to wonder if posters on here would refer to Islam as "a load of old tosh"..

[OhdearNigel]

...in the same way that they think it is acceptable to ridicule Christianity. If a poster had started a thread about considering joining a mosque I wonder how many people would be prepared to post that Muslims were a bunch of bigoted fools due to their religious belief on homosexuality ? Or that a Hindu's beliefs were, to quote " a load of old tosh" ? If you don't think that would be alright to post, it's not alright to post it about Christianity either.

I've been called a heathen and a kaffir in the past as an insult because I don't believe in a deity. I'm an atheist and my preferred form of atheism is Humanism so I get very pissed off with people who think atheists "have no beliefs". How utterly ignorant. Why don't they read up or educated themselves about the various forms of atheism in the same way I spent years doing RE at school.

I have lots of beliefs about what is moral and what life means to me, none of which involve being rewarded for "good behaviour" in this life or another. I've never quite understood why the delayed gratification of immortality allows people to feel superior. If I behave morally it's because I genuinely think it is the the right thing to do (as in just, or kind) not because a deity is going to be handing out brownie points at the end of time.

cocoflower who is attacking Christians? If someone says 'Christianity is a load of old tosh' then they are attacking a belief system, not people.

Cocoflower are you and others here not taking people up for being mean to Christians ? Fighting your corner ? Isn't that the way it works ? Most responses here are pretty tame, there's no vicious venom and hate speech is there.

Most nay sayers here are saying it's not Christians they think are bonkers, it all religions they think are bonkers. So there you go. Stop feeling so singled out.

I am an equal opportunities poo-pooer!
But I feel on slightly stronger ground poo-pooing Christianity because I know more about it and can therefore target my ire more accurately.

i would say islam is a load of old tosh. like i would say about al reigion.

"Yet its fine to attack someone beacuse they have faith. This needs to stop. Any sniff of the fact your not an atheist and people will literally follow you around a thread being as vile as possible."

As I always say on threads like these- produce examples.

MrGin in my time on MN I am always attacked on threads over and over again for having faith.
Its across MN as whole.As someone who has experienced it I have every right, quite justifiably to feel 'singled out". Perhaps you have never been involved in a relgious thread so have not witnessed this first hand

And also, Christianity holds q privileged place in the institutions of this country, which annoys me a lot. Islam doesn't.

Religion is regularly attacked, it should be challenged, people are not attacked on here for their belief, their beliefs are.

And Christianity keeps nosing into our science curriculum and our politics, Islam seems to be better aware of it's place.

No, I would refer to Islam (and Christianity) in somewhat stronger terms than "old tosh". The word "corrosive" might feature. Some sort of allusion to the social and psychological damage organised religions do to individuals and to society. "Old tosh" doesn't begin to cover it.

But I had to laugh at

"It's easy to bash Christians because they turn the other cheek and are forgiving."

Many of the Christians I have met are the most bigoted, small-minded and pitiless people. In fact many of the Christians I've known would slam the door in the faces of the "holy family" with prim remarks about scroungers, dossers and unplanned pregnancy.

I respect other people's beliefs and would never openly criticise it but >>personally

My favourite quote on the atheism v Christianity/Islam debate - I really wish I had originated it - is:

The only difference between atheism and [Name of Religion] is that we atheists don't believe in one fewer god than you religionists.

"Any sniff of the fact your not an atheist and people will literally follow you around a thread being as vile as possible"

Never noticed this, and no, I'm not an atheist.

Nope, nothing.

Yep, plenty of times. Never been followed around by Posie.

Should I feel snubbed?

Cocoflower......please feel free to link to any thread I've followed you around personally insulting you.

This : "You really can't see the difference in a European country between:

1. Criticising Christianity, the established, wealthy and influential 'establishment' religion of much of the Western world.

2, Criticising Islam, a religion that is frequently stigmatised in the western world whose adherents are often subject to racism and Islamophobia?

Really?"

snogs Ormirian even though we haven't been formally introduced.

Oh how about the one you JUST called me a tosser on because you simply cannot grasp what Im saying

You are a nasty piece of work. Everyone of your posts is a personal attack on me

Well unless you count about 2 of them

I've just seen you calling somebody a dimwit on another thread cocoflower

which isn't very nice

if we are dragging up other threads

Hyperbolic much?

So saying "you a bit thick" is not a personal insult. And I called NAddine Dorres a tosser......ah I see now. You are Naddine Dorres.

I've never heard of you until today coco, so as for following you around that's rubbish.

Shall I pull up about twenty of my last posts that have fuck all to do with you.

fight fight fight