[Verv]

This is a valid question.

In the 21st century there are still nations which routinely execute homosexuals and essentially bar atheists/agnostics from speaking out against religion. They are predominantly located in the Middle East.

Women are treated as cattle.

Even European politicians have been attacked by these people -- movements by Islamic countries have even put embargoes on certain European countries and products, and there is a stark movement to curtail freedom to criticize Islam in European nations that is somehow being acknowledged by the cowards they call European politicians.

Yes, Christians have done unchristian things but if you look at the nations with a Christian heritage today you will find that they are the freest nations on Earth.

If you look at predominantly atheist nations, such as China, Japan, North Korea, etc. you will find that there the homosexuals are criticized as well and even pornography is banned in China. They enforce much more strict, Victorian morals than the Christian states.

With a few exceptions, Christians in general have proven that they have no desire to enforce their morals on people collectively. Even though atheists enjoy pretending that school board debates in Kansas are hailing a new dawn of Christian crusades, this superstition is generally ridiculous.

Why isn't Islam the target of more criticism -- especially since there is a dramatic increase of Muslims in Western nations?

Islam epitomizes everything that you accuse Christianity of doing... But it is overlooked.

I just have to say... I want to be left alone and not accused of trying to curb your freedoms.

And I also want to see some other rational critics of Islam.

If anybody needs a dose of atheist tongue-lashing, it isn't the Christians.

Christians today spend most of their time on a horrible campaign to clarify their stances on things and separate themselves from the small, vocal minority that are largely disenfranchised, rural people only given microphones to discredit the majority of us.

If you want to lash out at actual violence, actual hatred, actual Old Testament-style values, Christianity should just be a small sideshow.

Let's see what you have to say about the Main Act.

[Paradigm]

Familiarity breeds contempt. Most of us live in the Christian world, and so we're exposed to Christian nutjobs more often than the nutjobs of other religions. Incidentally, prominent critics of religion such as Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris have leveled a great deal of criticism against Islam, sometimes more harsh than their criticism of Christianity.

[Average Voter]

With a few exceptions, Christians in general have proven that they have no desire to enforce their morals on people collectively.

That is generally the case in the U.S. at least because such Christians, unlike what a lot of people think, do not necessarily believe that physically stopping immoral actions, or physically causing moral actions, necessary teaches people the virtue of morality and love. Christians believe, for instance, that adultery is committed just by lusting at another, not requiring a single touch. Christians believe, for instance, "each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion" 2 Cor 9:7.

What people do not like is Christians not approving of peoples secular and immoral life. People take it as enforcement when a person sins, and the Christian community they live with simply cannot agree and be happy with it. They don't assume that just because a sin is committed private it doesn't affect, or harm, anybody else. People think they cannot be free unless everybody agrees with them, and unless everybody encourages them to live their life no matter how it is lived.

So why so much emphasis on Christianity, as opposed to Islam? Probably because most of the West does not coexist with as many Muslims as Christian, nor does it have as much local history with Islam as Christianity. The secular West often sympathize for them, finding them a good and noble culture. One thing is for sure, though, the Middle East finds the secularization of the west as a far greater threat to to them than Christianity.

[Lucky Strike]

In the West, Christians are in the majority - therefore they are responsible for alllllll the evil in the world. Muslims are in the minority, so no matter how many women they enslave and men they behead, it's a sin to criticize those poor, oppressed people.

[Bosnjak]

Christianity prays good values, like forgiving. Only today I wanted to kill me 3-5 times near a church, I was simply too much on drugs since 3 weeks, I saw painted satanic symbols there painted by fanatic religion haters, and I got paranoia, from them and I had a vision that I will never come in heaven :(

Each time I wanted to kill me a good person made noise with bells, I said satan go away from me go away (because I believed in Satan), I lied there in piss for hours and whined and this saved me, it simply let this things go away

I have different religous backgrounds so I have not the realy free choice (each thing I chose somebody hates me entirely). I decided to be agnostic. What I realy believe I will never say, but for sure it is not Satanism and Atheism. I wanted to commit suicide since 3 weeks with a knife (according to satanic rituals). Today I saw there are still humans who did not lost their humanity.

I had simply a +/- controled shicophrenia or what I believe rather Satan/Sejatan/Manon overtook me, caused by mixing too much different religions, each letter I write is something like curing, from this religion of evilnes.

Real Religion is sometimes better then a Psychatrist.

