(September 13, 2012 at 12:15 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote: Islam is the touchiest religion around at the moment isn't it.
They need to lighten up and have a few brews.
Allah Chocolate bar. Yea it is far too touchy. But again, all forms of tribalism be it political or religious has the potential to become intollerant. Stalin and Christian dark ages both were examples of human cruelty.
Islam merely is the biggest problem right now. The underpinings of state or religious facism, are always a potentail in a tribal species.
They cannot see how easy peace would be if they would just allow for ridicule and blasphemy and merely fight back with their voices instead of using violence.
What they cannot see, or refuse to see is that their are all sorts of people in the west from all economic and political and religious classes, that do see their suffering. I was horrified by the asshole sniper in Iran who murdered that female protestor. I am constantly horrified by the over reaction of Isreal sometimes.
But at the same time, it is hard for me to listen to anyone who makes threats rather than appeal or peaceful dissent.
I'd like to see the day when we can all bitch and blaspeme each other no matter our positions, without fear of our neibhor or our government. To me it really is no different than two sports fans getting to the point of allowing the trash talk, knowing it is merely a game. Unfortunatly religion and politics poisons humanity by mixing to the point of violence.
No Muslim reading this can accuse most atheists of bigotry. We are as much a minority in the Christian west as any living in the west. We do understand the bigotry and phobia aimed at us.
But what we do have here that needs to be fostered in the east is that murder is murder no mater who is doing it or why they are doing it. If I kill a Muslim for being a Muslim, my government will arrest me. If a Muslim kills me for being an atheist, my govenment will have them arrested.
But when someone is merely sticking to words like "burn in hell atheist", be it a Christian or a Muslim, the differnece is that I won't kill you, even if I speak out against you.
That is a seed I think we can foster with moderates who can and will in turn, turn within and tell those in their ranks "enough".
This is a tactic Harris promotes. To go after the moderates and the liberals of all religions.
