Stallman's opinion of Christianity and Islam...

[greggh]

I find the guy very interesting and have been watching many of his speeches on Google Video and Youtube. I decided I wanted to get to know a bit more about his beliefs not related to software so I took a look at his personal blog http://stallman.org/.

He's not too high on religion, well at least not Christianity and Islam...

http://www.stallman.org/archives/2007-sep-dec.html

07 December 2007 (Disrespect for freedom of speech)

Sudan gave teacher Gillian Gibbons a short jail sentence. The government must hope that its mercy in not subjecting her to the whip will distract international public opinion from Sudan's disrespect for freedom of speech.

Limiting the expression of unpopular views is exceedingly dangerous. Even cruel and odious views, such as Nazism, Christianity, and Islam, must not be censored.

and

29 November 2007 (World-wide muslim fanaticism)

Muslim fanatics attacked Taslima Nasrin's house and forced her to flee from Kolkata to Rajasthan, where she was once again chased out.

To blame Nasrin for the insane hate that religious fanatics feel towards her is not merely injust, it encourages and supports the fanatics.

Meanwhile, in Sudan, other Muslim fanatics demonstrated the cruel spirit of their religion by threatening a teacher with flogging after she let her students name a teddy bear "Mohammad".

Whether or not Nasrin said the Koran should be changed, I will say that it should be discarded and forgotten. (The Koran was changed plenty during the first centuries of Islam, according to evidence presented in Why I Am Not a Muslim, by Ibn Warraq.)

Well at least he is consistent in his condemnation of both major religions. I've seen so many progressives these days making excuses for Islam while strongly condemning Christianity here in the U.S. for what are in my opinion much less important perceived offences.

[Tsuroerusu]

By the way, take a look at this (It's hilarious): http://www.gnu.org/fun/jokes/shit-happens.html.

Well at least he is consistent in his condemnation of both major religions.

You can say many things about Richard Stallman, but one thing you absolutely cannot accuse him of is being non-consistant, or a hypocrite.

I've seen so many progressives these days making excuses for Islam while strongly condemning Christianity here in the U.S. for what are in my opinion much less important perceived offences.

Couldn't agree more! Often when I'm at some older family member's birthday party (Or some other arrangement where you could be sitting at a table eating for HOURS), I often sit there among older people who tend to be more religious than your average Dane, and when they start talking about the news and what is happening in the world, they a giant tendency to always use degrading words when they refer to, or directly mention Islam, meanwhile, they also talk about that they were at church on some date. I personally don't wish for the death of others, I consider it unethical to do so, but these old people are irritating beyond moral, it's not bombs that make the world such a sad place, it's freaking prejudices and mistrust against other people. What frustrates me is that some people seem to believe in this "they're all terrorists"-picture the media (At least here in DK) paints Muslims with, which is absurd! I have friends that are Muslims, and one of them is one of the most respectful, most kind hearted people I have ever met! )=(=?=($½{$½{¥½[$½[{4566>)()=?(?=/?/&()()=

[jnash2001]

By the way, take a look at this (It's hilarious): http://www.gnu.org/fun/jokes/shat-happens.html.

so if the seems that the forum here mangles some words like shit

[Tsuroerusu]

By the way, take a look at this (It's hilarious): http://www.gnu.org/fun/jokes/shat-happens.html.

so if the seems that the forum here mangles some words like shat

Oh geez!!! DANN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FIX THIS SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Wally Balljacker]

What frustrates me is that some people seem to believe in this "they're all terrorists"-picture the media (At least here in DK) paints Muslims with, which is absurd! I have friends that are Muslims, and one of them is one of the most respectful, most kind hearted people I have ever met!

Sure, all religions have their moderates, but I'd still be curious to know why he is a Muslim. It seems like the vast majority of Muslims are not really Muslim by choice. Their particular faith is more or less a by-product of the culture in which they were born and raised in. The same can be said about most other religions as well. Most Christians are Christian simply because they were born into a Christian family, within a heavily Christian society. It's pretty much entirely arbitrary. Had you or I been born in India, we would have been raised Hindu, had we been born in Japan, it probably would have been Buddhist. After realizing that, I can't possibly choose to adhere to *any* religion, because I can't think of any reason to genuinely take one more seriously than another.

Just my two cents.

[Tsuroerusu]

What frustrates me is that some people seem to believe in this "they're all terrorists"-picture the media (At least here in DK) paints Muslims with, which is absurd! I have friends that are Muslims, and one of them is one of the most respectful, most kind hearted people I have ever met!

Sure, all religions have their moderates, but I'd still be curious to know why he is a Muslim.

It's a girl, in case you wanted to know!
Well, she's from Pakistan, so her family are Muslims, like mine are Protestant Christians.

