Best comparative religion books according to redditors
We found 162 Reddit comments discussing the best comparative religion books. We ranked the 75 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 162 Reddit comments discussing the best comparative religion books. We ranked the 75 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
I don't read books bro.
Just kidding!
The Devil's Game by Robert Dreyfuss
This book is a comprehensive guide to the middle east and western politics
http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Game-Unleash-Fundamentalist-American/dp/0805081372
Edit: (I can't believe I forgot this one)
The Great Game by Peter Hopkirk
The great game was played by Russia and The British, this has everything to do with today's afghanistan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Game_(Peter_Hopkirk_book)
Taliban by Ahmed Rashid
This is mostly about Afghanistan through the eyes of a well informed and respected journalist
http://www.amazon.com/Taliban-Militant-Islam-Fundamentalism-Central/dp/0300089023
In general, academic philosophy of religion is dominated by theistic philosophers, so there aren't many works defending atheism and atheistic arguments in the professional literature.
But there are still a few notable books:
I didn't add him because others have already mentioned him, but everything written by Graham Oppy is fantastic IMO. He is maybe the leading atheist philosopher in the field of philosophy of religion. A good place to start with his writings is his 2013 paper on arguments for atheism.
Reading Limits to Growth, E.F. Schumacher, and listening to The Extraenvironmentalist.
I really like reading Morris Berman. He wrote a trilogy on human consciousness, then a trilogy on the American empire. Robert Bellah is another good writer.
For me the biggest thing was learning that technology cannot solve everything, and that we're only decades from collapse. I also learned just how bad our environmental problems are, and that climate change is just part of it.
At first I thought becoming some kind of activist progressive was the right idea, but then I quickly moved away from that. Now I'm more of a radical and I'm not looking for solutions to the problem. I got to this point after reading many books on the topics of social and environmental collapse.
Just wanted to restate my case based on all of the PM's I've been getting from people saying I hate America, love terrorists, etc. I am agnostic and did not grow up in a religious household. I just think that if you look at events leading up to most wars you will find that religion was not as responsible for violence as other factors. Most of what I wrote here was a very, very, very crudely summarized version of what much smarter people have said. Most of the facts I stated came from this book for those of you who are interested. Also, I don't hate America, I don't think suicide bombers are saints, and I don't hate atheists. I think that answers all of the questions raised by the PM's. Hope I didn't piss too many people off with this one.
Humanistic or nontheistic Paganism is actually a recognized spiritual path in the Pagan movement. Often they're pantheists or what's called soft polytheists by some people.. Soft polytheists in the non-theistic sense tend to see Gods as archetypes of natural forces, thought forms (models in our own mind we give power to), or personifications of human nature rather an actual literal entities.
>This is contrasted with "soft" polytheism, which holds that gods may be aspects of only one god, that the pantheons of other cultures are representative of one single pantheon, psychological archetypes or personifications of natural forces.
​
These may help. One is a website dedicated to nontheistic paganism, and the other is an anthology by non-theistic Pagans.
https://humanisticpaganism.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Godless-Paganism-Voices-Non-Theistic-Pagans/dp/1329943570
​
Books recommended by Hamza Yusuf in the video:
Most of the people who, by all accounts I've seen, carried out the attacks on the WTC and killed those people were from Saudi Arabia...
So why did we attack Iraq?
The spread of fundamentalist Islam was promoted by US agencies to help fight the spread of communism. Please see "Devil's Game" for source material. (http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Game-Unleash-Fundamentalist-American/dp/0805081372)
Haitian Vodou ("voodoo" is the term used primarily to distinguish Louisiana voodoo, which is different) did originate in west Africa (the primary source of slaves for the Atlantic slave trade). Vodou is conceptualized as a syncretic mix of traditional African religious practices mixed with distinctly New World elements.
Vodou is descended from several different west African religious traditions. A French man named Mederic Louis Elie Moreau de Saint-Mery traced the origin of Vodou to Dahomey (roughly modern Benin) and Kingdom of Arada Arada. Vodou has its origins among the Fon people (Dahomey people) in Benin, Nigeria, and Togo. These areas are thought to be ancestral to modern day vodou.
However, modern day Vodou as its practiced in Haiti and elsewhere in the African diaspora, is quite distinct from African traditional religions. It is certainly has African roots, but it has also been profoundly influenced by Catholicism and the experiences of slaves.
Sources:
A Celtic Miscellany: Selected and Translated by Kenneth Hurlstone Jackson to get an idea of the variety within 'Celticism' and to get a feel of the myths and tales.
The Celts: Bronze Age to New Age by Haywood. A bit of a general book about the Celts.
Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe: Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions by H R Ellis Davidson. A more scholarly work placing the Celts in the larger context of Northern European peoples.
Of course there's plenty more.
Feelings of resentment, judgement and feeling judged are generally a result of comparing ourselves to others and perceiving some unfairness. Our natural tendency to make this comparison has been exploited and amplified by advertisers and politicians, encouraging us to resent our neighbours' success and desire what they have over what we have ourselves. We're persuaded to work shitty jobs to buy endless versions of the same product and tonnes of plastic crap solely on the grounds that everyone has it, playing on the fear that not having the very latest version marks us out as less successful, less discerning, or just lazy.
It's a trap that's hard to get out of, but a good start is to stop comparing yourself to other people. We are not all the same, we don't all want the same things, so why should we judge ourselves or anyone else on where they work, what they choose to own or how they choose to live? If someone's judgement of you is based on a standard you don't recognise, you don't have feel the sting of it; their opinion is based on faulty logic.
Concentrate on what you have, and work on feeling genuine gratitude. We all have much more than we think. The world is very beautiful, but we rarely notice because we've been convinced other things are better and more important. Spend time just looking, listening and feeling, just being in the world - it's actually quite a friendly place if you approach it with friendly openness rather than fear and suspicion.
Another antidote is to stop taking things personally. People are sometimes rude, unkind or unpleasant without meaning to be, or because they're in pain or under stress. It's not really aimed at you, you just happen to be there - it's not personal. We have all, at one time or another taken our pain and problems out on others, even those closest to us. So even if a criticism is well aimed from someone you love, you can ask yourself first how that person might be feeling; are they lashing out from their own pain? Do they mean to hurt you? Is it possible they are actually trying to help by pointing out something that concerns them? Consider these things before you react, and much unnecessary pain can be avoided.
