re: #340 windsagio

Phelps is loathsome, for sure. I think its the lack of focus. Phelps is one awful man, but its different to me than expressing anger towards a culture.

I guess it just minimizes all individuals within that area.

And believe me, I have some strong opinions about parts of Islam too, but for various reasons I hold them in :p

I guess my answer would be ‘your post went from finding aspects of a culture terrible to having this great anger against that culture, and the expression that anger is what makes me uncomfortable.’ The fact that we’re talking about Islam is secondary.

Why do you hold your critiques for parts of Islam in?

I have been abundantly clear that I am talking about certain subsets of Islam and that I am an equal oppurtunity despiser of all backwards, brutal, cruel fundamentalists no matter what faith.

No one - except perhaps the idiots at the deuce think I think all Christians are bad folks (or even most of them) when I tear the snot out of folks like Phelps or Inhofe.

So either you can critique all religious nuts or none of them.

We have free speech here and if you want religious barbarians to get a clue, it has to start with letting them know that there are other and better views and that you are not afraid of them.

This is again the whole point of the South Park guys.

As to your other point, a religion is not a culture, but it certainly can be used to justify a culture of violence and repression. If you deny that is the situation that obtains in much of the Muslim world, you need to open your eyes. If you see that clearly, and you know that is wrong, you need to open your mouth.