Why do I dislike Islam?

I dislike all organised religions, but I particularly detest Islam.

The feeling I get when I, or others, criticise Islam is that there is an element of perhaps subconscious racism behind my feelings presumably because the majority of believers are brown. However, Jainism, Hinduism, or Rastafari don’t affect me in the same way as Islam. I have no time for Hindu nationalists, but there’s always going to be a minority of extremists and fundamentalists in every religion.

The reason why I particularly detest Islam is because of the human rights records of all countries that have incorporated Islamic law into their constitutions. I think this is a completely valid reason to detest a religion. I similarly can’t stand the Catholic Church because of its corruption. IMO both religions cannot be bashed enough, but Islam needs to be bashed even more regularly as it is the most illiberal organised religion.

It’s sadly ironic that Muslims in western China, who are currently undergoing forced sinicisation, are receiving an experience not dissimilar to non-believers in most Islamic countries.

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What’s the connection between disliking a number of governments and their agents and disliking the religion that these agents purport to belong to?

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Oh, that one. :wink:

It’s all down to the State and Islam is just a passive bystander misused by naughty cynical politicians?

No, still don’t buy it. The religion itself is a major part of the problem.

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But Islam itself is not just a religion, it is a religion and a governmental system, and believers see the two as inseparable.

This is one huge difference between Islam and, e.g., Christianity. See “Render unto Caesar” - no such concept exists in Islam.

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Bingo

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Religions are what the followers make them. There are infinite interpretations of islam and christianity. The governments just twist the religions however suits them.

Disclaimer: I despise all abrahamic religions equally.

Equally, really? Christianity as practiced today is equally as bad as Islam?

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Not just a governmental system, It’s an empire!!! Im tired of it being called the “religion of peace” it’s not historically true. Never mind if Mohammad is the true and final prophet or not, we don’t even have to get to that road to see isssues with Islam. Islam conquered more territory during its height than the roman empire. They’ve conquered the Arabic world easily? Moved into Africa, Asia and the even significant amount of Christian Europe. Did we just all ignore they sacked Rome! And I think it was like hundreds of years after that until the Europeans decided they had enough and retaliated with the crusades. Idk why the crusades ate being painted as the oppressive evil people bullying he Muslims. It’s not true, not saying they were humanitarian but they were what any reasonable person would call a natural reaction of the Muslim empire swallowing up huge amounts of territory from Christian Europe, taking Rome and Jerusalem . What prolonged period of Islam has there been peace? None! Even after the death of Mohammad his successors went to war with each other and 3 out of 4 were murdered or something like that.

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Christian Europe conquered the greater part of the globe, mercilessly and more recently.

Yes, numerous territories were Christian and conquered other territories and each other. But it’s not a governmental system, I acknowledge many governments have adapted Christian values into laws and such. But it’s never been a empire. Jesus was not a ruler of any government or territory, didn’t command an army. Did people come to arms in the name of Christianity years after, yes. But the foundation of the religion if not the same as Islam. I think there are major problems when your religious founder was a warlord and a very successful one at that.

I doubt that stuff mattered all that much to the people being stomped on!

I mean Christianity didn’t exactly stop them, did it?

Empire–has religion–stomps on people
Empire–has religion–stomps on people

Probably not, but there’s a difference if we want to accurately compare the two. Doesn’t mean one or the other is right. But there’s a reason we don’t currently have people screaming Jesus is the lord! Flying into buildings and driving cars into people.

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I think this is the proper basis for the comparison, and not what happened in 802 or what. There’s more than enough to go on now

Empire had no religion, won’t stomp on people? I think it has more to do with empires than religion.

Precisely the point. But I will still point out that the vaunted Christian ethic seemed pretty dim at times.

The criticisms of Christianity are invariably in the past tense. As an atheist I find members of the Church of England mildly irritating. There are ten* Islamic countries where I could be legally executed.

*EDIT: 13

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The point of Christian ethics is we should try to do good and there is value in that even though our human nature can tempt us to do wrong. It’s not that we are perfect and should follow a moral code to the dot. I think it’s the draw of the religion. Some of the most devoted Christians I know have a very dark past. They find value in the concept of forgiveness. At the very least even if Christianity is false, I think there’s at least utility in that.

No doubt. Even in the US where some Christians could be compared in level of irritation to a burning rash, you’re not liable to be hacked to death by people with machetes for example.

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Capital punishment would probably be preferable to being in the company of the American religious Right.

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