Why do Atheists defend Islam?

[abaris]

My post wasn't directed as you specifically, so I'm not sure certain why you seem personally offended.

I'm not offended by you personally, but by the ovesimplification in general. To say, the ones trying to make a distinction between the religion and the people, are afraid of retaliation, is offensive on two marks. First, it implies, they simply have their pants full and that's the only reason for not jumping the oh so popular muslim bashing train. Secondly it's simply a statement from the high horse, although I fail to see what the high horse should be when it comes to hating a whole group of people.

[Anomalocaris]

Why is it that when one criticizes Islam, and criticizes the extremists of Islam and points to their religion as being, in part, responsible for such behavior, that it is Atheists who will come in rushing to defend the religion? 

Because it would be pointless to criticize Islam in such a way that Christianity would become the biggest beneficiary of the effort.

[Anomalocaris]

I don't know about Atheists defending Islam, but a lot of liberals sure seem to. I too have noticed the double standard with Christianity vs Islam in the American liberal mentality. Like, it's ok to bash Christians/Christianity but politically incorrect to do it to Muslims/Islam. Considering Islam is much more extreme and far right on social issues, I too don't understand why this is the case. The only thing I can think of is that us small minded Americans generally tend to think of Christians as white/European descent and Muslims as brown/Arabic. So it becomes a "minority" type thing.

Islam has little influence in parts of the world where overwhelming majority of scientific, technological, economic and Societal is being made, or has been made in the last 500 years.  It is the religion of marginalized that has no hope of rejoining the mainstream of human progress on their own terms.   It is annoying, but it is no serious long term threat to future human progress in general.

Christianity all together different, and it is for that reason still all together a much bigger, more persistent, more unscrupulous and more wily long term threat to the future of humanity overall than Islam.

It's not a brown/white issue. It is disease of the skin vs disease of the brain issue for the long term future of humanity overall.

[LastPoet]

Wow, if stupidity would hurt, we would hear you scream all the way from Australia to Europe. Anyway, must be really scary to be you. But there's a remedy, you know. It's called education. And by that I don't mean hero worshipping every wayward rightwinger.

If you're an atheist, then congratulations, you just demonstrated the point of this subject thread.

Very well Mr Stoner, have it plain and simple: atheist= disbelief in gods. If that means to alienate human beings for different beliefs, I can only conclude you are an asshole. Please keep your tin foil batshittery to Stormfront or something.

[LastPoet]

Also, weed is cool, but you either are having a bad batch of it, or not enough.

[Athene]

My post wasn't directed as you specifically, so I'm not sure certain why you seem personally offended.

I'm not offended by you personally, but by the ovesimplification in general. To say, the ones trying to make a distinction between the religion and the people, are afraid of retaliation, is offensive on two marks. First, it implies, they simply have their pants full and that's the only reason for not jumping the oh so popular muslim bashing train. Secondly it's simply a statement from the high horse, although I fail to see what the high horse should be when it comes to hating a whole group of people.

We're clearly talking about two different things. You keep bringing this conversation back to the dangers of scapegoating, racism and bigotry, while I'm only making a commentary on dangerous magical thinking. Magical thinking is capable of inciting a certain number individuals to commit horrible, violent acts within any belief system. Currently, violent acts carried out by a minority of Muslims who employ dangerous, magical thinking, occur with enough scope and frequency acts that it gives others pause to criticize the religion in any meaningful fashion. This is the truth.

The fact that some people feel that this justifies bigotry and hatred towards Muslims is also true. Those who are truly making a sincere effort to address this matter should be applauded. You can recognize these atheists by the way they address Islam and Christianity in a relatively even-handed manner, such as yourself. 

However, if one continually posts rants about how gullibly stupid Christians are, how evil Christianity is and how they despise everything about Christianity altogether, then magically softens and becomes concerned with confronting prejudice when Islam is brought up, I would have to say they're full of shit and not fooling anyone.

No high horse here, either.

[Mechaghostman2]

Oh, so the issue is I didn't separate Islam with Muslims now, is it?

