Hitler tried something along those lines. Cant say you idea is a good one. What annoys me more than the acts of hatred is the way we seem scared to stand up for ourselves without being branded racist! Thing is we are dealing with medieval teachings and they seem to be very good at brainwashing. Just look at Africa, I was reading something the other day about Ghana where 75% of the population believe in witchcraft and they hunt and murder suspect witches! That the majority of continent is fucked, they are still savages. They are easy targets for Islamic hatred breading grounds which in turn spills to blacks around the world. (Yes I said Blacks because that is the colour they are)!
Islam's time may be numbered. They demand more but give nothing. I would outlaw the theology personally as I dont think it fits with a modern democracy. However democracy dictates that all should be allowed. Its a Catch 22. That said, I'd still outlaw it in this country and deport all those to an Islamic state that refused. If no Islamic state took them, what does that say about Islam? But then I'd outlaw all theology. Including CoE. To laugh at Africans and witchcraft is hypocrisy when our state believes in some medieval text and some fellow named Jesus. Its all superstition. The only difference is the degree and perception. But outlawing stuff does not fit with democracy either. So therefore it must be a free for all and allow individuals to moderate themselves and their beliefs within a secular state. People who cannot conform to the principles of a secular state should be asked to leave for the greater good of its citizens who do.
The reason we shouldn't 'stand up for ourselves' is that the very act of doing so would be a racist/religionist/what-ever-word-covers-anti-religionism thing to do. Not ALL muslim people are wanting to harm others. Not ALL Imams and Mullahs are preaching hate. I'd go as far to say that most are probably teaching tolerance. The media are to blame for creating this folk devil, which they label as 'muslim' for people to fear in order to make money. Your fear/hatred/whatever towards muslims was carefully manufactured by media organisations to make them money. The real threat to the individual is minuscule compared to the idea of threat presented by the media. The number of ill-wishing members of the muslim community is probably comparable to the number of ill-wishing members of any community but you don't have it rammed down your throat every second of every day by the news. Your cause of your fear has been falsified by capitalists to make them even more money than they already have.
The idea of picking out random Muslims to kill in retaliation is so laughable I imagine it was first thought of by Monty Python. But then this Lounge area is all about amusement.
There is nothing wrong with people studying fictions, myths and legends. Shakespeare's plays, the Grimms' fairy tales, and the myths of ancient Greece and Rome are part of human culture, and are just as worth studying as the myths of Christianity and Islam. The problem comes when teachers and preachers try to convince people that such stuff is literally true; sadly some are stupid enough to believe it or too young to know any better. That is the bit which should not be allowed. IMHO
Bear in mind atheist views are widely banned on some US forums. I should know, I'm often causing a commotion amongst theists
Yes, I think I use the term “radical” rather loosely, just for emphasis. If you describe yourself as “atheist,” some people will say, “Don’t you mean ‘agnostic’?” I have to reply that I really do mean atheist, I really do not believe that there is a god; in fact, I am convinced that there is not a god (a subtle difference). I see not a shred of evidence to suggest that there is one ... etc., etc. It’s easier to say that I am a radical atheist, just to signal that I really mean it, have thought about it a great deal, and that it’s an opinion I hold seriously. - Douglas Adams
I find it best to just leave religion well alone after the initial 'no thank you, I'm fine' It upsets people to easily and a refusal to acknowledge differences in beliefs or an attempt to prove a belief to be incorrect is just as offensive as pushing a religion on someone else. It's the same thing really, just with blank pages in the book
"Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" Mr Adams again. He really had it nailed. RIP Douglas.
For me, justice would be to put them in a field with 4 Paras. The Paras get the same weapons these pieces of filth had when he attacked Lee Rigby, they get nothing.
In fact scratch that. There would just be 2 Paras, and the scum can go in one at a time. They could flip a coin. Loser gets to watch the first one die.
Just one member of 40 commando would do the job if my neighbour is any gauge in the matter. The guy is nuts, hard as nails and built like the proverbial.
I am active on a number of atheist vs fundamentalist groups, mostly via Facebook. I also self-describe myself as atheist and eschew agnosticism which just seems to me to be a loose safety net for those scared of hell (which I also know to be non-existent ) There are some parts of the world, even in the US, where atheists are trusted less than any religious groups so it's not an easy ride. I do wish more people who practice a secular lifestyle would be prepared to be open about it as the fervour of religious brainwashing isn't decreasing.
This is a defeatist attitude. Someone is happy to push religion on you and you respect and tacitly support their right to do so. However, it seems for fear of offending them you won't articulate your own views. In a free society it is normal and acceptable to have differing views and religion should not have some protection based on people having hurt feelings. Political viewpoints are debated with ferocity and that is considered normal, religion should not be above this and certainly, theists don't have the right to preach and find any contrary views offensive and therefore require them censored.
I have a lot of interest in being converted. Wouldn't it be great to have a rulebook for living your life by and when no one liked you, someone invisible still loved you and was looking after you? Life's decisions would be much simpler. And at the end of it all, you knew you were going to a better place, in fact the best place. You'd also be part of a club where everyone loved everyone else. It would be brilliant. But then as a kid, I could fantasise about living in Narnia and having a huge lion as a friend. The Shire in Middle Earth seems like a nice hangout too. I wouldn't mind an Elven princess for a girlfriend. Sadly, all these scenarios sound about as likely as each other.
I don't feel I have a defeatist attitude, I feel I have a respectful attitude. You are entitled to your beliefs, and I am entitled to mine. Part of that respect giving is not trying to convince someone that their beliefs are wrong or any less worthy than yours. After all, although I follow the logic and methods of science, I am still depending on believing what someone tells me without any first hand knowledge of whether it is really true or not.
