(June 22, 2015 at 11:02 am)Rhythm Wrote: At best I'd call religion a force multiplier when it comes to racism, rather than a causative agent. Racists will be racists, but racists with divine license are racists with purpose, racists with a calling...........and -that's- a bit different than Billy Bob on his porch stewing in his own hate juice.
That is the danger in thinking like this. It is most certainly possible to be bigoted without believing in a god. But you simply cant ignore that there are far too many humans that open up, read words from a holy book, and come to the conclusion that they have the right to harm others based upon the entitlement the book conveys. You don't have to have everyone being holy book bigots, you simply have to have just enough.
So when, for example Muslims say the majority are "peaceful", that is a bad argument. Even if they prove that, the fact is that region of the world is dominated by theocratic thinking. It does not have to be a majority that rules social attitudes, you can simply have a big enough minority controlling the narrative.
This is where my fellow liberals unintentionally give cover to fundies. They have the right empathy in wanting to defend multiculturalism, but instead insist on PC tactics that are exactly what fundementalists want, no criticism no scrutiny.
It far to often allows liberals both theist and atheist to ignore that both left and right of all religions are still using the same labels and holy books. It is more important to point this out. That takes away the pedestal from religion and allows it to be scrutinized.
