives their beliefs, actions, culture. There are many bigots out there who "have black friends". I'm a fan of broad brush. This makes me unpopular. I am of Irish descent. I have no objection to anyone broad brushing me as a beer drinking, cussing, spitfire WASP. They'd be wrong about the WASP part, but no bother. I believe for the most part that cultures centered around a rigid core faith are so consumed by it that most of the individuals become an extension of their faith. According to Wikipedia: Pakistan, for example, has legislation which makes execution a penalty for blasphemy. Also ref: http://www.religioustolerance.org/rt_pakis.htm . Therefore, I suggest that most of the 77% Sunni Muslims waste a lot of their time worshiping on schedule and much of their lives are wasted preying. So, if I should meet a Sunni Muslim from Pakistan, I would pre-suppose (right or wrong) certain things about him/her. If I met a Pakistani I'd have a 97% chance of being correct in assuming he/she is Muslim. 3% of the time I'd be wrong, but I can live with that.
I don't want to be misleading. I could care less what people around the world want to believe - as long as it doesn't fuck up my life or my family's life. I have no interest in dying in a war fought over religious differences. How insane. How archaic. What bothers me to no end is the inescapable daily drum beat of religion in MY daily life. OMG! Pfffffft.
I am not into erasing literature or art. Dali is my favorite surrealist and have no interest in dismantling the Sistine Chapel. The babble and all the worshiping of fictitious characters that go with it belong in the library on the myth shelf along with the likes of Jason and the Argonauts, King Kong and Cinderella. And of course make it available on CD from Amazon.
And finally, I am not exaggerating. What you may incorrectly perceive as irrational radicalism may only be the difference between an atheist and a nontheist. I don't believe in magic or magical things. Therefore I want that crap out of my life. And as a service to others, I'm going what I can to get it out of theirs as well.
Off to see the Wizard,
JJ
I live in Rock Hill, SC.
I was a member of this forum years go. I was afraid you might ask me the exact date. Usually I include these thing. I like being specific. I am searching my DBs now to see if I can unearth something I can tie to a date. My date/time recollection has never been good and seems worse now due to age and the brain surgery I had a year ago to have a meningioma tumor removed. Ok, ok, I found something, it looks like I was a member of the forum in March of 05.
I think it is reasonably accepted that when people say they dislike Muslims, they broad brush the good with the bad but are generally referring to the religion that drives their beliefs, actions, culture. There are many bigots out there who "have black friends". I'm a fan of broad brush. This makes me unpopular. I am of Irish descent. I have no objection to anyone broad brushing me as a beer drinking, cussing, spitfire WASP. They'd be wrong about the WASP part, but no bother. I believe for the most part that cultures centered around a rigid core faith are so consumed by it that most of the individuals become an extension of their faith. According to Wikipedia: Pakistan, for example, has legislation which makes execution a penalty for blasphemy. Also ref: http://www.religioustolerance.org/rt_pakis.htm . Therefore, I suggest that most of the 77% Sunni Muslims waste a lot of their time worshiping on schedule and much of their lives are wasted preying. So, if I should meet a Sunni Muslim from Pakistan, I would pre-suppose (right or wrong) certain things about him/her. If I met a Pakistani I'd have a 97% chance of being correct in assuming he/she is Muslim. 3% of the time I'd be wrong, but I can live with that.
I don't want to be misleading. I could care less what people around the world want to believe - as long as it doesn't fuck up my life or my family's life. I have no interest in dying in a war fought over religious differences. How insane. How archaic. What bothers me to no end is the inescapable daily drum beat of religion in MY daily life. OMG! Pfffffft.
I am not into erasing literature or art. Dali is my favorite surrealist and have no interest in dismantling the Sistine Chapel. The babble and all the worshiping of fictitious characters that go with it belong in the library on the myth shelf along with the likes of Jason and the Argonauts, King Kong and Cinderella. And of course make it available on CD from Amazon.
And finally, I am not exaggerating. What you may incorrectly perceive as irrational radicalism may only be the difference between an atheist and a nontheist. I don't believe in magic or magical things. Therefore I want that crap out of my life. And as a service to others, I'm going what I can to get it out of theirs as well.
Off to see the Wizard,
JJ
Religion Is NOT A Victimless Crime
