Yeah, I’d want to find anything I could to change the subject too.
CMC fnord!
Well, don’t keep us in suspense. Tell us.
If I had known, I wouldn’t have asked. But I figure that anyone concluding that Islam is incompatible with modern civilization would have at least a rough idea.
I didn’t know I had miss-addressed anyone. My apologies if I did.
So then the “Inbred” was directed at me?
No, absolutely not. I Tom was pointed out that I inadvertently addressed you as “Inbred”, when I thought I was responding to Inbred Mm domesticus. My last was saying that doing so was a mistake and that I apologize.
And I apologize, again, here. Sorry for the mistake. It does seem like one in which easy to see what happened.
Shortening usernames is a pretty common mode of address across this board. That you happened to pick a username which, when shortened, becomes an insult is unfortunate, but hardly unforeseen.
I will take up your case with the rest of the staff.
Neat, and I haven’t even posted in this thread.
I, too, would like to lodge a serious and quite upset complaint about people calling me “Finn”. I have no idea why anybody might do so, but obviously I am not Finnish and this has got to stop!
Indeed! Add me to the list of those needing to file a formal complaint. I’ve had to suffer the indignity of being referred to as “magellan”, not to mention “mags”, “maggie”, and I can’t remember the others. It was too hurtful.
Sob.
Show me a cite where Jesus murdered people for blasphemy.
Well they might be able to open for “ZOMBIE MUHAMMAD!” they kick arse!
QFT!! I consider myself a liberal Democrat because on 95% of issues, I line up with other liberals. But this is a huge blind spot, couldn’t agree more. I wonder really whether some Muslims must privately laugh at liberals for being so willing to stick their necks out for a group whose philosophy is so very at odds with liberalism in almost every way. And it’s not as though they keep their philosophy to themselves: more egregiously even than evangelical Christians (which is saying something), they have time and again sought political power and then used that power to enforce their religious doctrine on everyone (or at least on everyone who was born into a Muslim family, whether or not they actually want to continue in that faith when they reach majority).
I’m going to need you guys to clarify what you mean by “deeper problems with Islam,” in particular, why use the word “deeper” here?
I’ve known many Muslims, each one a bleeding heart pluralist liberal to the core. Are you saying that in some sense, in some “deep” sense, they’re not really connected to the Muslim tradition in some way? They’re shallow muslims, or something?
I don’t really understand what you mean and I’d appreciate clarification.
What are the “deeper problems” of Islam that “liberals” are “writing off”?
I ask because amongst other things I see just the opposite.
I see many liberals who would soil themselves in anger if someone pushed a law forbidding Jewish school students from wearing Yarmulkas applauding France’s bigoted laws regarding the Hijab or Quebec’s similar anti-Burqa iniative.
I think they’re sometimes too quick in playing the religious equivalence card and they’re a bit too quick in excusing extremist reactions to people exercising their rights to free speech.
I agree, and I think those laws are transparent attempts to persecute Muslims.
Me three.
But why do you call “extremist reactions to people exercising their rights to free speech” “deeper problems with Islam?” Why do you think such reactions are Islamic in a deep sense? What do you mean by this exactly?
I think we’ve seen enough of this kind of thing - people rioting over Qurans being burned, people getting killed for writing or publishing the wrong thing - on such a scale that it can’t be treated as a blip or something that’s common to all religions. From what I cansee, this is really a bigger deal in Islam as a religion and it means a significant number of Muslims need to get with the times.
What do you mean by “playing the religious equivalence card”? The Abrahamic religions are effectively equal. Can you give some examples.
Also I’ve yet to see anyone excuse “extremist reactions”.
I agree the religious are very similar. It’s nonetheless true that you see very few Christians and Jews killing people over things like these. Even when Christians and Jews hold ridiculous and draconian views on policy, they tend to propose it through legislation instead of riots and threatening people.
As my Arab pluralist liberal muslim friend says–it’s not because they’re muslims, it’s because they’re arabs. Look that’s JUST WHAT SHE SAID OKAY? 
But seriously, is it widespread throughout the muslim world, or is it quite a bit more prevalent in some cultural areas than others?