Quizzes & Puzzles0 min ago
Are The 'new Atheists' Becoming The New Islamophobes?
32 Answers
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/// Lean argues that few atheists in the western world historically paid much attention to Islam, concentrating instead on debunking Christianity and, to a lesser extent, Judaism. But after the September 11 attacks, the New Atheists “found their calling”. Criticism of all religion on an equal footing was one thing. But the New Atheists, he argued, have begun flirting with Islamophobes, using irrational hatred, as opposed to rational critique, to attack an already deeply misunderstood and much maligned faith. ///
Surely it is not only Islam that is a target for their irrational hatred?
/// Lean argues that few atheists in the western world historically paid much attention to Islam, concentrating instead on debunking Christianity and, to a lesser extent, Judaism. But after the September 11 attacks, the New Atheists “found their calling”. Criticism of all religion on an equal footing was one thing. But the New Atheists, he argued, have begun flirting with Islamophobes, using irrational hatred, as opposed to rational critique, to attack an already deeply misunderstood and much maligned faith. ///
Surely it is not only Islam that is a target for their irrational hatred?
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LazyGun
/// Offer examples of hatred from these "New Atheists".
Tell is who you mean by these "New Atheists" ///
If you took the trouble to read the article you would find that I have not personally made these descriptions up, but it all becomes self explanatory.
/// But now Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris are on the receiving end of stinging criticism from fellow liberal non-believers who say their particular brand of atheism has swung from being a scientifically rigorous attack on all religions to a populist and crude hatred of Islam. ///
Regarding this:
/// Whilst you are at it, explain why we should not consider religious belief irrational? ///
I am making no suggestions or criticism of your beliefs, and whist you at it please show me where I have?
/// Offer examples of hatred from these "New Atheists".
Tell is who you mean by these "New Atheists" ///
If you took the trouble to read the article you would find that I have not personally made these descriptions up, but it all becomes self explanatory.
/// But now Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris are on the receiving end of stinging criticism from fellow liberal non-believers who say their particular brand of atheism has swung from being a scientifically rigorous attack on all religions to a populist and crude hatred of Islam. ///
Regarding this:
/// Whilst you are at it, explain why we should not consider religious belief irrational? ///
I am making no suggestions or criticism of your beliefs, and whist you at it please show me where I have?
@AoG I did not take your comments as a remark about my beliefs, or, more accurately for the purposes of this article, lack of belief.
What i asked you to do was to justify your comment that "Surely it is not only Islam that is a target for their irrational hatred"
I asked you to justify your comment that their comments about religion/islam are irrational or demonstrate hatred.
So once again - please offer examples of hatred. Please offer examples of how their objections to Islam/ Religion are irrational.
And if an atheist worldview, which they all bave, should be considered irrational, as you appear to do, please explain why atheists should accept relgions belief as rational?
What i asked you to do was to justify your comment that "Surely it is not only Islam that is a target for their irrational hatred"
I asked you to justify your comment that their comments about religion/islam are irrational or demonstrate hatred.
So once again - please offer examples of hatred. Please offer examples of how their objections to Islam/ Religion are irrational.
And if an atheist worldview, which they all bave, should be considered irrational, as you appear to do, please explain why atheists should accept relgions belief as rational?
LazyGun
Once again if you had read the article you would have seen that my "SURELY IT IS NOT ONLY ISLAM THAT IS A TARGET FOR THEIR IRRATIONAL HATRED"?
Was addressing the following text.
/// non-believers who say their particular brand of atheism "HAS SWUNG FROM BEING A SCIENTIFICALLY RIGOROUS ATTACK ON ALL RELIGIONS" to a populist and crude hatred of Islam. ///
Lean argues that few atheists in the western world historically paid much attention to Islam, "CONCENTRATING INSTEAD ON DEBUNKING CHRISTIANITY AND, TO A LESSER EXTENT, JUDAISM".
