Is Islam a peaceful religion?

Yesterday I posted a video at my other blog, Video Skepdude which attracted an angry reply, which in turn made it necessary that I post my own reply.  Here is the original angry reply by an offended muslim reader

truefaith, on June 29th, 2008 at 12:19 am Said:

you actually are the most stupid man,,you judge the religion by the people, the peaceful is the religion not the people,,you are such a fucking atheist that dont have any faith(same as animal) or even a religious man that has extreme envious in islam..!!!

To which I replied:

Truefaith,

Yes I judge things by the actions of it’s representatives. If you had really read my comments carefully, I said that Islam can indeed become a peaceful religion, but it’s not there yet. Take a look at most countries where Islam meddles with the state. How do those countries fare when it come to human rights? How can a religion whose prophet had sex with a 9 year old be peaceful, if it does not condemn such behavior? I belive Turkey is one of the few countries where Islam has advanced in the right direction.

Don’t forget all religions incite violence. The Bible and the Quran are full of violent passages. As such there is no peaceful religion. The only difference is that some religions advance to a point where they know they must ignore certain passages. Unfortunately Islam is not there yet. It may be quite close if there are people like you who think it is not violent, but it is not there yet.So you are wrong when you say that religion is peaceful and people are violent. People are the only ones who are violente OR peaceful. Religion is a source of violence!

Now instead of being mad at me for calling it as I see it, you should be mad at the people that make your faith look so bad. Those are the ones you should fight, not literally, not me. I am sorry but with all the terrorist acts, the beheadings, the bombings, the genital mutilations, the inhumane treatment of women, there is but one conclusion to be reached. Islam is still a middle age religion. It is violent. It is contrary to any human instinct of justice and fairness.

You are correct when you say that I have no faith. I don’t need it. I believe in myself, the human race. I have no need for Sky Daddy, especially not one that condones the raping of little girls, by grown ass men. Those are the men that should be hanged, if you ask me.

And by the way no person on Earth is envious of, or in, Islam. You betray the limits of your own intelligence when you make such a statement.

I would like to hear from people. What do you think? Is there such thing as a peaceful religion? I would appreciate it if you limit your comments to Islam and Christianity. Thanks.

SkepNews-Week ending 6/20/08

• One dead donkey, 15 child brides-In Pakistan a dead donkey has sparked a feud between clans, which has resulted in 13 deaths over 8 years. It was finally settled …by 15 child brides between the ages of 3 and 10 ! – 15 human beings to settle an argument over a dead ass! Unbelievable!
• American school teaches that it is ok to kill – Text books at a private Islamic school in northern Virginia teach students that it is permissible for Muslims to kill adulterers and converts from Islam, and that Muslims are permitted to take the lives and property of those deemed “polytheists.” – They have a poll on the website asking if this school should be shut down. What do you think?
• Smart people less likely to believe in God – Professor Lynn, who has provoked controversy in the past with research linking intelligence to race and sex, said university academics were less likely to believe in God than almost anyone else. Professor Lynn said most primary school children believed in God, but as they entered adolescence – and their intelligence increased – many started to have doubts. – Ok, ok besides the fact that we’d like the results to be true, let’s be fair and point out a couple of things. First of all this was just a survey, not an actual study of any sort. Second, he did not measure IQs, he simply deduced that piece of information. So, while most atheists I’ve met tend to be smart, I do know quite a few that are dumb as bricks, so I’m not sure there is a direct correlation there.
• Unlicensed Chiropractor kills man – A 76-year-old man operating an unlicensed chiropractic clinic out of his Oak Park, Calif., garage is suspected of killing one of his patients with a neck manipulation, according to Sacramento police. – Now I don’t want to pick on chiropractors, but when I read the word “unlicensed” it made me laugh, until I read the rest of the story. But seriously, does the word “licensed” even make any sense before words such as chiropractor, homeopath, accupuncturer?
• Licensed chiropractor paralyzes woman – A woman who says she became paralyzed after having her upper spine manipulated is suing the Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors and the provincial government for half a billion dollars. “[I want] chiropractors to stop neck manipulation,” she says in the video posted on YouTube by rabbletv.ca. “Look what you did to me.”- I told you the word “licensed” is meaningless when it comes to quacks!
  
• Gay brains similar to oposite sex brains – The scans reveal that in gay people, key structures of the brain governing emotion, mood, anxiety and aggressiveness resemble those in straight people of the opposite sex. – Oh shit, you’re telling me they’re not immoral? Now how are they supposed to burn in hell for eternity, if it’s not even their choice? It has got to be wrong!
• Norway law legalizes gay marriage – Gay couples in Norway will be granted the same rights as heterosexuals to marry, adopt and undergo artificial insemination under a new equality law passed Tuesday. – I always said that the Nordic countries are way up there when it comes to being civilized societies. They enjoy a level of open-mindedness and democracy, we can only dream off in the USA, or so I’ve been told, and this bit of news reinforces that belief.
  
