Bill Maher and Sam Harris arguing with Ben Affleck about Islam

You did not list a single specific action people should take to "stop this"

Stop being evasive.

 

You play a good peacekeeper. A good middle man. But you and I know the hatred will not dissipate unless the ME is completely isolated and cut off from the scapegoat that is the west. Until then, I see nothing wrong with a tagging system. Hmmm... son of Syrian ambassador, in and out of jail, weapons posession, devoted muslim shoots up parliament? How can you let that happen under your nose ? If you want to leave your homeland and practice your religion elsewhere, one that has not been able to co exist with the 21st century, you need to compromise on certain privacies elsewhere. Not really a big deal.

 

Again, you are trying to posit that ideology is the ends--but it is not. It is the means. The ends is an insular tribalism that is inherent to our species. That tribalism tends to express itself in overtly violent ways in places that view themselves as having been disenfranchised, cornered, under threat, etc. (i.e. post-WWI Germany, post-revolution France/Russia/China, modern MENA, etc.).

 

Dark times call for drastic measures. No One is being exterminated. Just giving our feds a little work to do. And they could use it. I'm tired of the war, done with it, too many close to me have been affected, but if this country wants to remain in the ME in any shape or form you can bet your ass extremists will continue to attack us. Doesn't matter what a few small business owners like dmc tell them.

In order to CONTROL the cycle of hate and network of violence, you have to take CONTAINMENT measures. There is NO other way unless you do away with capitalism.

 

it is completely irrelevant. Just because Christianity was bad in the past is not an excuse for Islam to be bad today. Christianity has undergone internal reform, Islam has not, and I highly doubt it will be able to in the near future because the overwhelming opinion/interpretation of the faith is that Mohammad was the ideal human and anything that he did is acceptable.

The fact that he personally committed what we would today consider heinous crimes (even though it was during war) is enough to show that he is not an example people should be basing their lives upon (spiritual life is one thing - I won't argue that, but I am specifically talking about his actions, not anything spiritual).

 

So you are asking people to think that Islam is a threat to their lives and that it must be stopped from spreading correct? That's it? Take no action, just see it as a threat and do whatever you can to stop it.

Very Orwellian. FEAR ISLAM EVERYONE!

Do you realize this is the very definition of xenophobia

You are not trying to change Islam, nor are you trying to stop these horrific practices. No, you are trying to get people to FEAR Islam as a threat.

"Oh my god, if these people come here they will take over our culture and turn us into Muslims".

You are a disgusting man. A xenophobic loser who uses a basketball forum to demonize 1 billion people. People like you need help.

 

You think I am trying to excuse Islam when I am really excusing Christianity and saying that can be a template for Islam to reform. Christianity was just as fervent about JC being ideal and anyone who disagreed or questioned in many cases were killed.

The more people like ATW carry on their crusade to contain Islam and make more people like downtheriver, the worse the situation will get. These radicals stem from isolation. Radicalism festers in closed dark places and then spreads as it finds impressionable victims to convert.

You break it out by engaging those areas where it festers. You fight Radical Islam not with weapons but ideas. And you can't do that unless you engage. You strengthen moderates and enable them to turn against those who favor taking them backwards.

Fact is most Muslims fear the extremists and want them to be defeated. Not by us, but by them.

 

This is what ATW's true aim is here. To make people like this. ATW has no action he wants people to take. He wants to "raise awareness" so he can make as many people as possible fear Islam and move in this direction.

 

Oh please. You are not here to call attention to the horrors of Islam. You are hear to tell us it is evil. Stop pretending you bigot.

 

Your first point would be a relevant point, except for the fact that JC did not commit atrocities that he would likely be put in jail for life/be sentenced to death for in modern society. JC was a pacifist and none of his personal actions could be used to justify the heinous crimes his "followers" committed 100s of years after his death.

Also, you are really reaching at straws here... ATW states something specifically, then you say his goal is to do the opposite of what he originally stated. ATW's intentions really have no meaning in the debate, as long as his points are relevant and accurate. If you aren't debating his points, it seems it is to the point where you have lost the debate and continue to just attack him outside of the scope of the entire subject. Even if he was to hate Islam and want all Muslims dead it would have zero relevance to his argument that Islam as it is currently interpreted (by the majority of Muslims) is incompatible with a modern, secular society.

Can you at least admit that we have a point that those beliefs we mentioned previously and the actions by Mohammad were wrong and unacceptable, regardless of the circumstances? If you can't even admit that it was wrong for Mohammad to marry a 6 year old child or order the killing of several innocent civilians, simply for speaking out against him, etc then there really is no point to continue to debate you further.

 

ATW will not address his agenda. He says he wants to "warn" people about Islam and "wake" people up that Islam is a threat and people need to "stop this". These are very strange code words and he won't explain further as to what he means. The obvious interpretation by someone like downbyriver is that means to contain Islam and prevent it from spreading - treating it like a viral disease of ideas. If you argue that Islam is a dangerous idea - that the Koran will corrupt the mind of someone who reads it and turns them into a violent zombie, I think you are going to a place that is actually what we in the modern world call a xenophobe.

7% of Islam is politically radicalized. 7%. That can not be used to condemn the other 93% as ATW is doing here. Muslims in America are the most pacifist group of all major religions in America.

Trying to link Muslims as violent based on one poll is xenophobic and a huge leap in logic. If you don't agree, I'd suggest you have your own bias as well.

 

You are a despicable human being. Look at how much hate is in you. By the way, "r****d" is an insult used by 5 year olds.

 

from wikipedia - it doesn't take much to show the Xenophobe up.

Of course ATW will cherry pick from this to justify his views but won't ever address those facts which contradict him. We know how he operates.