The experiment started at first, with a Katharic ritual which believes in the duality of god, wich lead slowly to 2 personalities, then came 13 or more different personalities, at the end I believed in Satan, and I wanted to reach immortality by commiting suicide.

In Europe it is simply in to be against any religion, even Satanism is more in.

[PatrickMahoney]

I agree that Islam is sort of one of those "bad" religions out there which is still ultra-conservative and stuck in the 14th century. The thing is we liberals DO speak out against it. Who were most of the people protesting against Ahmad-I'm-a-nut-job? Liberals!

But we should oppose bigotry everywhere. If Fundies weren't so oppressive in the first place, they wouldn't have to be fought against. What you're doing is trying to delegitimize a totally legitimate activist movement by making the oppressed into the oppressor.

[Muslim]

Verv,

Christianity is targeted because you live in a Christian community. In Muslim countries, Islam is targeted by criticism.

Also people usually get affected by what they care about; so you don't feel any tangible criticism towards Islam because you are not a Muslim.

[telluro]

Political correctness. For Europeans after colonialism, there is a general tendency that purifies and whitewashes the non-European and vilifies the European. It's a backlash reaction for centuries of world supremacy, most likely.

[QatzelOk]

Christians are made to see themselves as targeted because this creates a strong warrior class with a vendetta.

The elite create this mythology for their own purposes, and not for the well-being of this constructed angry-class.

[Muslimanka]

I think it depends on which religion is or has historically been dominant in any particular region. Homosexuals here, for example, are certainly most terrified of radical Muslims whereas homosexuals in Serbia are certainly most afraid of radical Orthodox Christians.

In the Islamic world, you'll hardly ever hear of homosexuals and others complaining of oppression from Christians because the Christians usually aren't numerous or powerful enough to oppress anyone. Instead, their fight is with Muslims. I doubt any of the organizations trying to combat the persecution and execution of homosexuals in Iran are talking about Christianity.

[D-Fens]

I doubt any of the organizations trying to combat the persecution and execution of homosexuals in Iran are talking about Christianity.

Iran, nevertheless, has a good policy when it comes to the deviationists and perverts in their own country. It is a pity now, the liberals in America criticize the Iranian people's internal affairs because of this issue.

[telluro]

Christians are made to see themselves as targeted because this creates a strong warrior class with a vendetta.

The elite create this mythology for their own purposes, and not for the well-being of this constructed angry-class.

I'm not a Christian, but it's clear as day from night that Christianity is one of the fair targets of most parts of the Western world.

[Doctor State]

[QatzelOk]

...

[Doctor State]

Yes, I forgot Christians in the west are currently slaves and non-Christians are their masters.

The graph wasn't made for Martians. The intended audience knows the status of Christians in the west. That you can think of a situation where the majority were oppressed demonstrates only that the majority have been oppressed. Why must the graph be all-purpose?

[QatzelOk]

Why must the graph be all-purpose?

I used it for the same purpose as you did.

[MistyTiger]

Why is it targeted?

Well, I think it has to do with language. Most countries know English or at least some. English is probably the most widely spoken language in the world. Christianity is geared toward English speakers and specifically Westerners. Most cultures learn about and to some degree idolize the West. But as they learn more, they find a lot in Christianity to criticize and hate.

[telluro]

Does anyone seriously think that that graph represents the power structure? Do you think Christianity, as Christianity not as individual Christians, has any power or say in politics?

Do you think that a Jesus Christ in piss draws as much attention and controversy as a satire of Muhammed or a depiction of evil Jews?

Think again.

Most Christians themselves are "anti-Christian" in politics. Just like most Europeans themselves are "anti-European".

[Doctor State]

Christians in the west have everything going for them except for their lower average intelligence. They're the dominant paradigm.

I'm more fascinated by the unique pro-Christian, anti-Muslims bent of this forum. I saw it on that thread about the Muslim cartoons (is it 2006 again?) and here's the other half.

Why the sympathy for Christianity here?

[telluro]

Of late, anti-system intellectuals tend to be pro-Christian, even if they themselves are not Christian. That tends to be a reaction to an anti-Christian system. There are still a number of intellectuals who are still stuck in the old atheist militant mentality in which attacking Christianity and Christians is always fair and square, whilst attacking other religions shows a dreaded lack of tolerance.

Can you name one openly Christian power in this world? That is, that it consciously enacts laws based on Christian values for example?