It seems like the vast majority of Muslims are not really Muslim by choice. Their particular faith is more or less a by-product of the culture in which they were born and raised in. The same can be said about most other religions as well. Most Christians are Christian simply because they were born into a Christian family, within a heavily Christian society. It's pretty much entirely arbitrary. Had you or I been born in India, we would have been raised Hindu, had we been born in Japan, it probably would have been Buddhist.

Japan is an interesting one, because the branch of Buddhism they have there have intermixed with their native Shinto religion extremely heavily, however most Japanese aren't very religious as far as I have heard.

After realizing that, I can't possibly choose to adhere to *any* religion, because I can't think of any reason to genuinely take one more seriously than another.

"But he loves you!"

[Wally Balljacker]

"But he loves you!"

Which one?

[Tsuroerusu]

"But he loves you!"

Which one?

Judaism, Christianity and Islam all worship the same god.

[Wally Balljacker]

"But he loves you!"

Which one?

Judaism, Christianity and Islam all worship the same god.

Well, Judaism and Christianity have the same god, but Islam is debatable. I was more or less referring to the thousands of other dead gods that have existed throughout Human history. Zues, Thor, Apollo, Odin, etc, etc.

[Tsuroerusu]

Which one?

Judaism, Christianity and Islam all worship the same god.

Well, Judaism and Christianity have the same god, but Islam is debatable.

No, I know this for a fact. In school we had Islam as the topic for a long time. All three are abrahamic, monotheistic religions, and they refer to the same god. However, they are different in the history and the "word".

I was more or less referring to the thousands of other dead gods that have existed throughout Human history. Zues, Thor, Apollo, Odin, etc, etc.

Ahh, I see! Then. ... BOW DOWN BEFORE ME!!!!!! Just kidding!

[Wally Balljacker]

No, I know this for a fact. In school we had Islam as the topic for a long time. All three are abrahamic, monotheistic religions, and they refer to the same god. However, they are different in the history and the "word".

I would have to disagree.

Another important distinction is that throughout the Quran, the teachings are to destroy all others outside of Islam in the name of Allah. In comparison, the Christian God is a god of love. Jesus tells us in Luke 6:27-28: "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you and pray for them which despitefully use you." In addition, the Muslims despise Jews, but the Christian Bible says that the Jews are the apple of God's eye and that whoever blesses her will be blessed and whoever curses her will be cursed. (Genesis 12:2-3)

These are fundamental distinctions! The Muslim god and the Christian god are not the same.

http://www.allaboutreligion.org/muslim- ... me-faq.htm

Also, http://www.geocities.com/stat23mj/cults ... lam01.html

[Tsuroerusu]

No, I know this for a fact. In school we had Islam as the topic for a long time. All three are abrahamic, monotheistic religions, and they refer to the same god. However, they are different in the history and the "word".

I would have to disagree.

Another important distinction is that throughout the Quran, the teachings are to destroy all others outside of Islam in the name of Allah. In comparison, the Christian God is a god of love. Jesus tells us in Luke 6:27-28: "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you and pray for them which despitefully use you." In addition, the Muslims despise Jews, but the Christian Bible says that the Jews are the apple of God's eye and that whoever blesses her will be blessed and whoever curses her will be cursed. (Genesis 12:2-3)

These are fundamental distinctions! The Muslim god and the Christian god are not the same.

http://www.allaboutreligion.org/muslim- ... me-faq.htm

Also, http://www.geocities.com/stat23mj/cults ... lam01.html

Hmmmm OK, fair enough. The thing I have heard is that the two religions worship the same god, but they each have their different perception of that god. Christianity essentially stresses god's love and forgivingness, where as Islam really hammers home God's laws and rules. Islam is also a religion of law, because it has the Sharia law, Christianity does not have that.

[davijordan]

I think that all organized big religion should be abolished in favor of altruism and the golden rule. Altruism does not not require big cathedrals and a hierarchy that is self serving. Most of the problems of the world are caused by religious zealots of both western and eastern origins trying to protect their marbles. Churches should be turned into schools and homes.

[Patrick]

I think that all organized big religion should be abolished in favor of altruism and the golden rule. Churches should be turned into schools and homes.

This was tried already in the Soviet Union.
<sarcasm>It was a huge success.</sarcasm>
Churches do help a lot of people believe it or not. Why do atheists like to paint anybody with a shred of spirituality or religiousness as a bigot or an extremist? We're not all fundamentalists. Some of the most scientifically astute minds I've ever known were clergy.

[greggh]

Why do atheists like to paint anybody with a shred of spirituality or religiousness as a bigot or an extremist? We're not all fundamentalists.

Not all atheists think that way of religious/spiritual people. I for one, as an agnostic, doubt very much that it's even more than 50% of religious people that are bigots/extremists.