{"id":1938,"date":"2010-12-01T12:21:55","date_gmt":"2010-12-01T17:21:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dangeroustalk.net\/?p=1938"},"modified":"2010-12-01T12:21:55","modified_gmt":"2010-12-01T17:21:55","slug":"the-taboos-of-criticizing-religion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.dangeroustalk.net\/?p=1938","title":{"rendered":"The Taboos of Criticizing Religion"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a critical thinker, I criticize a lot of ridiculous ideas. 9\/11 Truthers<\/a>, grand conspiracy theorists, ghosts, aliens, psychic powers, etc. are all things which I am critical of even though I actually believe in some of them to some degree. But when it comes to religion everyone gets offended.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with Christianity. I probably spend the most time criticizing Christian ideas and ridiculous beliefs. As soon as I start criticizing Christianity, Christians complain that I spend so much time \u201cattacking\u201d them personally. I have to inform them that these criticisms are not personal attacks but rather criticisms of ridiculous ideas which can and often do become dangerous. In fact, I think Christianity is the most dangerous set of ideas humans have ever conceived.<\/p>\n

This is when Christians whine about being persecuted (despite the fact that 80% of the nation identifies themselves as Christian) and bitch that I never criticize other religions. The truth is that I do criticize other religions and when I do I get other forms of whining.<\/p>\n

Enter the Muslims. I criticize the religion of Islam often enough and when I do, I get more liberal Muslims whining in much the same way more liberal Christians whine when I point out the absurdities in their holy book. I also get Christians and even atheists warning me of the risks of criticizing Islam. Yet to date I have received more death threats from Christians than Muslims.<\/p>\n

But the religion that is the most taboo to criticize is the very religion I left so many years ago. Judaism cannot be criticized and Israel can do no wrong apparently. Whenever I do attempt to criticize either I receive massive amounts of hate mail labeling me \u201canti-Semitic<\/a>\u201d despite the fact that I was born into the Jewish culture and indoctrinated into the ridiculous ideas of the Jewish religion at near birth.<\/p>\n

My issues with Judaism as a religion are criticisms of the ridiculous beliefs that Jews are supposed to hold. The fact is that most Jews in America find much of those beliefs as ridiculous as I do. Many just believe in some vague higher power concept (rather than he character described in the Torah) and follow traditions which have become just a meaningless part of their culture. It is when I point out the meaninglessness of those traditions that many Jews get annoyed. Also, when I point out that much of the culture that was taught through the Torah is actually not true many Jews get offended.<\/p>\n

For example, the Jews were NEVER slaves in Egypt. The book of Exodus is a total and complete lie. It is fiction and when Jews use that fiction to incite guilt I have to call them out on it. As for Israel, that is a little more complicated because the Nazis were real. Christianity did start the belief that Jews were no longer God\u2019s chosen people because Jews killed their imaginary savor, Jesus. As a result, most countries in Europe did not like the Jews for that reason and do continue to discriminate against them even today.<\/p>\n

Ideally, the Allies should have forced Germany to reintegrate the Jewish population the way the North forced the South to reintegrate former black slaves after the civil war. The US even offered a small part of Alaska to the Jews. But ultimately, the Jews wouldn\u2019t settle for anything less than the worthless piece of desert that their imaginary God promised them. Unfortunately, that same imaginary God promised that same worthless piece of desert land to the Palestinians.<\/p>\n

When I point out the ridiculousness of this situation and inform people that God (which doesn\u2019t exist) did not promise that land to either group and that both groups should relocate, I become the anti-Semitic. For the record, there is actually real anti-Semitism out there. There are real people who hate Jews because they believe that the Jews killed Jesus or for some other reason. But when some Jews and former Jews throw that term around at anyone (including a former Jew) every time the Jewish religion, culture, and\/or the state of Israel<\/a> is criticized, they dilute the term and attempt to stifle legitimate criticisms.
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