Islam: A "Religion Of Peace?"

Many sources have stated that Islam has never gone through its Reformation like Christianity has (link). However, how successful have so-called "Reformations" been? Every major religion seems to have factions on the conservative-liberal spectrum. That said, there seems to be a particular problem with Islam regarding peacefully existing in nations with secular governments (link). This article from the Friendly Atheist Blog seems to sum up the problem:

However,

Based on the above, it is my opinion that there will never be peace where Islam is the majority religion until the present "Revelations" are over-written OR the majority of Islam just truly "Reforms" to the point of being secular in culture.

The Elements Behind Theocratic Dictatorships

"Today, we compare the far-right religious extremists who are fighting to gain power in the US with the protests against the theocratic regime in Iran supporting women's rights in the country."

Click on the link below for a podcast presenting the dangers and realities of theocratic government using the USA and Iran as examples:

How Theocracies Begin And End

Reza Aslan Exposed

This person is an apologist for Islam, a particularly virulent version of religion still awaiting some attenuation from science-based thinking. These two videos clarify his stance and its dangers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckfd4MpUh0g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9RmAo6XVAA&feature=youtu.be

The History Of Scientific Progress

The link below presents the timeline of scientific progress since biblical times. Note the burst of progress increasing significantly since The Enlightenment.

A question to all people of Abrahamic faiths: why do you continue to hold beliefs that have been falsified by science? Don't you understand that when your religions were formed, societies were organized from the top-down, with both civil and religious leaders thinking for the rest of the folks? As science (which simply means objective knowledge) was born and developed, there was a gradual "enlightenment" that put the individual and not the authority of the state or faith as supreme. Use what nature has given you to question what you are told and to determine whether it comports with reality as revealed by science.

Timeline of scientific discoveries

Are you in or out of the bubble?

Ayaan Hirsi Ali And The Political Left

My last post essentially was a criticism of someone who I respect and admire, Sam Harris. Although we disagree on the question of the influence of genetics on IQ, we do agree on most topics, including this one.

Criticizing Islam While Defending Muslims

"Yes, Islam is wrong. Yes, Christianity is wrong. Yes, Judaism is wrong. I believe that like I believe I breathe. I don’t doubt that ever. But right now, Muslims, those who believe in Islam, really need our help. There’s refugees who are suffering in a way that history will not be kind to us for ignoring that. We must love them. We just embrace them. We must help them. Even if they believe things that we know are wrong."

Penn Jillette Denounces “Islamophobia” While Defending Fair Criticism of Islam

It IS The Religion, Stupid

"PuffHo is on a crusade to stamp out 'Islamophobia,' by which it apparently means not just bigotry against Muslims themselves, which is reprehensible, but criticism of the religion. To the latter end, it repeatedly asserts that Islam is not a divisive, xenophobic, or particularly hateful faith—and it’s not, so long as you’re a Muslim of the right sect. But if you’re a Sunni, the Shias should watch out, along with nonbelievers, ex-Muslims, gays, Christians, and women (the list is long)."

PuffHo tries to whitewash Islam again (yawn)

Sam Harris presents the truth.

The Wave Of Atheism Includes Muslims

"Maryam Namazie, founder of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, described a “tsunami of atheism” in Muslim communities and urged that more needs to be done to recognise the dangers often faced by those who choose to renounce their faith.

"Speaking ahead of the release of Exposure, an ITV documentary that explores the lives of ex-Muslims faced with abuse and discrimination, Ms Namazie told The Independent: 'There is a large group of people who are not seen and heard. Many young people living in Britain have left Islam and are facing huge ostracisation and isolation from their communities as a result.'"