Once you get into the habit of asking these questions you'll start to notice how prone people are to taking personally things that in reality have very little to do with them, how quick we are to turn misunderstanding into offense and insult without a second thought, and how, feeling somehow diminished by it, we pass it on by taking our anger out on the next person in line. And how you can break that chain by not taking it personally.
Lastly, seek out new ways of looking at the world, different ways to assign meaning and value. The wider your perspective, the more flexible your thinking, the easier it is to empathise, to see the reality of other people's lives, and the harder it becomes to resent what they have or pass judgement, on them or on yourself.
Try this, for a mythological/metaphorical perspective.
I would recommend staying away from the polemics. Authors like Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris all have books worth reading, but not really if you want a primer on atheistic alternatives in the areas of worldview, ethics, etc. I will say that Dawkins's earlier works on science would be good, but God Delusion is not an exposition of an atheistic worldview, but rather an attack on religion, and a messy, at times ignorant and oversimplified one at that (I bet I'll get crucified for saying that). As one religious studies student to another, it is a book that gets awfully frustrating every time you realize that he has a horrible grasp of the relevant data.
Books that would be really great to read:
George H. Smith's Atheism: The Case Against God is an approachable critique of some of the more popular arguments for God's existence.
Julian Baggini's Atheism: A Brief Insight is a really good and thorough survey of the explanation, arguments, history, and ethics of atheism.
Greg Epstein's Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe really gets into where someone goes once he/she has already concluded that God doesn't exist. He looks at how one builds a nonreligious life of meaning. Epstein is definitely in the "friendly atheist" category. As the Humanist Chaplain at Harvard (strange, oxymoronic titles aside) he has done a great deal of work with the Pluralism Project in their School of Divinity. He has even worked with inter-religious groups like the InterFaith Youth Core.
A long, but very much worth the time and highly recommended book is Jennifer Michael Hecht's Doubt: A History: The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson. In it, she goes very thoroughly through the long history of religious skepticism. She looks at the lives and questions of philosophers, scientists, poets, politicians, even some religious figures who have gone through the "dark night of the soul." This is a book that I think every atheist should read to learn that religious folks aren't the only ones with a long and storied tradition. It is a good grounding in history for secularists.
It's been about 5-6 years since I last studied religious extremism and terrorism, so I'm not the most qualified to answer this question, but I can recommend Terror in the Mind of God by Mark Juergensmeyer. He does a good job of getting into some of the causes, as well as the mindset of those committing the acts of religious extremism and terrorism and their supporters.
Good without God by Harvard Humanist Chaplain Greg Epstein is a great read to help you realize the inherent good and meaning in life without the need of a deity.
EDIT: Also The Portable Atheist by Christopher Hitchens.
Not a book as such, but the Wikipedia article gives a nice summary.
A little more in-depth on the history of atheism in/around the Enlightenment, I found Michel Onfray's The Atheist Manifesto to contain lots of interesting information. Be warned, though, that Onfray makes Hitchens look moderate.
There are undoubtedly better books. You might want to look at the references cited in the Wikipedia article.
My apologies. I forgot the part where anecdotal (and unsubstantiated) evidence thrumps scolars and historical research.
The Wahhabi movement (which is the root of the Islamic fundie movements) started in the 19th century but was a marginalized group (even more than the Westborogh idiots) until the Cold War when the US/UK started to fund them. This is the root of the problem.
Add to this the issue of Israel, the colonial/postcolonial fuckups, the support of dictators, and you'll get a brew of anti-Western sentiment that is only able to express itself through Islamic fundamentalism as all the secular alternatives failed.
There are plenty of examples of this:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/07/30/how-israel-helped-create-hamas/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Devils-Game-Unleash-Fundamentalist-American/dp/0805081372
http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-sponsored-islamic-fundamentalism-the-roots-of-the-us-wahhabi-alliance/5303558
Want some more? Get to read.
One of the better books to start with (barring finding actual living, breathing practitioners in your area) is Mama Lola by Karen Brown.
You might also get something from reading the introductory material to Kenaz Filan's The Haitian Voudou Handbook. (Note: Kenaz isn't Haitian.)
And there's always Stephen Grasso's Clean Living in Difficult Circumstances, and moreso his Smoke and Mirrors series, which is a British-American Voodoo perspective on urban life and music, and a history of the city of London.
This is something that I have been looking into for the past month or so. Here are some good books that I've either read or am currently reading, and seem to have gotten positive reception from academics and experts and etc. Not all of these are specifically about all three subjects you mention, but taken as whole they will probably give you a pretty good understanding of what you want to know about.
You might also be interested in this journal paper about "McJihad", which goes over the relationship between political Islam and US hegemony, and was converted into a chapter of Carbon Democracy.
Book recommendation: Devil's Game: How the United States Helped Unleash Fundamentalist Islam
It is basically about how the US (and other governments in the west) actively nurtured extremist groups as a weapon and/or shield against communism and secular nationalism in the region. It is not directly related to the video of OP, but provides some important historical context.
Good without God is a pretty good introduction to humanism. Good opener. If you want to branch out further you might also want to look into Stoicism ("All men are made one for another") and Epicurean philosophy as these are ancient versions of humanism.
My brother, I feel your pain and struggle. You are losing the only foundation you’ve known and are in free fall regarding your faith, or lack thereof. This struggle is actually good, but painful to go through.
I’m not qualified to tell you what to become, or to believe. That depends on your research and desire. I found solace through Humanism (as an agnostic atheist) and it’s not a sad grumpy existence at all. Others have channeled their faith into other religions. Sadly, others have transitioned to other cults, but that’s a different story by itself.
I highly recommend a book called Good Without God by Greg Epstein. I think it may clarify some things for you.
Maybe others can recommend resources for those inclined to remain faithful to the concept of a deity but in a healthier way.