Once again if you had read the article you would have seen that my "SURELY IT IS NOT ONLY ISLAM THAT IS A TARGET FOR THEIR IRRATIONAL HATRED"?
Was addressing the following text.
/// non-believers who say their particular brand of atheism "HAS SWUNG FROM BEING A SCIENTIFICALLY RIGOROUS ATTACK ON ALL RELIGIONS" to a populist and crude hatred of Islam. ///
Lean argues that few atheists in the western world historically paid much attention to Islam, "CONCENTRATING INSTEAD ON DEBUNKING CHRISTIANITY AND, TO A LESSER EXTENT, JUDAISM".
This sentence "Surely it is not only Islam that is a target for their irrational hatred? " is your own construct.
In the article, Lean argues that "New Atheists" are displaying irrational hatred of Islam, even flirting with Islamophobes, rather than rational critique.
Your sentence "Surely it is not only Islam that is a target for their irrational hatred? " - implies that you, AoG, think that, in addition to their objections to Islam being borne our of irrational hatred, their objections to other religions are also founded out of irrational hatred".
I have asked you, twice now, I believe, to justify that sentence. Please offer examples from them, of irrationality, Please offer examples, from them, of hatred. And if that was not your meaning when you wrote that sentence, please explain what you were actually attempting to say.
In the article, Lean argues that "New Atheists" are displaying irrational hatred of Islam, even flirting with Islamophobes, rather than rational critique.
Your sentence "Surely it is not only Islam that is a target for their irrational hatred? " - implies that you, AoG, think that, in addition to their objections to Islam being borne our of irrational hatred, their objections to other religions are also founded out of irrational hatred".
I have asked you, twice now, I believe, to justify that sentence. Please offer examples from them, of irrationality, Please offer examples, from them, of hatred. And if that was not your meaning when you wrote that sentence, please explain what you were actually attempting to say.
Anngel
/// AOG if you think SHOUTING gets your message across...it doesn't. Just rude frankly. ///
Please give me strength.
Are you another that can't reason out the meaning of things, this wasn't shouting anyone can see that.
Since there are no successful provisions on AnswerBank to highlight certain words phrases or passages from the lesser important parts of the text, the action of turning them into 'upper-case' does the job quite adequately.
/// AOG if you think SHOUTING gets your message across...it doesn't. Just rude frankly. ///
Please give me strength.
Are you another that can't reason out the meaning of things, this wasn't shouting anyone can see that.
Since there are no successful provisions on AnswerBank to highlight certain words phrases or passages from the lesser important parts of the text, the action of turning them into 'upper-case' does the job quite adequately.
@ AoG - Anngel was pointing out that, in the internet age of message boards, chat forums and social media, it is an established grammatical rule that typing IN CAPS is shouting.
For what it is worth though, I took AoGs response to be highlighting, rather than shouting.
And AoG still has not supplied any justification for his comments regarding irrational hatred
For what it is worth though, I took AoGs response to be highlighting, rather than shouting.
And AoG still has not supplied any justification for his comments regarding irrational hatred
Although I still don't see that it's fair to call it "irrational hatred". In the past many Christians used their faith to justify acts of horrible violence. Today there are so-called Muslims doing the same. Or maybe these people actually do understand their faith better than we think? Either way it's quite right that we subject religions to scrutiny.
@AoG - well hats off to Jim if he decoded your sentence of "Surely it is not only Islam that is a target for their irrational hatred", as meaning "Well, if atheists in the past focused on Christianity and Judaism isn't it about time they moved on to Islam?" as you seem to agree, then that is a feat of logic worthy of Sherlock Holmes.
You still have not explained what irrational hatreds you allege that the "New Atheists" are displaying, when you wrote this sentence
"Surely it is not only Islam that is a target for their irrational hatred"
You still have not explained what irrational hatreds you allege that the "New Atheists" are displaying, when you wrote this sentence
"Surely it is not only Islam that is a target for their irrational hatred"
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