In answer to Krellin's question as to why anti-theists on this website are more anti-christian than anti-muslim I have to make an assumption, but bear with me. I think, and I don't think I'm wrong in assuming this, that the majority of the users on this site are from the United States, and the United Kingdom. At any rate I don't feel like it's absurd to say most of us come from English speaking countries in the western world. As non-believers in predominantly christian countries, the most obvious target for anti-religious sentiment is the religion that most people adhere to, and, frankly, the one with the most political power and influence. In Western Europe and North America that religion is undoubtedly Christianity. It's not really all that surprising that atheists and anti-theists would be more prone to criticizing Christianity in this context, and in fact it's not even all that surprising when an odd sort of alliance develops between two different groups of people, who despite their wildly disparate beliefs are all unhappy about living in a society so strongly influenced by a religion in which they do not believe. Now obviously that's not to say that minority religious groups can do no wrong in the eyes of atheists. When they cross lines, and make no mistake they certainly do, atheists still speak out against them. But most of the time they share a common goal, a government, with social policy that has more room for religious pluralism, and one less dominated by Christianity.

Krellin, the reason you see more "Christian-bashing" than "Muslim-bashing" (that is a very heated term and the associations it brings to mind make for an inappropriate and problematic comparison, but for the moment I will play your game and use those terms) among atheists and anti-theists, is like most things, liked to power. In the western world Christianity is the religion with the strongest influence on society and government. And so, atheists and Muslims, paradoxically find they have the same goals, namely, more religiously pluralist social policy, fair play for people no matter what they believe. Whenever you have an entrenched interest facing opposition from groups with relatively less social power, they'll all express themselves in opposition to the entrenched interest. Arguing with each other generally will accomplish nothing.

And if you ever do come across someone who argues against Christianity or Islam, or anything else really, with a profanity laden screed, completely devoid of intelligent thought I suggest you ignore them. They're not worth arguing with.

Also, hi Friendly Sword! Good to see you again!

Oh crap, I didn't mean to post twice. For some reason my first post vanished. Aaah! Sorry bout that.

@abgemacht:

Taking an intersession course (two, actually, since it's Biology 101, and you have to take the Lecture and the Lab as two classes that count for the same grade because...well, I guess they get more professors and money that way.)

Besides, I HATE SUMMER VACATION.

And that was an intentional, "angry" caps, not the usual obiwanobiwan caps-for-italics.

I just hate it, I just hear how everyone else has a wonderful time doing this or that, going such and such place with their family or other friends I don't know or my friends and I couldn't go or didn't know about it...instead I get stuck at home trying to find a job, keep myself from going insane, and stay the hell away from my family most of the time, because frankly the less time shared the better, I've learned over the years, just one of those situations where less is way more.

And besides all that- I'm out of my element in summer vacation. Not the heat, that I can deal with (I mean, I've lived in Sothern California all my life and summer gets over 100 here plenty, like I can't deal with heat) but I have no philosophy classes, no literature classes, no theatre, and no schmuck people to debate with to contrast and harness my ideas. My friends are all off at other places in California or elsewhere and I'm still stuck in this stupid, boring place, not tiny enough to be a quaint town and not big enough to be a halfway decent city, it's like The City of Beige, totally just inconsequential and without any kind of offense or upside or distinguishing features- and I don't have my classes! Those are MY classes, I walk into a Literature or Philosophy class, I get my seat, same seat each time, with the same caffeinated drink (a large bottle of some over-caffeinated soda if it's a philosophy or mainstream literature class, and freshly-brewed hot tea from my own stash and mug and infuser) and by the third class at the most it's my class, the place where I can do what I want to do, pursue what I want, and people will work with me or ask me for helkp or I'll pick their brains or I can flat out just tell someone they're being a fool- and be able to back it up. That's my 221B Baker Street or my Gotham City, those classes...I can go into any of those with the feeling that not only will this be fun and something I'll love and something that'll enrich me, I'll be in control and in charge. Hell, one time last semester I came in to my Honors Shakespeare class, and I always took two desks, one for me and one for my tea supplies and other items- one time someone about 2/3 of the way through the semester someone accidentally sat in the seat, the EXTRA seat I had for my tea, I opened the door and she apologized ans said she was sorry for sitting in my seat and moved like a flash to the back, even after I told her just to relax and sit down. I mean, that's just weird, who DOES that...but even so, if you have ever had that one place where you know everything can click and that no matter what you can do it, whatever it is, that's what those classes are for me, the feeling that I could today walk into a Yale or Harvard or Cambridge or Oxford English class, and I might not be the best, but having that feeling I could keep up and do the work, be able to perform at the highest level...

And during the summer, I get NONE of that- no one to debate with, no friends to make me forget Nietzsche or Dante for two seconds and just relax before I explode, staying holed in my room so my family doesn't explode, and all the while, I don't get to pursue my fields, literature or philosophy or theatre, no philosophical debates (why do you think I post so many hear over the summer, and then the semesters come and I...well, I post a bit less, anyway) or insights and discussiuons on literature and literary ideas and waves and styles, and no theatre and group of people to direct a Shakespeare or Ibsen or Sophocles scene with.

It'd be like if Sherlock Holmes had to be stuck in 221B without his violin, or piano, or chemistry experiments, or cocaine, or Dr. Watson, or any cases. He'd go NUTS from boredom after a while!

I actually have "221B" written on my wall as an homage to my great literary hero, I used to have "Holmes" as a small nickname in my English classes in junior and senior years a few years back I loved Sherlock Holmes so much and was so into English, my best friend and I ahd that, I probably said "Goodbye, Watson" than "Goodbye *person's name" more times that last year, and her the same...

And my family has no idea what 221B even MEANS!

They don't even know who Nietzsche IS!
Or John Stuart Mill! Or David Hume! They couldn't tell you Plato from Aristotle or who Henrik Ibsen or Giacomo Puccini even were!

For my father the best book in the world is the Bible and Rick Warren books and anything with "Christ" in the title (and he just converted from Judaism a couple years ago, mind you) and my mother couldn't care less unless it's a magazine or maybe a Steinbeck book she read and even then she'll only ever say she read it and that's all, she doesn't even remember most of it, and my sister disdains English and prefers to read manga all the time- and all summer long, adult or no, I have to be told I should act more like my kid sister in these regards! And it's country music 24/7 down there! And nothing but Bill O'Reilley and Hannity! Or the goddamn Lakers! A night to the theatre or a discussion on Utilitarianism vs. a Categorical Imperative approach, they wouldn't even know what either were or would care, and the fact that I know doesn't matter, and nothing I know matters and as I can't get out without a job I don't have any way to escape this and get to the one place where it acutally matters what I can do, that being the goddamned college, as pathetic as it is, at least it's something!



So yeah, ummm...that's why I don't like summer vacation...

Wasn't this thread about something involving people acting short-sightedly in regards to Muslims?