Good Without God on Amazon
On the topic of the correlation between religion and violence I would recommend http://www.amazon.com/Terror-Mind-God-Religious-Comparative/dp/0520240111 (this one is in many ways better, but in Norwegian: http://www.adlibris.com/no/product.aspx?isbn=8203293220&gclid=CP30lPjT2L0CFeEGcwoduDoAnw ).
On stoning and Islam:
>In the Kuwaiti Encyclopedia of Islamic Jurisprudence, we read the following:
>Ibn Qudamah wrote: “Muslim jurists are unanimous on the fact stoning to death is a specified punishment for married adulterer and adulteress. The punishment is recorded in number of traditions and the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stands as an authentic source supporting it. This is the view held by all Companions, Successors and other Muslim scholars with the exception of Kharijites.”
>Al-Bahuty said: “The authentic practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) supports stoning to death as a punishment specified for adultery. In addition, the verse commanding this punishment was revealed in the Qur’an. Later, it was verbally abrogated but its ruling is still binding.
Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Almighty Allah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) with the truth and revealed unto Him the Qur’an. Among the revelation (brought by him) was the verse stipulating that married adulterer and adulteress should be stoned to death. We read, comprehended and understood it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) acted in accordance with that and so did all of us. I fear, by the passage of time, that some people will say: ‘We do not find this verse in the Qur’an’, and thus they go astray abandoning an obligation given to them by Allah. Stoning to death is a Divine obligation and punishment specified for any married adulterer or adulteress once there is four witnesses or the confession of the accused.”<br /> <br /> <br /> &gt;In another narration,Umar added: “By the One in Whose hands is my soul, had it not been that people would say: ‘Umar added to the Book of Allah, I would have reinserted it. It (the verse) read: “A married man and woman, if they commit adultery, stone them to death. This is a punishment from Allah. Allah is Almighty and Wise.”<br /> <br /> &gt;Finally, we would like to note that there are many incidents in the Sunnah and the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in which the Prophet stoned the married adulterer and adulteress to death. This happened in the case of Maiz and the Ghamidi woman. All this makes it clear that the punishment is proven and authentic and is not debatable.(http://web.archive.org/web/20100616223242/http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&amp;cid=1119503545902)
Furthermore:
>When asked about the death penalty for those who leave the Muslim religion, at least three-quarters of Muslims in Jordan (86%), Egypt (84%) and Pakistan (76%) say they would favor making it the law; in Nigeria, 51% of Muslims favor and 46% oppose it. In contrast, Muslims in Lebanon, Turkey and Indonesia largely reject the notion that harsh punishments should be the law in their countries.
http://web.archive.org/web/20120701175526/http://www.pewglobal.org/2010/12/02/muslims-around-the-world-divided-on-hamas-and-hezbollah
I think we can safely say that ignoring the ties between stoning and islam as a religion is rather unfounded.
> they don't understand the world around them, they fear change, and they want control
This is pretty much the textbook definition of fundamentalism as distilled in the massive study by theologians R. Scott Appleby and Martin E. Marty. Fundamentalism, they found, is an anti-modernist movement distinct from any of the many belief systems it claims to exemplify; "a reactive, absolutist, and comprehensive mode of anti-secular religious activism".
Bart Ehrman's books & videos are a great start for the accuracy of the Bible. He is very clear especially considering he's an academic. Forged would be the best one specifically about the accuracy of the Bible. His books are linked at his website: http://www.bartdehrman.com/books.htm
There are no historical documents of Jesus' life, only a few references to Christians from later documents. Nobody disputes that people believed in Jesus, so those don't really prove anything. It's clear that people believed in Thor and Zeus too. That doesn't mean a thing.
Whether faith is helpful or good, can't help you there. I think it's totally useless except to control sociopaths with low IQs.
For morality, check out Good without God: http://www.amazon.com/Good-Without-God-Billion-Nonreligious/dp/006167012X
or Sam Harris The Moral Landscape: http://www.samharris.org/the-moral-landscape
Science vs religion: that's kind of apples & oranges despite what believers keep saying. Science is a method of investigating hunches. Religion is subservience to an unproven deity.
How about the science of religion? Try Michael Shermer: The Science of Good and Evil: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0805077693/ or The Believing Brain: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1250008808/ or Why We Believe Weird Things: http://www.amazon.com/People-Believe-Weird-Things-Pseudoscience/dp/0805070893/
Thanks for visiting. An unexamined belief system is not worth believing!
Funny enough, a "voodoo doll" is a European poppet. Even if we're talking about African-derived magical practices, that remains a totally European thing! 😋
(There's nothing that says you can't practice magical traditions and be a vodouisant but that's not related to serving "the dead and the mysteries.")
Also, I should say I'd recommend Mama Lola if anyone is interested in expanding their knowledge. It situates everything in a social context and doesn't grasp around at theological abstractions.
You tell me. Did the text of the Quran change in that time? If not, then it isn't because of something inherent to Islam, now is it?
In all seriousness, there are lots of explanations that start with Cold War and economic intervention by Western countries in Middle Eastern political affairs, including the support of Wahhabist elements in order to subvert nationalist and socialist governments - along with outright overthrowing of democratically elected governments (Iran 1956) and support of tyrannical rulers that led to populist revolutions based in fundamentalist Islam and led by religious figures.
If you're truly interested in the answer to that question: read this book
atheist manifesto
If I were doing a Vodou priest (and really, all I know is from reading Mama Lola, which is an amazing book), I'd probably go with either a Shaman or Oracle with either the Ancestors spirit/mystery, or another spirit/mystery appropriate to the particular Lwa that the character has the closest relationship to.
Of the two, I'd probably pick shaman because they have a really interesting, diverse spell list, and because, as prepared casters, they can pick different spells each day. Different spells plus, at higher levels, Wandering Spirit and Wandering Hex, bring across some of the flavor of working with different energies at different times.
I took a class on African Religions, so I can help on the Yoruba side!
For a quick primer, pick up Stephen Prothero's God is Not One. It's an introduction to World Religions type book, but it's a great read and he includes an entire chapter specifically on Yoruba.
For more mythology, pick up Osun across the Waters by Muphy and Sanford It's a great history of the Yoruba pantheon and how they crossed to the Americas. Osun has some fantastic myths attached to her.