Yeah, let's defend a group of people who mutilate a woman's clitoris so they don't cheat on their husbands.
Yeah, let's defend a group of people that punish a rape victim by stoning them to death.
Yeah, let's defend a group of people who want to make it illegal to draw pictures of Muhammad.

I'm sorry, but Islam, and arguably religion in general, will fuck a person up mentally. Statistics show their values and attitudes towards certain issues aren't compatible with western values.

"You're bigoted, the only cure is education."

What, you mean the brainwashing NONSENSE you call sociology? I'm good, there are far better ways to learn about the issue than THAT particular form of "education." After all, sociology is the same "education" that makes people say shit like "The idea that a man is physically stronger than a woman is a socially constructed myth." Even though biology begs to differ.

Sorry, I prefer real knowledge, not idealistic bullshit.

[GrandizerII]

Oh, so the issue is I didn't separate Islam with Muslims now, is it?

Yeah, let's defend a group of people who mutilate a woman's clitoris so they don't cheat on their husbands.
Yeah, let's defend a group of people that punish a rape victim by stoning them to death.
Yeah, let's defend a group of people who want to make it illegal to draw pictures of Muhammad.

Not every Muslim does any of the above. So stop lumping them all into the same box.

After all, sociology is the same "education" that makes people say shit like "The idea that a man is physically stronger than a woman is a socially constructed myth." Even though biology begs to differ.

Is that what they say? You sure you're not committing a strawman here?

[Catholic_Lady]

Oh, so the issue is I didn't separate Islam with Muslims now, is it?

Yeah, let's defend a group of people who mutilate a woman's clitoris so they don't cheat on their husbands.
Yeah, let's defend a group of people that punish a rape victim by stoning them to death.
Yeah, let's defend a group of people who want to make it illegal to draw pictures of Muhammad.

I'm sorry, but Islam, and arguably religion in general, will fuck a person up mentally. Statistics show their values and attitudes towards certain issues aren't compatible with western values.

"You're bigoted, the only cure is education."

What, you mean the brainwashing NONSENSE you call sociology? I'm good, there are far better ways to learn about the issue than THAT particular form of "education." After all, sociology is the same "education" that makes people say shit like "The idea that a man is physically stronger than a woman is a socially constructed myth." Even though biology begs to differ.

Sorry, I prefer real knowledge, not idealistic bullshit.

The point is, not all Muslims believe those things. Yes, I will agree that it's more than "a small minority", like we like to think it is, but you still can't and shouldn't assume any Muslim you meet will feel this way. Most of them don't. And assuming they all do and treating them like they all do, IS bigotted.  

I do agree with you that there is definitely a double standard in the American mainstream liberal mentality regarding criticism of Islam/Muslims vs criticism of Christianity/Christians. But I also think we shouldn't put them all into a box.

[Mechaghostman2]

Oh, so the issue is I didn't separate Islam with Muslims now, is it?

Yeah, let's defend a group of people who mutilate a woman's clitoris so they don't cheat on their husbands.
Yeah, let's defend a group of people that punish a rape victim by stoning them to death.
Yeah, let's defend a group of people who want to make it illegal to draw pictures of Muhammad.

Not every Muslim does any of the above. So stop lumping them all into the same box.

After all, sociology is the same "education" that makes people say shit like "The idea that a man is physically stronger than a woman is a socially constructed myth." Even though biology begs to differ.

Is that what they say? You sure you're not committing a strawman here?

"Not all Muslims," as I said earlier, is an irrelevant statement. There are enough Muslims that do this to be a problem. 80,000,000 women get their clitoris mutilated. Saudi Arabia, some Islamic militias, and other Muslim countries will stone women to death if they're raped, for committing adultery. And 80% of Muslims in the UK, yea you read that right, 80% of Muslims in the UK want drawing a picture of Muhammad to be illegal.

No I'm not committing a strawman, I've heard many people say that. The most famous one to say it is Anita Sarkeesian.