Milo - 'Ten Things I Hate About Islam' and the need to protect criticism of religion

You make some very valid points, however I believe your looking at things from the wrong angle. The purpose of religion is to explain and help define our relationship with the world around us, especially the people around us.

That said, looking at how religion influences people is important. If it's being used to justify cruelty and violence, we shouldn't hesitate to condemn it.

I think we are just as good and loving as we are evil and sadistic... we each decide if we are only in this for ourselves or if we are going to try and make the world a better place. When religion is helping people to make a difference for good, we should also be willing to commend it... even if we do not share it's beliefs. The same religion that brought us the Spanish Inquisition has also brought us children's hospitals and hundreds of charities that have improved the lives of people.

You don't really believe that. Religion is more than an invisible friend. It's also about choosing a set of values, ideas and a way of interacting and cooperating with others, while fighting for survival and resources.

Of course, you don't need an imaginary friend (symbol) or religion for survival or to become more civilized. However, It seems something's missing, something personal (human), unrelatable and soulless in the ideas without it.

The main problem for me, is when the ideas are perverted by those in power, wanting more power to help only themselves and are not really in it for the whole. But, that happens anyways with religion or without it. (Shrugs)

You get all the verbal upvotes

You all bring up interesting topics, and I don't wish to get in to a theological debate. I follow a different path that Islam and the Christians tried to eradicate. I have studied many religions of the world, that being said when I said "what they are doing now is no different than what the Christians did in the Spanish Inquisition, or the Crusades." It is an accurate statement. It was and is Men under the guise of religion calling for the subjection and death of opposing religions. In the Crusades the Pope called for the eradication of the Muslims from the "Holy Land" Since under Christian dogma what the "Pope holds true on Earth so to shall it be held in Heaven" This was sanctioned by the Christian god. (I know its semantics but its your book not mine)

The only way it came to an end is the People tired of the blood shed, they tired of constant war, and they ran out of people to send off to war. (attrition) The only way to end this current Arab Crusade is again by attrition, you must make them choke on their own dead. You must make them sick of war, sick of blood shed, sick of violence, Love will not do this, kindness will not do this religion will not do this.

I know its a brutal assessment, especially in an "enlightened" era, but you can not coexist with someone that wants to kill you.

"In any compromise between food and poison, it is only death that can win."
Ayn Rand