Recommended reading...

[tuomittuelämään]

A bit of subversive thought for the critical thinkers here. Below are the .pdf links for 4 essays on the topic of religion, specifically the critique thereof. These texts are the works of 3 classic anarchist philosophers; Emma Goldman, Mikhail Bakunin and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon. The fourth is a more recent and very short piece written by an anonymous former Muslim that he entitles 'The Misery of Islam'.

I invite you to read and contemplate upon these, especially the first three. I welcome your thoughts, views, critiques, and so forth on the subject matter.

* Emma Goldman's 'The Philosophy of Atheism' - http://theanarchistlibrary.org/libra...of-atheism.pdf

* Mikhail Bakunin's 'God and The State' - http://theanarchistlibrary.org/libra...-the-state.pdf

* Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's 'God Is Evil, Man Is Free' - http://theanarchistlibrary.org/libra...an-is-free.pdf

* Al-Djouhall's 'The Misery of Islam' - http://theanarchistlibrary.org/libra...y-of-islam.pdf

[randolph85]

i might as well stare at my turd before i flush it down the drain, homie.

[tuomittuelämään]

If that post doesn't change minds or at least provoke critical thought in readers, nothing will. Excellent critique and certainly a creative analogy, homie. Although, ironically the mentality exhibited in that post, albeit predictable and par for the course, illustrates a greater problem associated with organized religion's adherents.

[Admin Khan]

OP, What did you study in college?

[DaZahroJaam.]

i think the best way to study religion is to look at a basic chart of how long which one has been out there for. study it as it is and in the order that it has been recognized, then go back and reflect on it. if you start off with atheism, this or that, you will just confuse yourself more.

[Karachi]

Why do people blame all the negatives that happen in the Muslim world on Islam? I have never understood this. Just today I was arguing with so many idiots on the facebook page of (Tarek Fatah), those morons there love to blame every single wrong thing in the muslim world on Islam. Islam is always a scapegoat for these morons. They never look at the real issues and ground realities as to why these evil things take place, rather they always quickly point fingers at Islam.

[DaZahroJaam.]

because religious zealots always use islam to justify their stupidity. they think they are being noble and loyal to their religions when they go out of their way to make others miserable.

[Karachi]

because religious zealots always use islam to justify their stupidity. they think they are being noble and loyal to their religions when they go out of their way to make others miserable.

religious zealots yes, but these morons will blame everything on Islam. Lets say even if a woman gets raped somewhere in the muslim world, they will blame Islam for it, how are crimes like these related to Islam?

[DaZahroJaam.]

three main reasons that i can think of..
islam is the only religion that is given as much importance and is as celebrated with as many enthusiasts in today's day and age. i don't know of any other religion that has been given as much importance by it's followers in the west.
as muslims, most frequently, we pick up on others talking negatively of islam more often in comparison to other religions.
some self proclaimed muslims have given a very distinctively nasty impression of islam to others.

[tuomittuelämään]

OP, What did you study in college?

PhD Candidate, Philosophy
MA, Liberal Studies
BA, English

[tuomittuelämään]

Why do people blame all the negatives that happen in the Muslim world on Islam? I have never understood this. Just today I was arguing with so many idiots on the facebook page of (Tarek Fatah), those morons there love to blame every single wrong thing in the muslim world on Islam. Islam is always a scapegoat for these morons. They never look at the real issues and ground realities as to why these evil things take place, rather they always quickly point fingers at Islam.

I can't speak for common people. Islam itself cannot be held directly accountable for a random rape in a land where Islam dominates as the act is forbidden and punishable by death (if I remember correctly) according to the religion's tenets of law. However, one could formulate an argument suggesting that certain mentalities that seem to be fostered by the traditions of Islam, in combination with local cultures then mixed with a severely deficient understanding of Islamic principles by the common person pave the way to an environment that may foster the act. I'm not asserting said argument at this time though but feel confident that the right person could dedicate themselves to it and probably succeed in making a legitimate argument to that effect.