Do ANTItheists ever troll or criticize Islam?

[Anonymous]

Just for the record I am not okay with people trolling any religion including Islam.

But I am really fed up with ANTItheists thinking they are so “brave” for attacking Christianity but never saying a word about Islam.

To make matters even more hypocritical many far left ANTItheists are now all about “free Palestine” and conveniently forget that region of the world is run by Islamic fundamentalists.

Any loud mouthed western feminist would quickly be beaten, raped, thrown in a burqa and forced into marriage if she found herself in that part of the world. Openly gay and trans people would be thrown off buildings.

The last I checked no Christian dominated nation does this to women and gay people. They also don’t execute you for taking Jesus’ name in vain. But if you blasphemy the name of Muhammad you can face execution is many Muslim dominated countries.

Updates

10 d

For the record I know the difference between atheism and ANTItheism. But I am see more and more of the latter recently but ironically they tend to be “free Palestine” supporters as well.

[bobby_bush_eater]

It's much less common but yes they do but they are far more respectful about it. Mocking Christianity is like hating whites, it's just allowed for some reason and not season as bad

[gorydetails]

They only attack Christians because there are no negative social consequences to do so.

[Asker]

That’s what I usually see.

[Subglacial]

Partly it's because of experience. If you're speaking English, chances are you're from a majority Christian nation and likely to be most familiar with and have the strongest opinions on Christianity.

Partly it's because that experience is not likely equal. If you're an atheist or any flavor of gay/queer, you've probably felt ostracized or personally attacked by Christians around you. Islam would be just a bad, even worse, but when you read about Islam online, much of what you hear is Muslims personally attesting to how wonderful their religion is, while much of the criticism comes from Christians, the very people who called you a disgusting sinner. Who would seem like a more reliable witness to you?

Partly it's because people don't want to contribute to anti-Muslim/anti-Arab sentiment. Legitimate criticisms just get added to the reservoir of bullshit that people drink from.

Partly because, if your goal is to make a more secular nation, your target is the religion with the most influence in your country, not one of the smallest and least-trusted.

Partly it's because people might just not find it necessary. Arguments against God or religion that we see are often in the context of Christianity, because, again, English, but they apply just as well to Islam.

Lastly, partly it's your own confirmation bias. You aren't totally wrong, there definitely is a bias in favor of Islam among atheists and liberals, but it's not as bad as you think. Other people here have given examples of prominent atheist YouTubers criticizing Islam, and I can provide more if you're interested.

Here's one:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/INZfPHFzFAI

[slatyb]

Exactly. Nicely written.

[Asker]

You brought up some good points @subglacial. But about the “
Partly it's because people don't want to contribute to anti-Muslim/anti-Arab sentiment.”

Ah good luck being anti Sharia law and pro womans/gay rights without coming off as “anti-Muslim” given that will be in direct conflict with their culture. Especially in the Middle East.

[BCRanger10]

They do. I've seen it. Granted, not as often as Christianity, but it's still there. In fact, I recently removed a question asking what people hate about Christians which was posted in response to one asking what people hate about Muslims that was restored. I pushed back and got both deleted.

As for the "Free Palestine" crowd (for the record, I have no deep stakes one way or the other in that debate at all, so don't ask my opinion; I don't have an informed one), I agree with the conservative commentators I've listened to that it's a shared hatred of the West, Christianity (most especially the Catholic Church) and America particularly. In other words, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Here's a video that might explain in more detail. I realize it might sound like conspiracy theories, but this was also before all this "LGBT for Palestine" stuff started showing up...

https://www.youtube.com/embed/yngXv5q5FzE

[Anonymous]

Yes, Muslims get ripped on a lot. You just don't notice or care because you're not a Muslim.

"Openly gay and trans people would be thrown off buildings. The last I checked no Christian dominated nation does this to women and gay people."

Again, just because you don't want to see that level of hate, doesn't mean it isn't there. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/texas-pastor-says-gay-people-shot-back-head-shocking-sermon-rcna32748

And you'd be shocked, I'm sure, at what African christian churches get away with.

[Avicenna]

They are often totalitarians and therefore view fellow totalitarians like Islamists as allies (they hate Jews, too). They also know how violent Islamists can get if they feel their religion is "blasphemed".

[TommyMountainFigure]

I don't have a problem with religion. I do however have a problem with terrorists who do unspeakable acts in the name of religion!

[strateguy632]

of course not.

here criticism of islam in Several forms are either censored or not written but the same stuff i read here toward christians. i am sure people reported but admin don't mind if it attacks christian.

[normalice]

I criticize any religion, including Islam. But i live in the US so don't have to deal with Muslim power grabs much- I do have to deal with Christian power grabs, though.

[slatyb]

Yes, they do. Christopher Hitchins considered Islam the worst. But here in the US it's Christian Dominionists trying to find the US into a theocracy, so they get most of the attention.

[DrPepper12]

I'm a ATHEIST and I both sincerely admire and whitheringly ridicule what ALL religions have produced. Religion is not out of bounds for satire. No concept or idea is somehow so special that it cannot be criticized.

[Berethor]

DarkMatter2525 did that, and he had made the islamic censorship part of the parody.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/2he4FGsafCA

[jshm2]

No as they are brought up Christian and rebelling against that.

They have no inkling about Islam or Muslims, other than what can be deemed racist or lazy tropes.

[laly520]

they criticise n attack Islam n any other religion that doesn't fit within their agendas

[Asker]

Nah there more quiet on Islam. Not to say they don’t speak up on this one but they are 1) scared of violent reprisal 2) hypocritically “free Palestine” now. If Palestine was “free” all of Israel would be ruled under sharia law.

[HaveNoName]

I am sorry to know that you are so butt hurt about Islam. But do I give two shits about your opinion?

[Twalli]

The last paragraph shows how little you know. Muhammad was the prophet. He gave us the words of God. He's not a religious figure.

[goebenbreslau]

as an ex muslim, i attack islam most of the time

[Asker]

I will criticize sharia law given the state and church are the same thing. That’s barbaric dark ages crap. The Salem witch trials is was supposed to be the final lesson to end that authoritarian oppression in the west. But here we are in 2024 hundreds of years later and many countries in the world still enforce this crap.

[RedInnocent69]

I’m sure they do. But religion trolls or just that.

[RedInnocent69]

Nothing ironic about humanists caring about humans.

[Anonymous]

Allha hu akbar 💣💣💣

Yes!!

[RavVid]

I think ANTItheists are pathetically childish.

[slatyb]

It's mutual. We're bewildered that anyone can believe such nonsense.

[Asker]

No it’s NOT mutual @slatyb. No.

Atheists used to be more respectful but there has been a very aggressive, vocal and nasty ANTItheism movement in the last 10 years or so that want to destroy religious institutions particularly Christianity similar to Stalin era communism.

But they seem to get more demure and tight lipped towards Islam.

[slatyb]

Destroy religious institutions? I haven't heard of any atheists vandalizing churches. Christian feel picked on because others are insisting that government institutions stop endorsing Christianity. No, you can't open public meetings with Christian prayer. No, you can't proselytize to public school children. No, you can't display exclusively Christian symbols in government buildings. You feel persecuted because non-Christians are asking for equal treatment.

[RavVid]

I think it is uncalled for to be disrespectful to faiths and very unnecessary. Is any body rejecting bills with In God We Trust written on them?

[slatyb]

Religious beliefs are ideas and as such may be questioned freely when they are publicly proclaimed. Why does it bother you when others express doubt?

[RavVid]

@slatyb It doesn't. I am an atheist. It is an entirely different matter for me to reject a belief system and offensively denigrating another's belief system. Religion is faith anyway so it really doesn't mean anything whatever logic you use. You will always get to a God part. We might be able to explain everything in the Cosmos from a few trillionths of a second after the singularity but you arrive at a point that you don't know and possibly never can. Don't Know or God did it. I am generally happy with DK but equally happy with God did it if someone prefers that.

A lot of religion is about what is a good way for a society to function. Not killing your neighbor etc. Overall getting weekly reminders on that is beneficial to society. Even more to give love to your fellows. You can make laws for the first but not the second. So I see it as beneficial.

I do see it as a childish view to think I don't believe in this therefore no body else can. I could say worse but will be respectful of your beliefs.

[slatyb]

Denigrating? It's the believers insulting atheists. What do atheists say? We don't believe because there is no evidence. People can be offended but that's their problem, not mine.

[RavVid]

@slatyb Freedom of religious belief is a long established principle and I would take that to include atheism and agnosticism. Lets leave it at that.

[Asker]

@ravvid thank you. What you described above is how things should be. And it’s how things used to be (at least in the west). But too know the difference between atheism and ANTItheism. The former is a matter of personal choice (which is how things should be) the latter is active hatred and denigration.

All ANTItheists are atheists but not all atheists are ANTItheists.

[slatyb]

Freedom of religion doesn't meant that I have to be quiet when others assert that their religious beliefs are established fact. It means that people can express their beliefs or lack of belief free of government censorship, and that the government shall not privilege a particular religion

[RavVid]

Forced conversions around the corner? Like Soviet Russia? Marxism is a jealous god and thou should worship none other before it.

[RavVid]

@slatyb Freedom of religion (including atheism) requires a tolerance of religion. In reality the same applies to politics because it was the first of plurality of views.

If a Mormon comes knocking and tries to convert me than he is in my face and I consider myself free to respond in kind. Same if are trying to convert me to Marxism. No difference.

People aren't free to express their beliefs if somebody is trying to shout them down and suppress their view. Or as in England restricting where they express their view even if it is silent prayer or to not wear symbols of their faith.

At that level they are personal views. If I say 'Let us thank God' it implies my certainty in his existence. If you feel it necessary to berate me for my supersition. than you are trying to suppress me.

We see a lot of this being done by the left in political views and I am quite over it.

No. Gender has always meant the same as sex and and is the sex chromosomes. I will concede there are a number of genetic abnormalities and also that there are maybe a 101 sexualities. Just because you yell out a new definition of the word gender doesn't make it so.

Trying to yell people into their belief is the left's way and it makes me worry for democracy.

[slatyb]

What does that have to do with atheists? Also I haven't heard the Democrats trying to make it more difficult to vote. The Republicans are now openly against democracy because they know demographics are against them.

[Asker]

@slatyb you got your mind made up and virtually anything myself or @ravvid isn’t going to change your mind (or vice versa)

I want to respond to your political comment but at the end of the day it’s all huge waste of time. But I will say this: Most people are not happy with the direction our country is going in 2024. This isn’t just about religious issues and abortion either.

However if you want to get political I do not recommend focusing your energy arguing with us. Instead try to convince why an average American on why they would be better off under democratic leadership vs. republican leadership. People are comparing current times to 2019 right now. And the Biden administration isn’t exactly standing favorably with the general American public and his approval ratings show it.

But is it a good ideal to encourage his administration to just even farther left? Don’t worry about my opinion. Think of the average American who is being crushed by inflation. Try convincing THEM on why Biden is better. And do it without fixating on Trump.

[slatyb]

"We see a lot of this being done by the left" -- please provide an example. We see many examples of Christians threatening violence to suppress non-believers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Ahlquist

This is so common that in cases where students and parents sue school districts to end activities or displays promoting Christianity, judges often allow the plaintiffs to remain anonymous due to violence by Christians.

[Dargil]

Finding new ways to separate people?

[Anonymous]

Pretty much everyone criticizes Islam.