For a really fun read that's a little off topic, pick up Karen McCarthy-Brown's Mama Lola: A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn. It's an anthropologist's conversations with a Vodou priestess, with descriptions of the ritual (Vodou is a daughter religion to Yoruba - they share a lot of the same ideas and gods), and every other chapter is a short story written by the author that explores some of the history and themes of the tradition. Her descriptions of the various orishas/lwas are really fun reading.
Read Mama Lola in an Anthro undergrad class - intersperses the ethnographic account with details on the gods.
This is the best introductory book on Christian Theology, in my opinion.
I'll have to check that one out myself.
A lot broader (and a little pricier) is "A History of Pagan Europe" by Nigel Pennick and Prudence Jones, but you can preview a decent amount on Amazon. If you go to Table of Contents and click on Chapter 5, that has some basics about the Celts (including the Helvetii) and touches on some similarities and differences between Celtic and Germanic traditions: https://www.amazon.com/History-Pagan-Europe-Prudence-Jones/dp/0415158044
"Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe" might be worth it, too; if you buy a used paperback it's not too expensive. If I remember correctly, it's a bit more dense, but both of these books are fairly academic: https://www.amazon.com/Myths-Symbols-Pagan-Europe-Scandinavian/dp/0815624417
I've only read bits and pieces of both, so I'm not comfortable recommending them, exactly, but they might have some of the info you're looking for.
If you haven't, read Bernardo Kastrup's More Than Allegory. A very similar "parable" (in part three) to what you are describing. Plus, its a pretty great book, regardless.
https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Allegory-Religious-Belief/dp/1785352873%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q%26tag%3Dduckduckgo-d-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1785352873
Man, this entire thread is a textbook example of the clash between a sincerity mindset, which is concerned with making every action completely "true for the individual," and the ritual mindset, which is concerned primarily with traditions because there are legitimate benefits that come from ritual. Check out this book by a couple of academics if you feel like nerding out and understanding why people are drawn/not drawn to ritual and/or personal experience.
Mr. Baldy, religion is a tool which can teach people to do good or ill, and in many cases people feel that the ills outweigh the goods done. For instance, Christianity has in done its share to lead to some awful things such as inquisitions, crusades, and the modern day hate group such as Westboro Baptist Church. And just about every other religion that westerners consider harmless have their violent sects. i would recommend reading the book Terror in the Mind of God
Next. Nobody here 'believes' without a thought in so called darwinism. We accept evolution as true because the evidence points to such. not just shaky evidence, but over a century of research, and it has gotten exponentially stronger evidence in this age of technology; so much even that even the Catholic church officially recognizes the process of evolution as true.
Haven't read it yet, but you might find this book interesting: http://www.amazon.com/Common-Ground-Between-Islam-Buddhism/dp/1891785621
I will recommend this book
"Survey studies show that the great majority of Americans raised in
particular denomination remain members after they become adults. But
of persons who report that the religious affiliation of their parents
was "none," less than 40 percent remained without a religious
affiliation when they grew up. Thus, the majority of offspring of
"nones" convert to some religion (Kluegel, 1980)."
source: page 47-48
"The Future of Religion: Secularization, Revival, and Cult Formation,"
hosted by Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0520057317/
In France, Michel Onfray is a well know philosopher and he also published a book on the subject "Atheist Manifesto: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam" ( http://amzn.to/fhr10Y ). Wich received a lot of attention.
Government always manufactures problems in order to solve them with solutions that worsen the problem, and then claim the solution wasn't applied enough:
[A must read book about how radical islam was created by the united states] (http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Game-Unleash-Fundamentalist-American/dp/0805081372/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1407766564&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=devils+game)
[A must read book about how American technology and foreign aid were the only things upholding a bankrupt and failing Soviet Union] (http://www.reformed-theology.org/html/books/best_enemy/)
This book is written in timeline and contrasts between belief systems.
It's dry, but is well researched and insightful to me.
Not only. This one is a must-own as well.
Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe might be a start. Check your local library.
> Questions about the role of God and religion in today's world have never been more relevant or felt more powerfully. Many of us are searching for a place where we can find not only facts and scientific reason but also hope and moral courage. For some, answers are found in the divine. For others, including the New Atheists, religion is an "enemy."
> But in Good Without God, Greg Epstein presents another, more balanced and inclusive response: Humanism. He highlights humanity's potential for goodness and the ways in which Humanists lead lives of purpose and compassion. Humanism can offer the sense of community we want and often need in good times and bad—and it teaches us that we can lead good and moral lives without the supernatural, without higher powers . . . without God.
I've already got my mom Good without God as a gift, and she was "offended." I'm done trying to get them to understand my position for the time being.
The strongest thing that keeps people going is a strong sense of purpose that they give themselves.
My motivation is doing good for good's sake. I try to make every day a day where I did something meaningful and to try and experience empathy for someone or something and attempt to show some decency and dignity towards them/it. This can come in many ways but that is the gist of it. Living in a big city leaves a multitude of possible things for me to do. Sometimes I'm dropping off some food+soda to a small group of homeless folks. Other times it's just being able to sit down and listen to someone's troubles. Your life is your responsibility (too adult sounding sorry!) and it's important to find purpose and meaning in it. Human beings are unique and no two are alike and even with the same dna they can become different people. Each human life therefor is priceless and we must find it in ourselves to do justice and dignity to each other because once someone is gone we will never see that person ever again. I don't like thinking about shoulda woulda coulda guilt trips when I see I had failed to do something in hind sight. But I always feel at peace when I do the right thing for someone.
A good book to read sometime is Good Without God. It is a book about secular humanism and really helped me when I was looking for some answers and insight into the way I felt but didn't have all the words to explain it more clearly.
Another thing that keeps me rolling is learning new things about the world around me. When I was a kid I wanted to learn everything I could about everything. Even though kids in school were always mean to me I always had a friend in learning. After I graduated high school there was a time I felt comfortable with all that I knew and didn't feel it was important to learn. I lost something along the way. Ever since I became an atheist I have that strong urge to learn again, like a rekindled fire. i have been rebuilding my math skills using khan academy and have been reading science and technology websites every day so I can learn new things and feel that small sense of accomplishment from learning.