Islamic communities contain 'tsunamis of atheism' that are being suppressed, says leading ex-Muslim

Religion's Harm Not Confined To A Geographic Area Or Particular Religions

 

"In the riots which preceded the partition in the Punjab Province, it is believed that between 200,000 and 2,000,000^[1][3][5] people were killed in the retributive genocide between the religions.^[6][7] UNHCR estimates 14 million Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims were displaced during the partition; it was the largest mass migration in human history.^[8][9][10]"

^{Partition of India} 

Changing One's Opinion In Light Of Evidence Is A Strength

"Every religious community must interpret its scripture and adjust its traditions to conform to the modern world. Western Christians used to murder people they believed were witches. They did this for centuries. It’s hard to exaggerate the depths of moral and intellectual confusion this history represents. But it is also true that we have largely outgrown such confusion in the West. The texts themselves haven’t changed. The Bible still suggests that witchcraft is real. It isn’t. And we now know that a belief in witches was the product of ancient ignorance and fear. Criticizing a belief in witchcraft, and noticing its connection to specific atrocities—atrocities that are still committed by certain groups of Christians in Africa—isn’t a form of bigotry against Christians. It’s the only basis for moral and political progress."

What Hillary Clinton Should Say about Islam and the “War on Terror”

Islam Is Not Just Any Religion

"Hami singles out two aspects of Islam that, he says, make it qualitatively different from other religions. We’re familiar with both of these, but it’s unusual to see them expressed so openly and their implications for acculturation of Muslims into Western societies made so plain."

Straight talk about Islam in the Los Angeles Times

The Subtleties Regarding Radical Religion

"I do not like any religious people who adopt religious doctrines that call for bigotry against women, gays, nonbelievers, or members of other faiths. That goes for Christians and Jews as well as Muslims."

Yes, there ARE times to hate the person

How To Marginalize Organized Religion

All religions are based on claims unsupported by evidence.  The two biggest arguments that organized religions use to persuade people to join are The Argument From Authority and The Argument From Revelation.  Since both of these are fallacious arguments, getting the faithful to understand how these two false pillars are supporting their religion is a major key in marginalizing religion in society.

It IS The Religion, Stupid

"After reading or watching these, you’d be hard pressed to maintain that ISIS is “not real Islam.” I’d argue, in fact, that it is the truest form of Islam, for it’s simply interpreting literally a scripture that is meant to be taken literally, and then acting on its dictates."

ISIS explains why it fights

Religion's Role In Violence

"The potential for intolerance lies in the logic of religions like Christianity and Islam that say their teaching derive from a divine revelation. For them, the truth that God has revealed is the most important truth there is; therefore, denying or doubting this truth is extremely dangerous, both for nonbelievers, who lack this essential truth, and for believers, who may well be misled by the denials and doubts of nonbelievers. Given these assumptions, it’s easy to conclude that even extreme steps are warranted to eliminate nonbelief."

How Religion Can Lead to Violence

The history of the Catholic Church and its Inquisition is also frank evidence of the violence of religion in the hands of those with power.

What ISIS Is All About?

"While Nawaz calls on both Muslims and non-Muslims to 'challenge Islamist extremism,' I’m coming around to the view that the crucial people for reforming Islam are liberal Muslims like Nawaz. Reform has to come from within, because it surely isn’t coming from without—not with non-Muslims scared of being labeled as bigots (or getting attacked)."

Maajid Nawaz on ISIS’s “holy war”

It's Religion, Get Over It

"In the wake of recent Islamist terror attacks, the Regressive Left has once again prioritised the defence of an ideology over the lives of its victims. Armchair experts were quick to pin the Orlando massacre on the perpetrator’s ‘mental health’, thereby propounding the widely misconstrued and exaggerated correlation between mental illness and violence."

Terror Has No Religion - Debunking the Regressive Left’s Cliches

Religion Is At Its Base

What is the basic motivating factor for LGBT violence and discriminatory laws?  Note the links below regarding the teachings, not individual beliefs about such, of Christianity and Islam on the subject.  Now, picture a society where science-based thinking and actions were overwhelming the basic harmful teachings* of Christianity and Islam.  While the vast majority of religious PEOPLE are honest and peaceful, these religions contain teachings that inspire and inflame those who, for whatever reason, are deluded and/or mentally unstable: