http://infidelsarecool.com/womens-rights-in-islam/

http://infidelsarecool.com/honor-killings/

Let me begin by saying I read his messages carefully and do my damnedest to give them fullest consideration. I did not, and do not, consider Solkhar by definition, or whatever, to be one of Islam's murderous legions, but I must admit I consider every Muslim to be a danger to all I hold dear and was raised to be precious – I am referring to the wealth of scholarship and artistic achievement of societies outside the Islamic fold and which have suffered at the Islamic hand. I do this from experience – not my own, but that which I have gained from a study of that religion's practices across the Silk Road, for example. Alas, I have to confess that I deeply believe Islam is the religion of terror, regardless of its various flavours. The man who invented it was a murderous sort of bloke who not only clearly laid down the rules of behaviour for all who would follow, but consigned the women of Islam to everlasting servitude. One of the great failings of “moderate” Muslims is that they are open, at a moment's notice, to sweep moderation under the carpet the moment hard-liners assume rulership of the roost. Khomeini's return to Iran clearly indicates this. I am glad you do not hate atheists. By and large, we are a pretty harmless bunch who are prepared to live and let live.

I do not claim that reason is the exclusive province of atheists, but I will argue to my dying breath that religion in any form is the enemy of reason. Remember Martin Luther's words on the matter? Spot on! Tell me how pure reason can lead to religion, please. How does reason “work”? One considers the evidence (if one has the mental wherewithal to undertake the task) and bases one's decisions upon such examination. This sounds horribly “superior” and smart-arse of me, I know, so I apologise for conveying such a message, but if one refuses to confront reason – as so many do – one betrays one's intellectual birthright. My atheism stems from the best my mind can do. I might be horribly wrong, but I have never found even a germ of evidence to think I might be wrong. I'll say this, just to stir the pot a bit: if God exists, he he must be the arch bastard of the universe! What a swine! What a disgusting, evil, revolting, nasty, twisted sonofabitch SWINE! Don't think that I contend that one has to be a physicist in order to be an atheist (but it helps!). And don't say that reason varies from sect to sect. The word you are looking for is ignorance. Brainwashed atheists? Do you truly believe there are parents and those in authority (Stalin and Mao are no longer with us!) who strive to convince the young of the nonexistence of God, just as there are those who do the opposite??? Please ……..! Do they get them to read what I might term antiBibles and antiKorans, and do they send them to atheist schools, or punish them for conforming to religious concepts, or do they merely say, “Think for yourself”? Was it Dawkins or Hitchens who described reiligious indoctrination as child molestation?

I am not entirely sure about what you are trying to say with your next point, but I'll do me best to respond. Indeed, I will take your points as they pop into my head, rather than continue to deal with them in strict order. You see the Christian God as a good bloke? Time for you to read the Book of Revelations! You see him as modelled upon Man's bipolar tendencies and qualities? Exactly so! Who created who? Anyone who embraces religion has turned his back on doubt. Religion is belief in certainty. GOD EXISTS! God is merciful? Yeah, right! So merciful to all those dying of starvation and born with deformities and victims of torture and brutality and the crippled and the millions who will never know the meaning of comfort and security. And all the while this GODCUNT smiles upon the wealth daily stolen from the needy by the evil Church of Rome and revels in the sight of its bearers of high office traipsing in attire that would feed the multitudes starving in the Philippines and South America. Not even Muslims have anything remotely as avaricious as the Catholic church's leaders. A pox on them all. Who said aggression must be physical in order to be seen as aggression? Not I, dear boy. You refer, I think, to my bias. Please elucidate. You say I do not know how religion works, but I think I do. Religion tells us to throw reason into the dustbin and become a slave to the illogical; the unseen; the imaginary; the might be; immortality. Religion, as we know it in the West, is surely squarely based on dread of death and refusal to contemplate the SUDDEN END. How gutless is that! Man is immortal, but trees and rabbits and dodos are not. God created all these zillions of breathtakingly amazing entities, but blessed just one of them with everlasting life – to dwell in a revolting Paradise or to burn in the lake of fire, depending upon how one behaved during one's life. PLEASE, God, let me enjoy the sulphurous conflagration, because the thought of an Eternity spent with all those arseholes who believed in you is more than I can bear. Yup, religion most certainly comes from “something intangible”. What a lovely euphemism for brainlessness. You ask me to differentiate between the validity of the proposed Big Bang theory and the bullshit espouted in Genesis. OK. The background noise of the universe. Got that? Science is trying to understand religion?????? What are you on????? Verily, thou knowest nothing about science. Still, don't fret: you have LOTS of company. You say that those who are sure of the world are morons. HOORAY! Sense at last. If you knew the first thing about science, you would know that such people are not scientists. They are the religious ones. The religious KNOW. Scientists DOUBT. Got that? Psychology is not science. Remember Rutherford's words? Of course you don't. By the way, the “God created everything in six days” is NOT a theory. Learn what the word means, please.

