The Image Problem With Atheism in America

[MJ the Skeptical]

Would I be right in concluding that the lie Polaris has a problem with is Bad Wolf claiming not to be an Islamophobe?

If BW were an Islamophobe, not agreeing with it probably wouldn't make him a liar, it would more likely mean he is in denial, a rather different thing. Few people think their views are irrational.

As I understand it, Islamophobia is an irrational fear or dislike of Islam/Muslims. There are some things about Islam as it is practiced by some Muslims in some places that it is not irrational to fear or dislike. The stoning to death of adultresses, for example. There are other things it IS irrational to fear or dislike, like that Muslims will have a majority in the USA in 20 years or that all Muslims would be terrorists if given a good enough opportunity. And there's borderline stuff, like 'burqas should be banned'.

He seems to not even understand the word, let alone the suffix -phobia.

You have no idea what the word phobia means do you?

It's taken on a new definition when it was applied to homophobia (same definition change now used for Islamophia) or maybe it was the anti-gay people who changed the perception themselves from turning from being uneasy among homosexuals to flat-out hating and insulting them. Words constantly change in the English language.

Words don't change, more definitions for a word are created. Plenty of Islamic people, even Islamic scholars like to equate Racism with being Anti-Muslim--doesn't make it so, that's their spin. The colloquial usage of words change ("fag" being a great example) but Islamophobia is not one of those terms, it's very specific. I don't buy your spin that two root words like Islam and phobia can be extrapolated into an entire new meaning. Just being against Islam doesn't make you a Islamophobe. I'm against Christianity, but I'm not Christophobic.