# Isn't Islam a wonderful religion? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 31, 2026, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240 "2026-01-31T19:36:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/41 "2026-01-31T22:32:40Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > > [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > > > Your attack on Islam is an attack on them. > > An interesting though by now irrelevent counterfactual. > > Suppose I had just linked the original article with a neutral title such as “what do you all think about this”? > > How would you have reacted then? You mean, as mentioned upthread: > [@Kimstu](#): > > You can denounce fundamentalist theocracy all you want, including Muslim fundamentalist theocracy, without deploying Islamophobic bigotry. If you’d sarcastically titled this thread something like _“Isn’t fundamentalist theocracy wonderful?”_, nobody would have given you any pushback on your OP at all. > [@bobot](#): > > It’s weird that you seem to be talking about religion in general, yet the thread title specifically says Islam. > Perhaps request that a mod change the title for you. Advice - when you realize you’ve overreacted - don’t dig, don’t try to explain it away, apologize, correct, and _then_ move on. It’s so much easier! I’ll add that I share a major disagree of distrust with most rigid, theocratically controlling religions, but I don’t lump all of them together. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/42 "2026-01-31T22:33:49Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > How would you have reacted then? If you had not insulted a billion people for something they had nothing to do with, I wouldn’t have cared much. Which sounds terrible, but there are horrific people all around the world doing horrific things _right now_. I don’t care much about Laken Riley, even though what happened to her was terrible. I do care when shitty people use her awful fate to disparage immigrants. This is basically the same thing. You’re Laken Rileying this poor couple, and should knock it the fuck off. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/43 "2026-01-31T22:41:24Z")
To it, instead of you. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/44 "2026-01-31T22:51:54Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Religion is a mental disease. It is a bug in the human brain operating system, > > It involves a compulsion to defer to authority without evidence, It’s a cultural construct. > > As Dawkins said: there are no ‘christian’ children or ‘muslim’ children etc. They have just absorbed the beliefs of their parents, just as they learned language. I agree with all of this, but I think you probably should have written the thread title and then let it simmer in your brain for an hour or two before hitting “reply”. It really does come across as bigoted towards one one particular faith, rather than a general screed about religion in general. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/45 "2026-01-31T22:55:30Z")
I am just going to paraphrase Douglas Adams’ quote about religion. There are some things you are not allowed to say anything bad about: like religion . Why not? Well you just can’t: it’s not allowed. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/46 "2026-01-31T22:57:41Z")
That has fuck all to do with what I said. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/47 "2026-01-31T22:59:07Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Sorry, the OP title was a bit inflammatory. It was just a news item. > > But I do not like any form of fundementalist theocracy. I would like to regard all humans in the world as distant relatives and their customs as traditions. But those traditions should not, in my view, be coercive and restrictive. > > I am just a little surprised and rather unhappy that some posters who I thought were fairly flexible in their ideas seem so incenced? > > Peace to all and goodnight. Its because criticizing Islam is seen as punching down, or trying to justify a social hierarchy that says white christians deserve better treatment than brown muslims. Having said that, there are something like 190 countries on earth. According to freedom house, about 50 are muslim majority and the other 140 are not muslim majority. There are about 90 liberal democracies on earth, and 0/50 are muslim majority. There are no liberal democracies anywhere on earth with a muslim majority. Edit: Looking into it, senegal may have scored 69/100 which just shifted it from partly free to free. So maybe 1/50. Even if you look at Africa, the non-muslim nations have more human rights than the muslim majority nations. [![](https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/styles/wysiwyg_full_width/public/2020-04/FINAL_Perspective_Graphic_Africa_Chart_3_04172020_FINAL.png.webp?itok=K14zgr_I) ](https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/styles/wysiwyg_full_width/public/2020-04/FINAL_Perspective_Graphic_Africa_Chart_3_04172020_FINAL.png.webp?itok=K14zgr_I) [![](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSEf5RP_OOvXFMDFUstmrt-jM-6-DwUgf7yeQ&s) ](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSEf5RP_OOvXFMDFUstmrt-jM-6-DwUgf7yeQ&s) People get upset when you talk about it though because they feel you are trying to justify persecution of people who are non-white, non-western and non-christian and promote western christian fascism. FWIW, supposedly secularism is growing in the Islamic world. Which is good. Religion attracts a lot of evil people looking to justify their cruelty. [https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/new-secularism-appearing-islam](https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/new-secularism-appearing-islam) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/48 "2026-01-31T22:59:24Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > I am just going to paraphrase Douglas Adams’ quote about religion. > > There are some things you are not allowed to say anything bad about: like religion . Why not? Well you just can’t: it’s not allowed. Are you even reading the replies to you? ChatGPT could form more pertinent responses, and I fucking _hate_ ChatGPT. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/49 "2026-01-31T23:03:13Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > There are some things you are not allowed to say anything bad about: like religion . Why not? Well you just can’t: it’s not allowed. Total bullshit: you can rant all you want about religion in general on this board, but don’t take the atrocities of a tiny radical minority to shit all over a general religion with about 2 billion followers. That’s disgusting, I have friends and neighbors of that religion, and they would be horrified about the things you posted in the OP just as well. It seems you are very ignorant about people, religion and the world as such. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/50 "2026-01-31T23:03:31Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > People get upset when you talk about it though because they feel you are trying to justify persecution of people who are non-white, non-western and non-christian and promote western christian fascism. That’s not why I’m annoyed. If you want to know why I’m annoyed, _read the posts where I say why I’m annoyed_ instead of making wild guesses that confirm your priors. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/51 "2026-01-31T23:06:41Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Its because criticizing Islam is seen as punching down, or trying to justify a social hierarchy that says white christians deserve better treatment than brown muslims. To be clear I do not like the idea of ANY theocracy. Islam is just one example. > [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Even if you look at Africa, the non-muslim nations have more human rights than the muslim majority nations. Quoted without further comment,. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/52 "2026-01-31T23:10:07Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Quoted without further comment,. Supposedly there are 54 nations in Africa. 19 muslim majority, 35 non-muslim majority muslim majority: Free: 1 / 19 Partly Free: 7 / 19 Not Free: 11 / 19 non-muslim majority: Free: 9/35 Partly Free: 10/35 Not Free: 16/35 ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/53 "2026-01-31T23:11:49Z")
What does “free” even mean in this context? Is the USA still a “free” country at the moment? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/54 "2026-01-31T23:12:25Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Quoted without further comment,. Deciding to repost something is usually a comment in and of itself. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/55 "2026-01-31T23:14:15Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > So what world do you want to live in? Wouldn;t you rather live in a tolerant world where there aren’t people who want to impose their personal predudices on everyone else? Yes, but currently I live in a Red state in the US so I have to keep dreaming… ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/56 "2026-01-31T23:15:44Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > What does “free” even mean in this context? Is the USA still a “free” country at the moment? Indeed, I was about to ask the same thing: how does one quantify it? It’s a rather subjective judgement…? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/57 "2026-01-31T23:18:08Z")
And yet you toss around these numbers without evaluating them. That’s not how it works here, ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/58 "2026-01-31T23:19:44Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Why not? Well you just can’t: it’s not allowed. Doubtful merits of your argument aside, you _are_ certainly allowed to fellate a weed whacker, and I would encourage you to do so at the earliest opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/59 "2026-01-31T23:23:33Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > And yet you toss around these numbers without evaluating them. That’s not how it works here, Wasn’t me, sir. I was just quoting, Let’s ask Wesley\_Clarke where he got them from. Not being adversarial, just curious. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240/60 "2026-01-31T23:24:26Z")
Ok, granted, it was not you, but @Wesley_Clark . Sorry. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-islam-a-wonderful-religion/1027240.md?page=4)