Are Christians discriminated against more than those of other faiths?

[theVOID]

I'm not particularly interested in your reasons for supporting or opposing the legislation against freedom of expression and freedom of religion. I just wanted to know if you supported the legislation. You've told me you do not. I got the impression from your support of hostility towards the practice of Islam.

However, what if I could make a compelling case that Christianity and Islam are fundamentally the same in their negative aspects?

Sure, I'd listen to any argument.

[DeistPaladin]

Religions are invented by men for men. They do not cause ignorance or superstition per se. Religion thrives in ignorance and poverty as preconditions. It dwindles with education and affluence.

I would argue that it's a feedback loop, that the two both thrive upon and promote each other.

Religion is born of ignorance and the desire for easy certainty about the world, that is true. However, once clergy is established, you have a group of people with a vested interest in maintaining the dogma. Now, some religions are more detailed and strict than others and some have more elaborate levels of hierarchical clergy while others are unstructured, so consequently some religions will be more reactionary than others.

As an example, the Roman Catholic faith reacted against the blasphemy of Galileo in suggesting the earth revolved around the sun. Cardinal Foscarini of the Inquisition wrote to Cardinal Bellermine at the time worrying, "if it is true, we shall have great difficulty explaining the parts of scripture that say otherwise." Their wealth and power were too heavily tied into the credibility of the Church, which in turn was tied to their false concepts of the universe. Consequently, they did "promote ignorance" by preventing scientific inquiry. Further, these were not the actions of some bad apples in the Church but rather an expected outcome given the clergy's best interests. You get what you reward.

Religion also fosters ignorance on social issues as well. The entire debate we're having over same gender marriage and gay service in the military would be a no-brainer were it not for scriptural taboos against same-gender affections.

The influence of religion did not and has not withered away once people became more enlightened. The church's power first had to be broken to make such enlightenment possible. While Protestantism has proven to be as bad as Catholicism, the fracturing of Church power enabled reason the breathing room it needed. Even once heretics were no longer burned at the stake, religion found other ways of fighting against science. Elaborate apologetics and pseudo-science are born of the efforts of the defenders of the faith.

So I would argue that religion is born of ignorance and actively promotes it.

[Welsh cake]

jews are discriminated against more than any other religion. holocaust, thousands of years of slavery enough said

Agreed. Though the Soviet civilians had an appalling number of casualties in comparison during World War II and the majority of them had no faith to start with, go figure.

[thesummerqueen]

In America, Christians put themselves in your face far more than any other religion. Ergo, we have more opportunities to make fun of them. I hear plenty of people criticize Islam. And I heard more than my fair share of why Jews are bad and wrong and evil, but then again I was raised in it.

As far as atheists go, I think it's not more or less acceptable to make fun of one or the other, rather I'd just repeat what DP said. You typically (it does happen, just not as visibly) do not see a Jewish leader get caught with his pants down... and no Wiccan ever barged into a courthouse demanding their principles be put on a plaque outside.

Although maybe I'm talking out of my ass - it is more acceptable to make fun of some. I have an issue with whatever religion decides it's okay to blow up civilians in the name of their god. That immediately puts Judaism, Christianity and Islam at the top of my shitlist.

I absolutely do not criticize Wiccans...to their faces. I hold out hope of being invited to a pagan orgy.

[Welsh cake]

Found this on some blog sites ages ago and always manages to put a smile on my face whenever Christians play the self-victimisation card:

[FadingW]

The majority discriminates against the minorities. Sadly that's the way things have always worked. For most of the world that is now Hindu, Muslim, or Christian.

One would hope that experience with being discriminated against would lead people to be more understanding when they themselves are on a position of power, but perhaps I am too optimistic.

[Ashendant]

Would you like if atheists were this obnoxious

[gustafferdinand]

Christianity is a major player in Western politics. Christians constitute the strongest of the religious lobbies in Europe, and even though they're less of a threat when compared to Islam they should receive criticism.

I do agree that when comes to silly and childish insults, Christians go through harder times.

People call them retarded, uneducated, fundamentalist...

In fact, most Christians I know are hard working people, smart and educated, and many of them are just trying to be. They just believe in God, that's all. These are the moderate, average Christians, mind you.

What should not be tolerated is not belief itself, but fundamentalism.

What atheists should try to do is change these ordinary "i have doubts" believers. Not the Jerry Falwells.

I do worry about hostility because I think we're alienating people who are not stupid. They sense arrogance and prejudice.

We should be much harder towards Islam because - and I'm sorry to all moderate members of Islam - they're getting a free pass. Not because we tolerate or understand, but because Fundamentalist Islam has become the world's bully.

The fact is: The Catholic Church has to answer for all the sex abuse cases. You could argue, "Not all priests are sex offenders. You're being a bigot for judging a large group of people because of the actions of a few". But the matter of fact is that they have answered as a community and have (generally speaking) taken responsibility for what some of them did to those children.

Islam refuses to answer as a community. They always silence criticism with the "islamophobe" argument and call you a bigot.

[Minimalist]

They always silence criticism with the "islamophobe" argument and call you a bigot.

I don't give a shit what those ignorant fucks call me. When they are ready to join the 21st century I'll welcome them. Until then they are, as a group, intellectually benighted by their belief in their angry desert god.