What's wrong with the Ten Commandments? They, as given to us, omit the word JEWS. For example, Thou shalt not kill (JEWS). Water flooding the Earth. To where did it recede? Because of the bullshit flood, archaeologists have to dig to find “ancient cities and stuff”????? Are you MENTAL? Doubt FOR religion???? What the hell are you trying to say???? All instruction in matters of religion is bad instruction. You disagree? You believe that the instruction given to the children of ancient Greece or those of Scandinavia was good? One does not interpret religion: one accepts or denies it. All instruction in religion is bad – evil. Baseless evil. Suffocating evil. Indefensible evil. Ruinous evil. Evil that eats the human brain.

I am happy to spread the word of anything that is good for us, but this does not mean I support inventions of iron-age people who spouted their nonsense in order to facilitate their own self-serving agendas. Christianity is good for us? Debatable point, that, as history shows. Of the Western religions, in its present form, it appears to be comparatively harmless (unless you are starving in the Philippines, or a Catholic victim of rape who needs an abortion). Tell me, do, about the congregations of atheists to which you refer. Fascinating stuff. Religion is philosophy??? Philosophers everywhere will dispute you. Learn what philosophy means. If people are having doubts about their beliefs I will rejoice and welcome them to the arms of the brethren of thinkers. If I can assist in their throwing off the shackles of religion I know I will help them attain the uplands of happiness without fear of eternal damnation and retribution. Religions are strong for one reason only: infants are subjected to ruthless brainwashing.

Islam's terrorists only come from countries where illiteracy, etc abounds? Oh my God! Do you honestly want us to believe this invention? Please, defend what you wish to defend, and I will respect you for it, but don't lie. It seems you are one of those who need religion and belief in God. Fine. Enjoy.

m

Response:
First, I don't hate atheist. My tone was ironic(or at least i tried to make it that way). I only pointed out that you guys did not read what he wrote carefully and in your bias against religion, you ignored his defense completely and focused only on your talking points. If you know that there are bad apples such as Stalin and Mao in atheism, what makes you think there are ONLY bad apples in Islam? That was the point I was making. And as Solkhar attempted to explain the many sects of Islam, trying to defend his religion, you ignored him and ASSUMED he was of the sect that advocates the terrorism we see or defending the terrorism. That’s an indirect insult, which helps to create aggression. You don’t even see that he agreed with you guys on quite a few points

You wrote:
What makes an atheist? In a word, reason. We are all born atheists, but if we are typical, we are smartly indoctrinated into the beliefs of others, fear playing the greatest role in cementing these beliefs.

Response:
Reason is not just allocated to an atheist. Reason doesn’t just follow in the scientific realm either. I know many atheists who don’t know crap about physics or who read Dawkins or whatever. Their “reasoning” is that its silly to believe in something that hasn’t shown itself or refuse to. Religious reasoning varies from sect to sect and it depends on the individual. Just like you can have brainwashed religious nuts, you can have brain washed atheist ones as well. So tell me, what’s your definition of reason?( Not being sarcastic or anything, I want to know)

You wrote:
Many are thus forever captives; never questioning lest somewhere in the universe the God of wrath shall enter our doubts and misgivings into a book and use it against us on some dreadful day to come. “Into the lake of fire with you, my lad! Enjoy eternity!” Terrifying to the innocent, unformed mind, so is there any wonder that it is so effective? Yet, there are those of us who learn to question and to doubt. “The world is made up for the most part of morons and natural tyrants, sure of themselves, strong in their own opinions, never doubting anything.” “Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt.” (Darrow, in both instances.) Forgive me, but it seems to me that religious practitioners look upon doubters as lower than vermin.