• Careful what you wear in Iran – Police closed dozens of clothing stores and hairdressers and stopped cars and pedestrians in a crackdown on women who do not abide by Iran’s strict Islamic dress code and men wearing fashions seen as too Western, Iranian media reported Monday. – Closing down shops, even arresting people for their clothes? Hmm, and we are supposed to believe that their uranium enrichment is for generating electricity?
• Saudi woman arrested for driving to pick up her husband –She was stopped by a police patrol after driving six miles to collect her husband near their home in the town of Buraida. As her ‘legal guardian’ he had to sign a declaration that he would not let his wife drive again. – Wow, crime must really be at a low in that part of the word, since policy got nothing better to do than arresting women for driving and wearing regular clothes.
• The Pope Cologne is here – We believe that we have succeeded in capturing the same fragrance that he and those around him enjoyed so long ago. This is a truly extraordinary cologne with surprising freshness and notes of violet and citrus. – Who the hell would want to smell like anyone from 150 years ago? Well it turns out these these people would. Weird, weird shit!
• Teacher who burned cross sign on student arms fired – The school board of a small central Ohio community voted unanimously today to fire a teacher accused of preaching his Christian beliefs despite staff complaints and using a device to burn the image of a cross on students’ arms. Freshwater used a science tool known as a high-frequency generator to burn images of a cross on students’ arms in December, the report said. Freshwater told investigators he simply was trying to demonstrate the device on several students and described the images as an “X,” not a cross. But pictures show a cross, the report said. – I say they should use the same device to burn “666” right on his forehead, but I think I’m being too harsh….nah I’m not, he deserves it. There’s more to the story. Apparently that’s not it. A lawsuit has been filed. The allegations assert that during the 2007-08 school year Freshwater violated the United States Constitution as well as the policy of the Mount Vernon School district, and has not been disciplined for those violations. According to the complaint, previous to April 2008 Freshwater displayed the Ten Commandments, religious posters and Bible passages within his classroom and kept several Bibles in his classroom which were not for his personal use. The suit further states that Freshwater taught intelligent design as early as 2003 and told students that information in the textbooks is wrong or not proven according to the Bible.

First Name: In God – Last Name: I’m with Stupid

In God is currently driving a bus, literally. Bus driver, formerly known as Steve Kreuscher, has legally changed his name to “In God We Trust”.

A Lake County judge granted permission to the Zion man Friday to officially change his name to “In God We Trust.” That’s “In God” as a first name and “We Trust” as a last name.

Ok, I guess I’m ok with stupid people labeling themselves for the rest of us to know. I am sure there is something blasphemous about this as well, you know the whole “taking the name of the lord in vain” kinda thing. But what really bothers me is that this thing was allowed to happen, and it took a whole 2 minutes!

The entire process before Judge David Hall took less than two minutes, but We Trust said he was quite nervous.

Well, actually the whole application process took about 3 months, but the judge made up his mind in 2 minutes, and it only cost $600.

The process to change his name took roughly three months.

The really sad thing is that if another person had applied to have their name changed to “God is dead” he would most likely be denied, and that’s almost as good as fact! Unfortunately there is a double standard in the US today, which we need to shake off.

Now let’s end this in a light note:

Throughout the course We Trust said he was looking for a sign from God that would let him know it was a good idea. He got it one day while adding up the expenses for the name change, which came out to roughly $600.

“I didn’t want to use my own money because things are tight,” said the father of four. “Three weeks later, I got my (tax) rebate check for $600.”

I would like to know how much is “roughly $600” because ironic as life is I think it would be hilarious if this amount was closer to $666 than $600. Wouldn’t that be a nice sign?