TL:DR
I have a sense of purpose that I assigned myself as a means to self motivate and my life is better for it.
It is a sensitive subject to people, because it is so powerful in how ideas and beliefs influence our actions and thoughts. I know why atheists can be so aggressive and mean. A lot of them are suffering from a lack of a moral/value guidance system, secular humanism can be the cure for most atheists and the irreligious. I would be very careful to remove someones belief if it is the sole reason for being, that is akin to murder, and some will fight to protect that reason/belief for their life. Some people lack non-violent communication and discussion skills. I might challenge a deeply held belief but not without offering a replacement of better value and worth. In a dream I had, while changing my beliefs, I dreamt that I went to the core of reality and my soul and changed it like a light bulb, immediatly the chaos and confusion settled down, and the entire world, or my perspective of the world came into order and meaning. Some atheists have had the light ripped from their soul and they search for something to replace that light source. The fact that so many lack this source of light means that it is a social problem that needs professional attention, it is a matter of life and death. I hope you can understand the source of this hostility and maybe you can offer a light source that works for them, like secular humanism, aristotle eudaimonia, or existential psychotherapy and existential philosophy. All those things can help those who rely on reason for establishing a source of light/meaning. So understand that they can not rely on beliefs with out reason, and that they lack a source of light to show them what is valuable. I hope this helps, it depends on your reason for being here to, if it is to serve the world you would learn these things but if you are here to serve your self you will not. I was a christian before and now I am agnostic and a secular humanist, after much academic study of philosophy and the new testament, and after reading "Good without god" by Epstein.
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Without-God-Billion-Nonreligious/dp/006167012X
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_morality
>If you think I am not aware of the data we have you are mistaken.
You are obviously not aware of the data you have or you would not be making factually incorrect assertions about it.
>The same thing it always means.
Ordinarily a word like that would refer to evidence, but you appear to be using it to mean something else. What would that be?
>You have evidence of Muhammad being a hypocrite.
No we don't. You are just asserting that yourself.
>I get your point. I am not trying to assert any facts here. For all I know we are just a simulation in an alien computer. I would never dare to assert a fact.
You did try to assert facts not in evidence, you got called on it and your stupid little "alien" analogy is not valid. If you were asserting as a fact that we were in a computer simulation, you would be corrected on that as well. That is not a remark that somehow magically provide evidence for your claims about Jesus or Muhammed.
I notice you've conveniently ignored all the "indications" in the New Testament itself that Jesus exhibited classic characteristics of other founders of personality cults. There are some aspects that I haven't even mentioned that suggest that as well. In the psychopathology of cult formation^1 , they are usually born in times of psychological crisis and/or cognitive dissonance on the part of the founder. They often self-generate visions or revelations which appear to "explain" everything in a way that makes sense to them and offers perceived compensators (usually supernatural) as an endgame reward for the founder and followers.
The Gospels have Jesus undergoing "temptations" in the wilderness during a period of great cultural stress and crisis for Palestinian Jews in general, for poor Jews (which was most of them) in particular and we don't know what for Jesus himself. The arrest of John the Baptist could have precipitated a personal crisis, or something that has simply been lost to history. After his cognitive struggle in the wilderness, Jesus is depicted as resolving that he has been sent to usher in the Kingdom of God, and sets about doing so.
This is classically how personality cults start, and it's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes founders can be successful at resolving a crisis for themselves or others and the movements can go on to become fairly benign (I'd cite the Ramakrishna Order as an example or maybe the LDS church or arguably even Pauline Christianity).
On a technical level, a "cult" is just a new religious movement that did not split off from an already existing movement (which would make it a sect). It really only designates how a religion begins and does not necessarily denote anything negative or malicious on the part of the founders. The Psychopathology model is not even the only model. Sociological theory recognizes three main models. The Psychopathology model, the Entrepreneur model and something called the Sub-Culture-Evolution model. The Jesus movement, going by the minimal historical information we have, would support the Psychopathology model. The same is true of Muhammed. As far as distinct personalities or motives or relative selfishness, personal hypocrisy, we just don't have the data to be able to do an analytical comparison.
^1 See The Future of Religion: Secularization, Revival and Cult Formation by Rodney Stark and William Sims Bainbridge.
Congratulations, you've discovered one of the basic principles of true atheism: the universe knows no right or wrong, they do not exist inherently. They are constructions we make, our definitions. They are our choices. Some people look to scriptures to get a definition, others make up their own mind based on outcomes, like you describe. I (much) prefer choices, because right or wrong cannot be black and white, and is often a moving goal post depending on culture, needs etc. This is technically the role of the law, and I'd much rather leave it to elected people than to religious leaders.
Now I know there will be plenty of things you disagree with in that book, but I do suggest you read Atheist Manifesto by Michel Onfray (which by the way is not an atheist manifesto, this is poor translation). It explores in great lengths this very topic. As I said, I think some parts will annoy you and I don't expect you to change your mind on religion, but overall it's an interesting outlook into the mind of a (very intellectual) atheist who discusses these eloquently. http://www.amazon.com/Atheist-Manifesto-Against-Christianity-Judaism/dp/161145008X/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1?ie=UTF8&amp;refRID=012FS57ARF3PJXEH5ZZW
It's all perception, I would suggest reading the book "Terror in the Mind of God" It details how all major religions from Christianity, Islam, Judaism and even Buddhism have had extremist elements.
It really is the people and not the religions that are becoming fanatic, the religion is only the vehicle.
You don’t have to believe in the supernatural to be pagan. There are books in the subject . One being
Godless Paganism by John Halstead
https://www.amazon.com/Godless-Paganism-Voices-Non-Theistic-Pagans/dp/1329943570
So far only this: http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentalism-Very-Short-Introduction-Introductions/dp/0199212708/
But it's highly recommended - and a short read.
This does not come as a surprise one bit.
