Insults, outrage and the power of the mob

[rug]

September 24, 2012 - 12:07PM
Godless Gross
Dick Gross has written and broadcast about living and dying without a god for over a decade

This weekend was a triumph for moderate Islam.

We should acclaim the restraint of the moderates in the face of pressure from their fundamentalist wing and goading from their atheist and Aussie chauvinist foes.

The Australian Islamic community showed itself to be overwhelmingly law abiding and sensible and this needs to be shouted from the roof tops.

The weekend came and went with no violent outbreaks. The major demonstrations in my town of Melbourne were some of my atheist mates holding up inflammatory signs asserting that all faith is false, and some ugly anti-Muslims despoiling the nation’s flag by contending that somehow the flag and the nation did not embrace tolerance of Islam.

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/blogs/godless-gross/insults-outrage-and-the-power-of-the-mob-20120924-26g0m.html

[Kurska]

1. "some of my atheist mates holding up inflammatory signs asserting that all faith is false"

They are

Get over it

God doesn't exist.

You are of course free to disagree with that, but if you're not prepared to hear that statement you're not prepared to live in a western advanced world.

[rug]

2. Witless.

"Atheists have to prosecute our case with more wit, more tolerance and less animosity."

See where else he used that word.

Not to be unduly rude.

[Kurska]

3. "Tell me I'm foolish softly"

Stop being foolish and then we can laugh about it together.

[cbayer]

5. He has spoken and He has not stuttered.

Don't you just love it when someone can state with such confidence exactly the opposite of what religious fundamentalists state with such confidence, when neither party really knows.

[onager]

4. "This Does Not Represent Us"

From Benghazi, Libya...meaning these are incredibly brave people, IMO. Lots more photos at the link.



http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/09/does-not-represent-us-moving-photos-pro-american-rallies-libya/56803/

[cbayer]

6. Interesting perspective and good advice.

Extremism of any stripe - fundamentalist religious or atheistic - leads to intolerance, which leads to bigotry which leads to hate and violence.