SkepNews-Week ending 6/13/08

• State to regulate religious beliefs – In Indonesia that is. The president, who is up for reelection, signed a decree ordering members of a minority Muslim sect to stop practicing their form of Islam or face arrest. “Although the wording of the decree did not explicitly ban the group, it warned Ahmadiyah members that they were no longer free to practice their beliefs and strongly encouraged them to “return to mainstream Islam,” according to Bonaventura Nainggolan, a spokesman for the Indonesian attorney general.” The funny thing is that freedom of worship is part of their constitution. Hm, we are allowed freedom of worship under our own constitution too. Creepy!
• Muslim student receives apology for church graduation – A Muslim student who sued because his public high school graduation ceremony was held in a Baptist church has received an apology from Newark’s school district and assurances that it will not hold future events in houses of worship.-That’s nice and everything, but how many of us think that an atheist student would have received the same treatment! None, eh?
• Over half of Yemeni brides under 15 – Over half of women who marry in Yemen are under 15 years of age, said a field study conducted by Yemen’s Women and Development Study Centre, which is affiliated with the University of Sanaa. On top of that, in rural parts of Yemen, girls usually get married at an average age of 12 to 13 years old.- Now what the fuck are these people smoking over there? This is pretty seriously messed up shit and the term child abuse doesn’t do it justice. This is a tragedy!
• Same sex marriage? How about no marriage – Ann Barnett plans to stop performing ceremonies for all couples in Kern County as of June 14. Barnett’s announcement came after she received advice from county lawyers that she could not refuse to marry only couples of her choosing. – Oh, I see, she wanted to discriminate just some people, but the law wouldn’t allow her so she decided to discriminate everybody. I think Ann Barnett should move to Yemen, given her “moral” beliefs!
• Egypt bans female circumcision -Egyptian parliament on Saturday approved a law to ban female circumcision except in cases of “medical necessity,” according to an amendment of a bill on children’s rights. – We can’t praise such action enough. Two thumbs up to Egypt for taking a step in the right direction. Congratulations! There is still hope in this world after all.
• Imagine no religion…in Denver – The Freedom from religion foundation (of which I am a proud member) continues to make news with it’s “Imagine no Religion” billboards campaign, this time in Denver. At least I know my membership money is being spent wisely. Keep it up FFRF!
• Friday the 13th safer than “regular” Fridays – Dutch statisticians have established that Friday 13th, a date regarded in many countries as inauspicious, is actually safer than an average Friday. “I find it hard to believe that it is because people are preventatively more careful or just stay home, but statistically speaking, driving is a little bit safer on Friday 13th,” CVS statistician Alex Hoen told the Verzekerd insurance magazine. – Well, I’m glad that is settled!
• 3 genital mutilation victims can stay in US says NY court – A court ordered the U.S. government on Wednesday to reconsider the asylum requests of three women who suffered genital mutilation in Guinea, saying it was “deeply disturbed” their claims were not taken more seriously. – I mean who the hell is reviewing such cases? How can people ignore such circumstances? Female genital mutilation is crime against nature and we should do whatever we can to help the victims, not act as if their pain and suffering is made up. Thank goodness the courts have some common sense in them!
• Couple charged in Norway for mutilating daughters – Police in Norway have arrested a Gambian-born man and charged him and his wife with subjecting five of their six daughters to genital mutilation, officials said on Friday.The youngest of the five mutilated girls, all born in Norway, is five years old, police officials said. The others are aged seven, 10, 13 and 14 and live in Gambia, national broadcaster NRK reported. Their youngest, age three, has not been subjected to the procedure, NRK said. – I can comprehend how a parent can willingly subject their child, their own flesh and blood, to such merciless, cruel procedures, all in the name of some fucked up morality code. These people are not parents, they’re monsters.
• Widow throws party to bribe her way into heaven – A rich 80-year-old Indian widow has spent thousands of dollars on a feast for 100,000 people in the hope it would please the gods and open the doors of heaven for her, local officials said.People from surrounding villages and towns were fed lunch over two consecutive days by Phuljharia Kunwar, who spent $37,500 on the feast. – At least something good came out of this woman’s stupidity. Lots and lots of people got fed for two days.
• 74% of Congressional Republicans disbelieve in global warming – As if we needed another reason not to vote Republican!
• Christian group asks California appeals court to temporarily prohibit gay marriages – Oh yeah, that makes sense. Let’s “temporarily” suspend laws we don’t like, until we hope the time comes that they are repealed. Then why the hell is there a law in the books if it can be temporarily suspended? I suggest another group can ask the California appeals court to temporarily suspend the law that gives people the right to ask for a law to be temporarily suspended. How’s that for a catch 21?

Iran to employees: Marry or go home!

BBC News reports that:

Single workers at one of Iran’s major state-owned companies have been told to marry by September or face being fired, Iranian newspapers have reported.

Being married is a job requirement, a directive from the company is reported as saying.

Soon enough their crazy ass president is going to proclaim that “Iran has no unmarried young men” just like he claimed in regards to gays when he gave a talk at Columbia a few months back. This sort of stuff makes you be glad that we live in the country we live in. I mean, it’s not perfect, but hell at least our State is not forcing us to choose between our jobs and our celibate lives.

As if the state meddling with such personal affairs wasn’t bad enough listen to the reason behind such action.

Correspondents say the ruling appears to be an attempt to reduce the number of prostitutes working in the area.

Being married reduces prostitution? What planet do these guys live in? Did they not pay attention to the Elliot Spitzer scandal? Plus they don’t even make that claim. They are trying to reduce the number of prostitutes in the area. I don’t really see how that’s going to happens, especially since that profession does not require its employees to be married.

Its directive, according to the Etemad newspaper, says that despite requests “some of our colleagues did not fulfil their commitments and are still single”.

It continues: “As being married is one of the criteria of employment, we are announcing for the last time that all the female and male colleagues have until September 21 to go ahead with this important and moral religious duty.”

Wow, your employer and your government double teaming to force you to comply with your religious duties. Talk about need for separation of mosque and state. These guys don’t even know what that means. Ah, the self righteous, so dangerous and vicious when in power.