I recommend: Terror in the Mind of God
http://www.amazon.com/Terror-Mind-God-Religious-Comparative/dp/0520240111
You're welcome
>While there may be a small number of violent Buddhists that inhabit a small corner of the earth, that is obviously an edge case. The issue is that the most populous, fastest growing religion has a conqueror prophet as a founder and a blatant unwillingness to reform into modern times (at least in any meaningful way as far as I can tell). I'm not saying its the only toxic ideology, I'm just saying its the biggest one. And just to be clear, I'm using anything that could be interpreted to justify horrifying practices as a toxic ideology. Which brings me back to my original comment- I'm not promoting pro lifers at all, I just think its weird the left would be marching buddies with someone who probably shares 0 of their values in Sarsour.
I don't think we are going to come to a consensus on reddit.
The point is that you do not know Sarsour's values. I know plenty of Muslims in the US that have no aspirations to conquer anything but their morning cup of Joe.
My point remains... You are demoralizing an entire group based on your preconceived ideas about their religion. You are not a religous scholar so you probably have only a very brief time period you are pulling those ideas from. I do not mean that in an insulting way. I only am stating that you are making a very common error. You are taking an idea that has been used for some ugliness and amplifying it. For example, you hear conquering profit and you think that means that is the defining tenant of Islam. For Christianity, you can take Mathew 10:34 and make a similar argument: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword."
Does this mean that Christians are here to slaughter, to divide, or to force conversion? You would probably say that it doesn't because of the context of the verse etc... However, in the past, this, and other ugly verses have been interpreted that way. My distant relatives were forced to convert, or die, because of it. Further, the Muslims who were in the same region of the world were fairly cooperative with other religions (at the time) so long as that religion was not polytheistic. Moreover, in the developing world, those with different beliefs are still being killed by Christians, with verses like this as justification. My point is that you will find radical Islamists who believe that they need to kill infidels. However, it is an enormous leap to place Muslims in the developed world into the same bucket as those radical Islamists. It would be equally wrong to place Christians into the same bucket as those that are committing atrocities in Africa or even those who were historically violent in Europe.
Anyway, I'll add some links at the bottom if you are interested in why there is such a powder keg of radical islamists now (compared to historically). If you are not interested, then I would suggest taking the time to honestly get to know some Muslims in the US. I think you would be surprised with how many things we have in common.
Jihadism
http://press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/520117.html
https://www.amazon.com/Devils-Game-Unleash-Fundamentalist-American/dp/0805081372/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1486080932&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=devils+game
Throw in Terror in the Mind of God which is a broader study of religious terrorism in general.
Things to Buy
http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Years-Hanna-Schissler/dp/0691058202
http://www.amazon.com/Redneck-Manifesto-Hillbillies-Americas-Scapegoats/dp/0684838648
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/039332169X/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?%5Fencoding=UTF8&amp;showViewpoints=1
http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Everyone-Darwins-Theory-Change/dp/0385340214
http://www.amazon.com/Andromeda-Strain-Michael-Crichton/dp/006170315X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1225932164&amp;sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Primates-Classroom-Evolutionary-Perspective-Childrens/dp/0870236113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1261589323&amp;sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Paleolithic-Prescription-Program-Exercise-Design/dp/0060916354/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1261589224&amp;sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Exiles-Eden-Psychotherapy-Evolutionary-Perspective/dp/0393700739/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1261589294&amp;sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.com/Chimpanzee-Politics-Power-among-Apes/dp/0801886562/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1261589183&amp;sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/YOU-Updated-Expanded-Insiders-Healthier/dp/0061473677/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1263303625&amp;sr=1-5
http://www.amazon.com/YOU-Updated-Expanded-Insiders-Healthier/dp/0061473677/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1263303625&amp;sr=1-5
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Calories-Bad-Controversial-Science/dp/1400033462/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1297305735&amp;sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/New-Sugar-Busters-Cut-Trim/dp/0345469585/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1297305615&amp;sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dilemma-Natural-History-Meals/dp/0143038583/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1297305420&amp;sr=8-2
http://www.amazon.com/Skinny-Bastard-Kick-Ass-Getting/product-reviews/0762435402/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_helpful?ie=UTF8&amp;showViewpoints=1&amp;sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Everyone-Darwins-Theory-Change/dp/0385340214
http://www.amazon.com/Food-Rules-Eaters-Michael-Pollan/dp/014311638X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1297305420&amp;sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Primates-Classroom-Evolutionary-Perspective-Childrens/dp/0870236113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1261589323&amp;sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Exiles-Eden-Psychotherapy-Evolutionary-Perspective/dp/0393700739/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1261589294&amp;sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.com/Paleolithic-Prescription-Program-Exercise-Design/dp/0060916354/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1261589224&amp;sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Chimpanzee-Politics-Power-among-Apes/dp/0801886562/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1261589183&amp;sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Strange-Land-Robert-Heinlein/dp/0441788386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1258348123&amp;sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Full-Plate-Diet-Great-Healthy/dp/1885167717/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1266199288&amp;sr=1-13
http://www.amazon.com/Religion-War-Scott-Adams/dp/0740747886/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_9
http://www.amazon.com/Full-Plate-Diet-Great-Healthy/dp/1885167717/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1266199288&amp;sr=1-13
http://www.amazon.com/Blindsight-Peter-Watts/dp/0765319640/
http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Years-Hanna-Schissler/dp/0691058202
http://www.amazon.com/Redneck-Manifesto-Hillbillies-Americas-Scapegoats/dp/0684838648
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/039332169X/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?%5Fencoding=UTF8&amp;showViewpoints=1
http://www.amazon.com/Andromeda-Strain-Michael-Crichton/dp/006170315X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1225932164&amp;sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Atheist-Manifesto-Against-Christianity-Judaism/dp/1559708204