Response:
There’s that bias again, though I can sympathize. You only see god as the god of wrath. I, personally see the Christian god as a very contradicting entity modeled after man’s emotions. He can be very bipolar at times. Very crazy as well as merciful. I can’t really speak for any other religions as of yet. But have you actually taken a look at human behavior and how contradicting it is? If you don’t like religion fine, but you, just like the conservative religious, look upon those who follow their religion like vermin who are afraid to doubt. That’s not right is it? Ironically, this helps foster aggression. To believe that aggression needs to be physical in order to be considered aggression is ridiculous. Words can do just as much damage by themselves. I really liked the first quote you presented. Its really relevant to this conversation. Why? Because anyone who so sure of how the world works are morons. Those who have a grasp of how a certain region of the world works, and choose to use it negatively and to their advantage are tyrants. You THINK you know how religion works. You do not. Most scholars can only theorize, and nothing is definite. I have no clue about a majority of scientific stuff. But I don’t discredit what I don’t UNDERSTAND.) Tell me, whats the difference between the ‘Big Bang theory’ and the ‘God created the earth in 7 days’ theory? You doubt the validity of religion based on hard science( my made up word. Stuff that deals with a lot of math and reasoning based on it. Like atom, neutrons, valence electrons, physics, and that other stuff. Really not a science person) But religion comes from something intangible that science is only trying to understand. I call it soft science( stuff like psychology, social science, ethics, etc). Things that everyone lives by such as values and morals and how different they are from person to person and region to region.

You wrote:
Because they have the effrontery to use reason? Shun doubt, and you will forever be what your early mind-moulders schooled you for. Embrace doubt and you enter the realms of the uncomfortable: suddenly, the world is a kaleidoscope of heady challenges, and you have only your mind to guide you – no invisible great spirit to turn to, or black book written by iron-age scribes to consult. Behold Freedom! Terrifying stuff, Freedom. No longer will you believe the universe as we see it was created in six days; that sexual intercourse between humans is the original sin; that Methuselah lived 900 years; that the Nile turned to blood; that Jonah lived for a while inside a whale; that the entire world was engulfed in a flood; that our universe is 6000 years old; that, during a battle, the planet suddenly ceased its rotation; that someone turned water into wine, walked on water, raised people from the dead, was born of a virgin and walked about after being dead for 3 days. Does it REALLY demand all that much doubt to doubt such outlandish biblical claims???

Response:
LOL! I had to smile at the irony. This goes both ways and there is a lot of truth in this statement. This was my belief about atheist until one of my VERY conservative close friends went atheist on me( I was hoping for agnostic but hey).
Yes, some people take that stuff literally. Its sad. But a lot people acknowledge the Bible for what it is. A book of stories intending to set moral standards that was written through different time periods in civilization. Just like the Quran, just like Vedas(might’ve spelled that wrong), the Buddhist koans scriptures, just like the Taoist texts, etc. For instance, take the 10 commandments, whats wrong about it.(besides the obey only god parts). You will find something similar to the 10 commandments in all of the religious books I just mentioned and many atheists have values and morals identical or similar to them. And if science proved that a meteor shower killed the dinosaurs, what makes you think that water couldn’t have flooded the earth? Especially when Archeologists have to dig in order to find ancient cities and stuff. I do have doubts for religion(aimed at people who attack it) and against religion(the very books and people who follow it), but you seem to imply that you only want doubt against religion, not for it. I would seem that it comes from a bad interpretation of it and bad instruction on it. Could it be that your bad experience with religion might have caused you to turn your back on the idea of a god. If so, knowing that there is more than one way to interpret religion, isn't there a possibility that you just got some bad teachers and you fear that religion could possibly have some relevance to people? Even if it requires you to have a belief in god?(again, serious question)

You wrote:
We do not build atheists' “churches” to preach our cause. We do not send out “missionaries” to convert people. We do not persecute and torture and kill the believers.

