Shaking the Devils hand - Religion is not the problem

[helithchambers]

Unbelievers, impure, vermin, faithless and the list of insults go on. These words are often heard from one side of the road, usually quoted in the same text as Muslims. And on the other side of road, we see Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews and us, the people who believe in the freedom of choice.

We believe in international cooperation. We believe in democracy and social values. We believe in freedom of speech and information. We believe in the freedom to choose what to believe.

However, usually that freedom excludes Islam and Muslims.

Right now, more and more articles are cropping up about how Islam is a threat, about how we should eradicate Muslims and send them back to hell. The enemy target has now in the wake of recent events, expanded to include all the Muslims of the world.

Never before since 9/11 and the 2nd World War, have one religion received this much negative publicity.

And it's not right. We're committing the biggest crime of all time, because we're judging everyone based on the actions of one group; the extremists.

It's not Islam that's the cause of all this, no matter how much you may want it to be. It's the people behind the faith. Extremists exist within every religious belief, from Christianity to Islam to Buddhism, Hinduism, and the Jewish. They take the written word and turn it into a weapon, disregarding the actual meaning of it. They mix political interest with their faith and become corrupt. And eventually they loose their humanity in a blind rage to spread death and chaos - believing that they're carrying out the wishes of their Gods.

These are the extremists. These are the people who have committed these heinous crimes against us and yet we blame everyone who prays in the same way as them.

Should we condemn everyone who wears a piece of cloth on their heads to the same fate that awaits the terrorists? Because we in our lust for vengeance refuse to accept that there's a difference between being religious and being an extremist?

Religion is not the enemy. The people who wield it as a blade is. And who are we to judge others even though they haven't hurt a fly and tell them their faith is wrong? Are we any better than the extremists when we with torches and pitchforks chase them down because they're religious? "Bomb them all, not just ISIS" is some of the comments being highlighted right now.

Not all Muslims are extremists. Not all Christians are extremists. Not all Jews are extremists. And no one wants to be treated as such.

Freedom should include everyone, even the freedom to be a Muslim.

[26ukdude]

Not all muslims are extremists, but most extremists are muslims. I can not think of a greater religious threat to the world than ISIS.

Freedom is ok, until you think it gives you a right to shoot innocent people.
Thats what prison is for, because actually, not everyone does deserve freedom.

"And it's not right. We're committing the biggest crime of all time, because we're judging everyone based on the actions of one group; the extremists."

I wouldn't say judging someone is as bad as what they did, their thoughts became actions...

[HookingSwan]

The worst mistake we can make is to cultivate blind hatred.

We risk stooping to the level of the same terrorists we fear.

[Northeast106]

Here's the difference, your not talking about a "small" minority of extremists. In the Crusades the Catholic church called for it's members to fight, openly and publicly. This same behavior occurs in many middle eastern countries, many Islamic clerics condone jihad, and the killing of Zionists in particular. I realize some countries in the middle east combat terrorism as well. chief among them is Egypt. The rest of the countries are all agitators, and they fuel either Sunni or Shia proxy groups. The civil war in Syria is a classic example of a power struggle fueled by foreign powers, including the United States, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Allowing hundreds of thousands of people into your country is a security threat. It strains local resources and welfare programs, increases unemployment, and leads to riots. The attacks in Paris were conducted by 4 highly trained gunman who killed 129 people. If out of 100,000 refugees, 1,000 of them were enemy combatants, imagine the damage they could do? You do the math. Mindless tolerance without concern for economic and national security is brainless. We have this cult like behavior where everyone has to be loved, accepted, and allowed in without documents. Culturally, most Muslims particularly from non western nations disagree with everything those who defend them the most stand for. Gay rights, liberalism, acceptance, tolerance, circumcision, etc. You need both wisdom and strength, not weakness when it comes to national policy.

[Anonymous]

When people say get rid of all muslims because of this... Its one of two things. They are misinformed and think muslim religion requires this, or that theyre that unreasonable thinkers that their opinions dont count, id tell them them to shut up... No one thinks like you, unless theyre the small percent of the population you shouldn't take advice from. Im mean seriously what if they thought we all like you, inconsiderate dumbshits. Theyd nuke us in a second, oh wait theyre not like you... It would be the extremists who think like you.

[Opinion Owner]

*what if they think were are all like you, inconsiderate dumbshits

[Lonewolf_1296]

Christians are not and historically have not been as accepting as you say.

As of the 1900's, countries still have civil wars starring christians vs everyone else. Mexico is an example, google "mexico cristero war", happened in the 1930's and to date there are regions where non christians are welcome with led.

[Lonewolf_1296]

My bad, I got confused there, disregard my previous comment.

[jakeofalltrades]

freedom extends to everyone who wants it, but Muslims have shown they don't want it. i know that there are extremists are present in every race, but Islam started out extreme, when Mohammad fist came up with it he spread it with the sword, even the city of Mecca, their holly city, was taken by force

[ladsin]

I disagree with the premise, but agree with the freedom of belief.

I do believe that religion is the cause for much of the strife in the world, but I do not dare to tell others what they can or cannot believe.

[Netflix]

THANK YOU ! It gets really annoying when everything is blamed on that religion. They are people committing more heinous crimes and they were labeled as mentally ill. No one is the same and people need to realize that.

[IsabelleBk]

I don't even care who did this anymore. All I'm worried is about taking the subway, because right now I'm fearing for my family's life and my own life.

[takumii]

Why did they ban making lions as pets?
Just because some lions seem to attack people doesn't mean they should ban them all of them from keeping pets. That's specieal discrimination.