http://www.amazon.com/Mayo-Clinic-Family-Health-Book/dp/1603200770/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1267299889&amp;sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Body-Sculpting-Bible-Men-Revised/dp/1578262380/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1298573232&amp;sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Big-Book-Exercises/dp/1605295507
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594866279/ref=asc_df_15948662791442125?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;tag=pg-1583-01-20&amp;linkCode=asn&amp;creative=395093&amp;creativeASIN=1594866279
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0345498461/ref=asc_df_03454984611442018?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;tag=pg-1583-01-20&amp;linkCode=asn&amp;creative=395093&amp;creativeASIN=0345498461
http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Runners-Handbook-13-Week-Walk-Run/dp/1553650875/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1298575384&amp;sr=8-1
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703558004574581891694514228.html
http://www.amazon.com/Edible-Wild-Plants-Foods-Adventure/dp/1423601505
http://www.amazon.com/Shoppers-Guide-Organic-Food/dp/1857028406/ref=sr_1_16?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1308213453&amp;sr=1-16
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Portrait_of_the_Artist_as_a_Young_Man
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream_of_consciousness_writing
http://entertainment.time.com/2011/08/30/all-time-100-best-nonfiction-books/#fast-food-nation-by-eric-schlosser
http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Strange-Land-Robert-Heinlein/dp/0441788386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1258348123&amp;sr=8-1
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-apnea/continuous-positive-airway-pressure-cpap-for-obstructive-sleep-apnea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catcher_in_the_Rye
http://www.amazon.com/Catch-22-Joseph-Heller/dp/0684833395
http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-2nd-Mark-Rippetoe/dp/0976805421/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1253993543&amp;sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Aero-Speed-Hyperformance-Jump-Rope/dp/B00017XHO8
http://www.invisibleshoe.com/#ecwid:category=135066&amp;mode=product&amp;product=278983
http://view.exacttarget.com/?j=fe621670756c0575741d&amp;m=fe7215707561047d7315&amp;ls=fde817797d6d037977177974&amp;l=fe9215717260007a70&amp;s=fe2d13707d600478751c72&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;ju=fe2e167375640d75711576&amp;r=0
http://www.amazon.com/Element-Surprise-Navy-Seals-Vietnam/dp/0804105812/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1304634342&amp;sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Survivor-Eyewitness-Account-Operation/dp/0316067598
http://www.amazon.com/Diving-Bell-Butterfly-Memoir-Death/dp/0375701214/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1312848167&amp;sr=8-1
Political
Iraq Research
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Tawhid_Wal-Jihad
http://www.ontheissues.org/Drugs.htm#Barack_Obama
Congress Related
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/r110query.html
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/vote_menu_110_1.htm
http://www.usdoj.gov/
http://www.issuedictionary.com/Barack_Obama.cgi
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r110:75:./temp/~r110y7HfAa::
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists
/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00237
http://allafrica.com/
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/??
Health & Exercise
Green Tea
http://www.teatrekker.com/store/tea/green/green+-+japan.php
http://www.o-cha.com/brew.htm
http://www.ehow.com/how_2080066_steep-loose-leaf-tea.html
http://cooksshophere.com/products/tea/green_tea.htm
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&amp;dbid=146
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_tea
http://blackdragonteabar.blogspot.com/2008_09_01_archive.html
http://blackdragonteabar.blogspot.com/
https://www.itoen.com/leaf/index.cfm
http://www.maiko.ne.jp/english/
http://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm
http://www.o-cha.com/home.php
http://www.denstea.com/
http://www.theteaavenue.com/chgrtea.html
http://www.teafrog.com/teas/finum-tea-brewing-basket.html
Here's one I recommend.
Here's another one. It has a foreword by the Dalai Lama if you're into that. Even better, it's available as a free download from this website: http://www.islambuddhism.com/
This thread has lots of good answers. There are SO MANY resources out there, both in print and online, it can feel overwhelming. You could always go for an introduction like from David Ford or Alister McGrath. I personally like Mysteries of Faith by Mark McIntosh.
The Dallas locality around the Hanuman temple has a lot of commited families where kids learn full Gita (rare even in India), various stotras, yoga and languages. It is mainly Telugu based though there are probably some Tamil people too.
BTW, I think the terms like 'conservative' and 'holding on' are somewhat self-defeating and moreover not true. What is the unusual is the current setup which is inherited from Protestant background where learning happens primarily from texts, and learning from actions ('ritual') has become sidelined(this book covers some of the reasons - its author teaches courses on Harvard on ritual).
But that is a temporary thing and things are changing. A more productive diagnosis is how to transmit the inspiration which lies behind the processes. Like for some reason, a culture develops taboos against math or reading poetry(like post-Protestant societies have against practices across the world) , the response isnt so much about holding on to math or poetry, but figuring out what has broken down in the learning process and repair it.
If the web is not your thing, try this book: Devil's Game: How the United States Helped Unleash Fundamentalist Islam (American Empire Project)
https://www.amazon.com/Devils-Game-Unleash-Fundamentalist-American/dp/0805081372/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1502391542&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=devil%27s+game
I would recommend Bernardo Kastrup's More Than Allegory.
I have another account I use here, but only from work. Since I only use fapman from home, fapman allows me to type things I'd never want recorded at work. The cursing, the fapping, non-Republican corporate-cock-sucking political views, etc.
Anyhoo, I'm sure you know that mythology and the stories we tell ourselves are consequential and form a sort of collective unconscious cultural ideology. I say collective unconscious because even though the ideology is there for all to see, we are so immeshed in it that we totally fail to note its presence.
You might find Myth: A Very Short Introduction an interesting read. I own the book, but haven't given myself time to read it just yet. In fact, the entire series of A Very Short Introduction books are really fantastic and highly recommended by myself.
I recently got through one on Fundamentalism, and it was just fantastic.
Personally, I'd be very interested in finding out what (if anything) Campbell said about Islam. He was very quiet about it in The Power of Myth - only briefly mentioning the story of the fall of Iblis (Satan) from Heaven. I'd be very interested if he'd done anything about Islam. Have you come across any Campbell stuff on that religion?
Mr. Onfray wrote a most excellent book.
If you are looking for more information on Jewish Fundamentalism, you could try this, this, and this.
Let me know how you get on. Serious people use Sociology, "..the scientific study of social behavior or society, including its origins, development, organization, networks, and institutions..." to understand the reality of Jewish and other fundamentalist communities.
Demanding that I stoop to your level, by trotting out my personal relationships with the Orthodox people I know makes two important mistakes: 1.) it suggest that this matters, which it does not; and 2.) it conveniently ignores the evidence that the Orthodox, like other fundamentalist communities have very few social contacts not connected to their religious communities.