Response:
This goes back to that 'reasoning' you mentioned earlier. What sense does it make to not attempt to spread the word of something that you feel can do humanity some good? Christianity does this and it caused both good and bad. Good, it stopped many a civilization from doing human sacrifice, bad, some kids got mauled by a bear for making fun of an apostle. War is war, its never good. Atheist do congregate. They do here. Once a week, just like all religions. And why should that be bad. Everyone groups themselves with like minded people and exchange ideas and learn new things. What do you think Bible study was(wait never mind the last question. I forget every church wasn't like mine). But I hope you get the point. Religion, imo, is nothing but philosophy of how to live. If people are having doubts about their belief, whats wrong with giving them another perspective? I can guarantee you thats why christianity, islam, and buddhism is so strong.

You wrote:
If you have taken the trouble to read my posts you will have discerned that I stand as the abiding and mortal enemy of Islam. Not Christianity; not Judaism; not Buddhism; not Hinduism; not Confucianism; not ……… Just Islam. Yes, I loathe it with a passion that passeth all description. Why? Because it threatens me and everything I deem to be sacred (if an atheist might be allowed to use that word) and valuable and worthwhile. Islam, after a brilliant spell of scholarship and luminosity, shut the doors to intellectual exploration to retreat into myth and brutality. It threatens you, too, although you seem to be blind to it. As long as there are people as blind and donkey-stubborn as you, Islam will continue to encroach upon everything you take for granted. It will swallow you. It will enslave your children and deny them the power of thought. Don't fool yourself that because all Muslims are not bin Ladens or Talibs or Sharia fruitcakes that such must ever be the case. “Moderate” Muslims are the vanguard of their extremist brethren. When push comes to shove, the “moderates” melt away to become putty in the hands of the madmen. You disagree? If so, you are blind to history. Just study what happened over a short time when that arch-bastard Khomeini came to power in Iran……. How many Islamic states allow stoning to death? Only six? Just wait a while.

Response:
I assure you, I’m not blind. I know how easily people can be roped into things. Take a look at the politics of our country(assuming you are American). A two party system that isn’t much different with the power to make sure no other party can get access to the media. And enough know how to dupe the public into thinking anything is an attempt at socialism, communism and that capitalism is our one true savior even though we are now living in the evidence of unchecked capitalism. Yes, I feel the fear of how pervasive something can seem nice and logical, but really be malicious. But then you realize, its not the politics, it’s the PEOPLE who use it. Its not religion per se, but the interpretations that people use to their benefit. It doesn’t necessarily matter if there is a big difference in education level of politicians and people, or clergy and people. What matters is the morality and type of ethics that the politician, clergy and people abide by in that society and if they follow them. The problem occurs when those people we trust with that type of power began to manipulate them, that’s when education of that particular field is necessary for the people in order to stop that corruption. Have you noticed that those terrorists come from places where there is HUGE illiteracy and poverty is the norm? Education is reserved for the wealthy, but the more industrialized Muslim countries don’t condone terrorism. Why is that? Christianity was like this too. You do know that right? When it comes to Islam, I can’t give a well thought out opinion like I can with Christianity because well, Christianity is the religion I was sort of raised on. A very moderate form at that. In my church, we were encouraged to question our religion, but to never doubt God. My church made it very clear that God and religion are two totally different things. God is God and religion is a way to serve that god. Not all religions were completely right or wrong.( I guess I just busted through your who ‘doubt’ spill there) All religions require some sort of submission. If you don’t want to submit to the idea of a God, then fine. Don’t. But atheists have to submit to the idea that there is no god. Therefore, you begin to surround yourself with things that strengthen your idea. So, if anyone ever wanted to challenge you to a debate, you would have you materials ready in your head. The same process happens with religion amongst the EDUCATED. Solkhar was amongst the educated. Not someone who said, ‘Because the Quran said so’. But he actually attempted to explain. I can’t get that from most Christians around me. I get the fear mongering, which makes me glad I went to the church I did. Especially since I was practically raised there. You might not like their laws or customs, but then again, they might not like ours, we have the same meaning for 'civilized' it just carried out differently.

Let me begin by saying I read his messages carefully and do my damnedest to give them fullest consideration. I did not, and do not, consider Solkhar by definition, or whatever, to be one of Islam's murderous legions, but I must admit I consider every Muslim to be a danger to all I hold dear and was raised to be precious – I am referring to the wealth of scholarship and artistic achievement of societies outside the Islamic fold and which have suffered at the Islamic hand. I do this from experience – not my own, but that which I have gained from a study of that religion's practices across the Silk Road, for example. Alas, I have to confess that I deeply believe Islam is the religion of terror, regardless of its various flavours. The man who invented it was a murderous sort of bloke who not only clearly laid down the rules of behaviour for all who would follow, but consigned the women of Islam to everlasting servitude. One of the great failings of “moderate” Muslims is that they are open, at a moment's notice, to sweep moderation under the carpet the moment hard-liners assume rulership of the roost. Khomeini's return to Iran clearly indicates this. I am glad you do not hate atheists. By and large, we are a pretty harmless bunch who are prepared to live and let live.

I do not claim that reason is the exclusive province of atheists, but I will argue to my dying breath that religion in any form is the enemy of reason. Remember Martin Luther's words on the matter? Spot on! Tell me how pure reason can lead to religion, please. How does reason “work”? One considers the evidence (if one has the mental wherewithal to undertake the task) and bases one's decisions upon such examination. This sounds horribly “superior” and smart-arse of me, I know, so I apologise for conveying such a message, but if one refuses to confront reason – as so many do – one betrays one's intellectual birthright. My atheism stems from the best my mind can do. I might be horribly wrong, but I have never found even a germ of evidence to think I might be wrong. I'll say this, just to stir the pot a bit: if God exists, he he must be the arch bastard of the universe! What a swine! What a disgusting, evil, revolting, nasty, twisted sonofabitch SWINE! Don't think that I contend that one has to be a physicist in order to be an atheist (but it helps!). And don't say that reason varies from sect to sect. The word you are looking for is ignorance. Brainwashed atheists? Do you truly believe there are parents and those in authority (Stalin and Mao are no longer with us!) who strive to convince the young of the nonexistence of God, just as there are those who do the opposite??? Please ……..! Do they get them to read what I might term antiBibles and antiKorans, and do they send them to atheist schools, or punish them for conforming to religious concepts, or do they merely say, “Think for yourself”? Was it Dawkins or Hitchens who described reiligious indoctrination as child molestation?

I am not entirely sure about what you are trying to say with your next point, but I'll do me best to respond. Indeed, I will take your points as they pop into my head, rather than continue to deal with them in strict order. You see the Christian God as a good bloke? Time for you to read the Book of Revelations! You see him as modelled upon Man's bipolar tendencies and qualities? Exactly so! Who created who? Anyone who embraces religion has turned his back on doubt. Religion is belief in certainty. GOD EXISTS! God is merciful? Yeah, right! So merciful to all those dying of starvation and born with deformities and victims of torture and brutality and the crippled and the millions who will never know the meaning of comfort and security. And all the while this GODCUNT smiles upon the wealth daily stolen from the needy by the evil Church of Rome and revels in the sight of its bearers of high office traipsing in attire that would feed the multitudes starving in the Philippines and South America. Not even Muslims have anything remotely as avaricious as the Catholic church's leaders. A pox on them all. Who said aggression must be physical in order to be seen as aggression? Not I, dear boy. You refer, I think, to my bias. Please elucidate. You say I do not know how religion works, but I think I do. Religion tells us to throw reason into the dustbin and become a slave to the illogical; the unseen; the imaginary; the might be; immortality. Religion, as we know it in the West, is surely squarely based on dread of death and refusal to contemplate the SUDDEN END. How gutless is that! Man is immortal, but trees and rabbits and dodos are not. God created all these zillions of breathtakingly amazing entities, but blessed just one of them with everlasting life – to dwell in a revolting Paradise or to burn in the lake of fire, depending upon how one behaved during one's life. PLEASE, God, let me enjoy the sulphurous conflagration, because the thought of an Eternity spent with all those arseholes who believed in you is more than I can bear. Yup, religion most certainly comes from “something intangible”. What a lovely euphemism for brainlessness. You ask me to differentiate between the validity of the proposed Big Bang theory and the bullshit espouted in Genesis. OK. The background noise of the universe. Got that? Science is trying to understand religion?????? What are you on????? Verily, thou knowest nothing about science. Still, don't fret: you have LOTS of company. You say that those who are sure of the world are morons. HOORAY! Sense at last. If you knew the first thing about science, you would know that such people are not scientists. They are the religious ones. The religious KNOW. Scientists DOUBT. Got that? Psychology is not science. Remember Rutherford's words? Of course you don't. By the way, the “God created everything in six days” is NOT a theory. Learn what the word means, please.

What's wrong with the Ten Commandments? They, as given to us, omit the word JEWS. For example, Thou shalt not kill (JEWS). Water flooding the Earth. To where did it recede? Because of the bullshit flood, archaeologists have to dig to find “ancient cities and stuff”????? Are you MENTAL? Doubt FOR religion???? What the hell are you trying to say???? All instruction in matters of religion is bad instruction. You disagree? You believe that the instruction given to the children of ancient Greece or those of Scandinavia was good? One does not interpret religion: one accepts or denies it. All instruction in religion is bad – evil. Baseless evil. Suffocating evil. Indefensible evil. Ruinous evil. Evil that eats the human brain.

I am happy to spread the word of anything that is good for us, but this does not mean I support inventions of iron-age people who spouted their nonsense in order to facilitate their own self-serving agendas. Christianity is good for us? Debatable point, that, as history shows. Of the Western religions, in its present form, it appears to be comparatively harmless (unless you are starving in the Philippines, or a Catholic victim of rape who needs an abortion). Tell me, do, about the congregations of atheists to which you refer. Fascinating stuff. Religion is philosophy??? Philosophers everywhere will dispute you. Learn what philosophy means. If people are having doubts about their beliefs I will rejoice and welcome them to the arms of the brethren of thinkers. If I can assist in their throwing off the shackles of religion I know I will help them attain the uplands of happiness without fear of eternal damnation and retribution. Religions are strong for one reason only: infants are subjected to ruthless brainwashing.

Islam's terrorists only come from countries where illiteracy, etc abounds? Oh my God! Do you honestly want us to believe this invention? Please, defend what you wish to defend, and I will respect you for it, but don't lie. It seems you are one of those who need religion and belief in God. Fine. Enjoy.

m

Response:
First, I don't hate atheist. My tone was ironic(or at least i tried to make it that way). I only pointed out that you guys did not read what he wrote carefully and in your bias against religion, you ignored his defense completely and focused only on your talking points. If you know that there are bad apples such as Stalin and Mao in atheism, what makes you think there are ONLY bad apples in Islam? That was the point I was making. And as Solkhar attempted to explain the many sects of Islam, trying to defend his religion, you ignored him and ASSUMED he was of the sect that advocates the terrorism we see or defending the terrorism. That’s an indirect insult, which helps to create aggression. You don’t even see that he agreed with you guys on quite a few points

You wrote:
What makes an atheist? In a word, reason. We are all born atheists, but if we are typical, we are smartly indoctrinated into the beliefs of others, fear playing the greatest role in cementing these beliefs.

Response:
Reason is not just allocated to an atheist. Reason doesn’t just follow in the scientific realm either. I know many atheists who don’t know crap about physics or who read Dawkins or whatever. Their “reasoning” is that its silly to believe in something that hasn’t shown itself or refuse to. Religious reasoning varies from sect to sect and it depends on the individual. Just like you can have brainwashed religious nuts, you can have brain washed atheist ones as well. So tell me, what’s your definition of reason?( Not being sarcastic or anything, I want to know)

You wrote:
Many are thus forever captives; never questioning lest somewhere in the universe the God of wrath shall enter our doubts and misgivings into a book and use it against us on some dreadful day to come. “Into the lake of fire with you, my lad! Enjoy eternity!” Terrifying to the innocent, unformed mind, so is there any wonder that it is so effective? Yet, there are those of us who learn to question and to doubt. “The world is made up for the most part of morons and natural tyrants, sure of themselves, strong in their own opinions, never doubting anything.” “Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt.” (Darrow, in both instances.) Forgive me, but it seems to me that religious practitioners look upon doubters as lower than vermin.

Response:
There’s that bias again, though I can sympathize. You only see god as the god of wrath. I, personally see the Christian god as a very contradicting entity modeled after man’s emotions. He can be very bipolar at times. Very crazy as well as merciful. I can’t really speak for any other religions as of yet. But have you actually taken a look at human behavior and how contradicting it is? If you don’t like religion fine, but you, just like the conservative religious, look upon those who follow their religion like vermin who are afraid to doubt. That’s not right is it? Ironically, this helps foster aggression. To believe that aggression needs to be physical in order to be considered aggression is ridiculous. Words can do just as much damage by themselves. I really liked the first quote you presented. Its really relevant to this conversation. Why? Because anyone who so sure of how the world works are morons. Those who have a grasp of how a certain region of the world works, and choose to use it negatively and to their advantage are tyrants. You THINK you know how religion works. You do not. Most scholars can only theorize, and nothing is definite. I have no clue about a majority of scientific stuff. But I don’t discredit what I don’t UNDERSTAND.) Tell me, whats the difference between the ‘Big Bang theory’ and the ‘God created the earth in 7 days’ theory? You doubt the validity of religion based on hard science( my made up word. Stuff that deals with a lot of math and reasoning based on it. Like atom, neutrons, valence electrons, physics, and that other stuff. Really not a science person) But religion comes from something intangible that science is only trying to understand. I call it soft science( stuff like psychology, social science, ethics, etc). Things that everyone lives by such as values and morals and how different they are from person to person and region to region.

You wrote:
Because they have the effrontery to use reason? Shun doubt, and you will forever be what your early mind-moulders schooled you for. Embrace doubt and you enter the realms of the uncomfortable: suddenly, the world is a kaleidoscope of heady challenges, and you have only your mind to guide you – no invisible great spirit to turn to, or black book written by iron-age scribes to consult. Behold Freedom! Terrifying stuff, Freedom. No longer will you believe the universe as we see it was created in six days; that sexual intercourse between humans is the original sin; that Methuselah lived 900 years; that the Nile turned to blood; that Jonah lived for a while inside a whale; that the entire world was engulfed in a flood; that our universe is 6000 years old; that, during a battle, the planet suddenly ceased its rotation; that someone turned water into wine, walked on water, raised people from the dead, was born of a virgin and walked about after being dead for 3 days. Does it REALLY demand all that much doubt to doubt such outlandish biblical claims???

Response:
LOL! I had to smile at the irony. This goes both ways and there is a lot of truth in this statement. This was my belief about atheist until one of my VERY conservative close friends went atheist on me( I was hoping for agnostic but hey).
Yes, some people take that stuff literally. Its sad. But a lot people acknowledge the Bible for what it is. A book of stories intending to set moral standards that was written through different time periods in civilization. Just like the Quran, just like Vedas(might’ve spelled that wrong), the Buddhist koans scriptures, just like the Taoist texts, etc. For instance, take the 10 commandments, whats wrong about it.(besides the obey only god parts). You will find something similar to the 10 commandments in all of the religious books I just mentioned and many atheists have values and morals identical or similar to them. And if science proved that a meteor shower killed the dinosaurs, what makes you think that water couldn’t have flooded the earth? Especially when Archeologists have to dig in order to find ancient cities and stuff. I do have doubts for religion(aimed at people who attack it) and against religion(the very books and people who follow it), but you seem to imply that you only want doubt against religion, not for it. I would seem that it comes from a bad interpretation of it and bad instruction on it. Could it be that your bad experience with religion might have caused you to turn your back on the idea of a god. If so, knowing that there is more than one way to interpret religion, isn't there a possibility that you just got some bad teachers and you fear that religion could possibly have some relevance to people? Even if it requires you to have a belief in god?(again, serious question)

You wrote:
We do not build atheists' “churches” to preach our cause. We do not send out “missionaries” to convert people. We do not persecute and torture and kill the believers.

