(November 17, 2014 at 9:25 pm)Beccs Wrote: You know, one of the things I've noticed is that those who state most vehemently that this or that extremist group does not represent their religion or aren't real <insert your religion here> on forums and websites are often quiet on the extremists on other media whether in real life or other places.
Example: Riots in Sydney a couple of years ago by a "minority" of Muslims, yet only a tiny number of other Muslims, disgusted by their antics, actually confronted them about it.
If the majority speaks up the extremists will often - not always - be drowned out.
If the majority fails to speak out, the extremists see this as condoning their actions.
Humans need to be realistic about what we can change and accept the things we cannot change. Evolution isn't going to change for anyone, and the reality is that evolution merely requires reproduction, while we evolved to figure things out, that still is not the core of evolution, it does not have the capability of caring what wins, fact or delusion.
Now, having said that, one huge problem I have with my fellow westernized moderate and liberal theists and atheists who cop out to "extremism", is that they fail to accept that the same books(OF ALL RELIGIONS) they point to to justify compassion and pluralism, are still the same source of where they get their morality from, and the same source the violent people and oppressors use. THE SAME BOOKS and the SAME SOURCE.
Now, no, you will NOT force religion out of existence via government, sure you can try, and oppress for a while, as humans have and again, evolution does not care if cruelty or compassion works.
My challenge is not an issue of rights, but a challenge to consider that if you are doing good and are compassionate, and you accept rightfully so others outside your group can also do the same, then be willing to consider that your morality is in you, not your book or your club.
It is no different than accepting say in baseball, that it is not that lucky bat getting you the home run, that "lucky bat" is merely your crutch allowing you to ignore you are doing it, not the bat.