The opening line of your post is subtle rhetorical sophistry -- but sophistry non-the-less.
Book Recommendation
Atheist Manifesto: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam by Michel Onfray
http://www.amazon.com/Atheist-Manifesto-Against-Christianity-Judaism/dp/1559708204
History of Religious Ideas, Vol 1, Vol 2 and Vol 3. by Mircea Eliade A comprehensive comparison and history of different religions, religious ideas and ways in which myths work. Was a real eye-opener
_
LE - Atheist Manifesto: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam by Michel Onfray
Sucking it up and going to church is disingenuous.
Maybe this book can be of some use to you:
Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe, by Greg Epstein
Habits of the Heart. It was assigned to the entire freshman class of my school, because the author was a professor there & it had just been published recently, and was the main discussion of our freshman seminar class. Oh, God, it was bad. Granted, we were a bunch of 18 year olds who hadn't really discussed political or social issues much yet. However, this was a horrid intro to them. It was rambly to the point of incoherence.
I can, and did. I'm just as anti-Muslim as I am anti-Christian, anti-Hindu, and anti-every other religion. It's all a cancer on the human mind, and I have no tolerance for it at all.
But hey, you can't be assed to even think, so I'll honor your request.
Here's a book exclusively about religious violence of all kinds. http://www.amazon.com/Terror-Mind-God-Religious-Comparative/dp/0520240111 Check the body counts for the various attacks talked about.
Here's an article about how violence against women is accepted as commonplace in many islamic cultures. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00737-003-0170-x#page-1
Here's a book about the Taliban, "the world's most
extreme and radical Islamic organization." http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=dld2wJ2Z__4C&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PP2&amp;dq=taliban&amp;ots=j-tsOwyWYM&amp;sig=X94BOPMiFDfoQ3ppepr4MfTGRnU#v=onepage&amp;q=taliban&amp;f=false
Here's a journal article from 2+ years before 9/11 talking about how the Taliban is an example of Islamic terrorism that is spreading across the eastern hemisphere. http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&amp;handle=hein.journals/fora78&amp;div=97&amp;id=&amp;page=
Please show me data how in the 21st century there are Christian terrorist organizations waging a global jihad against non-Christians.
Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe by Greg Epstein https://www.amazon.com/dp/006167012X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6DybBb0ZVMVM3
"Political Islam" is a philosophy that grew in the 2nd half of the 20th century on Western money and influence so western big business could prevent that part of the world from becoming socialist and tap their economies, and it is quite separate from the religion. I highly recommend reading this book to educate yourself on the issue
https://www.amazon.com/Devils-Game-Unleash-Fundamentalist-American/dp/0805081372
Atheist Manifesto: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam by Michel Onfray.
> This tightly argued, hugely controversial work convincingly demonstrates how the world's three major monotheistic religions-Christianity, Judaism, and Islam-have attempted to suppress knowledge, science, pleasure, and desire, often condemning nonbelievers to death. If Nietzsche proclaimed the "Death of God," Onfray starts from the premise that not only is God still very much alive, but increasingly controlled by fundamentalists who pose a danger to the human race. Documenting the ravages from religious intolerance over the centuries, the author makes a strong case against the three religions for demanding faith, belief, obedience and submission, and for extolling the "next life" at the expense of the here and now. Not since Nietzsche has a work so groundbreaking and explosive appeared to question the role of the world's dominant religions.
-- Editorial review on Amazon. (Link)
Yes, there are humanist churches all over the world.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_humanism
I also highly recommend the book Good Without God, What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe by Greg M. Epstein.
It's not trash, these people were our allies when we fought the soviets what proof do you need. It can easily be googled. Who's tax dollars do you think built all those camps in afghanistan? Who trained them to use stinger missiles? Who helped them train in bombmaking? Every enemy we've had since the Korean war is some despotic regime that we allied with then got fucked . Noreiga, Hussein, Bin Laden, the Taliban and the zetas in mexico
http://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/jan/17/yemen.islam
http://www.legitgov.org/graphics/reagan_taliban_1985.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_war_in_Afghanistan#Foreign_involvement_and_aid_to_the_mujahideen -
The supplying of billions of dollars in arms to the Afghan mujahideen militants was one of the CIA's longest and most expensive covert operations.[118] The CIA provided assistance to the fundamentalist insurgents through the Pakistani secret services, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), in a program called Operation Cyclone. At least 3 billion in U.S. dollars were funneled into the country to train and equip troops with weapons. Together with similar programs by Saudi Arabia, Britain's MI6 and SAS, Egypt, Iran, and the People's Republic of China,[7] the arms included FIM-43 Redeye, shoulder-fired, antiaircraft weapons that they used against Soviet helicopters. Pakistan's secret service, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was used as an intermediary for most of these activities to disguise the sources of support for the resistance.
No Americans trained or had direct contact with the mujahideen.[119] The skittish CIA had fewer than 10 operatives in the region because it "feared it would be blamed, like in Guatemala."[120] Civilian personnel from the U.S. Department of State and the CIA frequently visited the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area during this time.
Here's a great book on the subject
http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Game-Unleash-Fundamentalist-American/dp/0805081372
In an effort to thwart the spread of communism, the U.S. has supported--even organized and funded--Islamic fundamentalist groups, a policy that has come back to haunt post-cold war geopolitics. Drawing on archival sources and interviews with policymakers and foreign-service officials, Dreyfuss traces this ultimately misguided approach from support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in the 1950s, the Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran, the ultraorthodox Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia, and Hamas and Hezbollah to jihads in Afghanistan and Osama bin Laden. Fearful of the appeal of communism, the U.S. saw the rise of a religious Right as a counterbalance. Despite the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the declared U.S. war on terrorism in Iraq, Dreyfuss notes continued U.S. support for Iraq's Islamic Right. He cites parallels between the cultural forces that have promoted the religious Right in the U.S and the Middle East and notes that support from wealthy donors, the emergence of powerful figures, and politically convenient alliances have contributed to Middle Eastern hostilities toward the U.S. A well-researched and insightful book.