Response:
This goes back to that 'reasoning' you mentioned earlier. What sense does it make to not attempt to spread the word of something that you feel can do humanity some good? Christianity does this and it caused both good and bad. Good, it stopped many a civilization from doing human sacrifice, bad, some kids got mauled by a bear for making fun of an apostle. War is war, its never good. Atheist do congregate. They do here. Once a week, just like all religions. And why should that be bad. Everyone groups themselves with like minded people and exchange ideas and learn new things. What do you think Bible study was(wait never mind the last question. I forget every church wasn't like mine). But I hope you get the point. Religion, imo, is nothing but philosophy of how to live. If people are having doubts about their belief, whats wrong with giving them another perspective? I can guarantee you thats why christianity, islam, and buddhism is so strong.

You wrote:
If you have taken the trouble to read my posts you will have discerned that I stand as the abiding and mortal enemy of Islam. Not Christianity; not Judaism; not Buddhism; not Hinduism; not Confucianism; not ……… Just Islam. Yes, I loathe it with a passion that passeth all description. Why? Because it threatens me and everything I deem to be sacred (if an atheist might be allowed to use that word) and valuable and worthwhile. Islam, after a brilliant spell of scholarship and luminosity, shut the doors to intellectual exploration to retreat into myth and brutality. It threatens you, too, although you seem to be blind to it. As long as there are people as blind and donkey-stubborn as you, Islam will continue to encroach upon everything you take for granted. It will swallow you. It will enslave your children and deny them the power of thought. Don't fool yourself that because all Muslims are not bin Ladens or Talibs or Sharia fruitcakes that such must ever be the case. “Moderate” Muslims are the vanguard of their extremist brethren. When push comes to shove, the “moderates” melt away to become putty in the hands of the madmen. You disagree? If so, you are blind to history. Just study what happened over a short time when that arch-bastard Khomeini came to power in Iran……. How many Islamic states allow stoning to death? Only six? Just wait a while.

Response:
I assure you, I’m not blind. I know how easily people can be roped into things. Take a look at the politics of our country(assuming you are American). A two party system that isn’t much different with the power to make sure no other party can get access to the media. And enough know how to dupe the public into thinking anything is an attempt at socialism, communism and that capitalism is our one true savior even though we are now living in the evidence of unchecked capitalism. Yes, I feel the fear of how pervasive something can seem nice and logical, but really be malicious. But then you realize, its not the politics, it’s the PEOPLE who use it. Its not religion per se, but the interpretations that people use to their benefit. It doesn’t necessarily matter if there is a big difference in education level of politicians and people, or clergy and people. What matters is the morality and type of ethics that the politician, clergy and people abide by in that society and if they follow them. The problem occurs when those people we trust with that type of power began to manipulate them, that’s when education of that particular field is necessary for the people in order to stop that corruption. Have you noticed that those terrorists come from places where there is HUGE illiteracy and poverty is the norm? Education is reserved for the wealthy, but the more industrialized Muslim countries don’t condone terrorism. Why is that? Christianity was like this too. You do know that right? When it comes to Islam, I can’t give a well thought out opinion like I can with Christianity because well, Christianity is the religion I was sort of raised on. A very moderate form at that. In my church, we were encouraged to question our religion, but to never doubt God. My church made it very clear that God and religion are two totally different things. God is God and religion is a way to serve that god. Not all religions were completely right or wrong.( I guess I just busted through your who ‘doubt’ spill there) All religions require some sort of submission. If you don’t want to submit to the idea of a God, then fine. Don’t. But atheists have to submit to the idea that there is no god. Therefore, you begin to surround yourself with things that strengthen your idea. So, if anyone ever wanted to challenge you to a debate, you would have you materials ready in your head. The same process happens with religion amongst the EDUCATED. Solkhar was amongst the educated. Not someone who said, ‘Because the Quran said so’. But he actually attempted to explain. I can’t get that from most Christians around me. I get the fear mongering, which makes me glad I went to the church I did. Especially since I was practically raised there. You might not like their laws or customs, but then again, they might not like ours, we have the same meaning for 'civilized' it just carried out differently.

I don't think so. You're a MUSLIM pretending to be someone else.
You did praise “solkhar” and he did praise you…what a coincidence…

You must think very highly of yourself.

I do not.

Truly with love,
The Jew.