thepete's take: America is a Fearist Country

How does it feel to live in an fearist country?

That's right--whether any citizen of another country wants to say it to your face or not, if you're an American, you believe in fearism.  As Americans, we go on and on about how we need guns to keep us safe from a potentially abusive government, never quite realizing that the US government is supposed to be run for the people, by the people.  So, if it works the way it's supposed to, why are we afraid of our own people abusing us?  And why do we need to cling to our arm-bearing rights  with the ferocity of an actual bear?

Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the National Rifle Association, likes to remind us from time to time about how many threats we American citizens face, beyond just an abusive government.  Here is a cutting from a 2014 article I found quoting a speech LaPierre gave:

"We know, in the world that surrounds us, there are terrorists and there are home invaders, drug cartels, carjackers, knockout-gamers, and rapers and haters and campus killers, airport killers, shopping mall killers, and killers who scheme to destroy our country with massive storms of violence against our power grids or vicious waves of chemicals or disease that could collapse our society that sustains us all."

And a LOT of people agree with that guy.  So, guns.  Guns are the answer for many Americans.  Even to many of those who don't want to ever own a gun, it's OK for guns to be generally legal.  Because, you know, the 2nd Amendment, and because of that thought in the back of your head that the 2nd Amendment is there for a reason.  It's because we might need it some day. And what that really means is that you think guns trump everything.  Even the deaths of 49 gay people.  Even the deaths of 20 children.

Ballpoint Adventures for February 5, 2006: Drawing the Prophet (as a flower)

Tee-hee.  I love how some folks believe they have to do God's work FOR God.  You'd think God, of all entities, would be able to fight his own battles.  What I find the most perplexing about most faiths is that they think they can tell others how to be.  If that's true, why can't I tell them how to be? So, shouldn't we all just shut up about how each other should live?  (Aside from that whole "believing God will protect us from global warming" thing--that's a crock.)

motherjones:Pat Robertson’s question for the media: “What in Heaven’s name is wrong with you? Are you so anti-American, are you so opposed to this great nation and the freedoms you have that you want to embrace something out of the eighth century, BC?”For the record, the Islamic calendar begins in the year 622, e.g. the seventh century AD.Also, Pat Robertson embraces Jesus, e.g. something out of the first century AD. Which must mean he’s anti-American and a terrible historian.(Via Joe.My.God.)Believe what you want, kids, but please, THINK before you believe!!While Robertson is going on and on about something out of the 700s AD, he not only fails to recognize that his belief system is from the 000s AD (as MoJo notes) but also, he doesn’t think about those Crusades, the Pope begin in the late 1000s AD (guilty of the same sort of thing he criticizes the Muslism extremists for). He also ignores the fact that Islam is actually an off-shoot of Christianity and Judaism! ARG! Why are these loud-mouthed Christian extremists so STUPID or so LYING?!?Seriously, if you’re a Christian, why do you let these assholes speak for you?

Islam and the West: (not) keeping things in perspective

From blogdrop.posterous.com:

Just to put this into perspective, Ariana Huffington transported, for free, around 10,000 New Yorkers to Washington DC for the Rally for Sanity and/or Fear on October 30, 2010.  That’s a third of the Taliban and more than Al Qaeda.

Here’s another graphic I nicked from blogdrop.posterous.com:

If you are pro-life you should be horrified by this.  Of course, if you are pro-only-your-own-life, you’ve already rationalized this away.  Sad, either way.

SEE THAT, Anti-Mosque-at-Ground-Zero Protesters? You’re HELPING THE TERRORISTS! (seriously)!

officialssay:

“By preventing this mosque from being built, America is doing us a big favor… It’s providing us with more recruits, donations, and popular support.”

—

Taliban operative Zabihullah, on how the mosque controversy is benefiting the Taliban. 

If we respect people’s freedom (even their freedom to be insensitive to people’s feelings about 911) the terrorists DON’T win. Why do you anti-mosque-types not get this? Maybe you just WANT to hate? That could be…

(Blogged this on my lifestream by accident so here it is where it belongs on Website666.com)

friendlyatheist:

daytheist:

(via ziltoidia)

Daytheist: I love this.

Classic

I dunno—I heard from a Muslim friend of mine that this isn’t the case at all.  What I was told is that the first two “movies” are important and need to be respected. Jesus is as important as Mohamed, as is Moses, as they are all viewed as prophets of God’s word. 

Sure, there is no God and all that blahblahblah, but this seems to suggest there are moderate Muslims who look down on the other two faiths.  It’s my impression that they don’t.

Let’s go for the truth here, guys—not more horseshit.  If we get our facts wrong they think they win and all that matters is what they think, since we can’t prove their god doesn’t exist anymore than we can prove any negative.  Stick to stuff that works, the stuff that we “believe” in—the facts.  Don’t quote something you saw on a forum.  That’s as much a good idea as trusting your fate to an invisible, omnipotent being who thinks it’s OK for his followers to diddle little boys.

Just sayin…

“You Can Be the Happiest Woman in the World” by being Muslim??  Sniff-sniff! I smell propaganda…

From friendlyatheist:

mosple:

Look what I finally bought?! After months of waiting. Mashallah!! I think right now, I am the happiest woman in the world (no pun intended). :P

Yes you can!!! Just look at that picture!!! Awesome. I bet that the woman in the cover is super happy even though I can’t visually confirm it due to all the cloth that covers 99.9% of her body.  Surely there is nothing that promotes happiness more than:

• Having a lesser status than males. Sura 2:228


• Be just one of your husband’s many wives.


• Be divorced with no reason whatsoever if the man so chooses. (Does not work the other way around though. Ain’t it great?)


• Be stoned to death (or just plain executed by other means) for adultery.


• Be like 6 year old Aisha and marry a 45 year old pedophile. (Recent examples here and here.)


• Live with the real possibility of being subjected to an honor killing for talking to a male on Facebook.


• Not be able to drive, do routine tasks or even go outside without male approval/companionship.


• Enjoy low quality education if any at all.

More could be said but such a small sample should be enough. After knowing these facts I bet a few males would have LOVED to be born female in an Islamic country.

More wise words from FA—if you’re not following his blog, you should be!

It is kind of shocking to me that women don’t mind the rules they must follow to be Muslim. I dated a Muslim woman once and she was very secular (hell, she dated an atheist!).  She didn’t cover herself (YOWZA).  But I’ve seen plenty of Muslim women covering themselves, leaving only their faces and hands exposed. I don’t understand this at all.  I’ve read/heard that they do it because they want to dress modestly and they want others to not judge them on looks, but by actions.  But, surely, you can dress modestly without covering your head in public.

Maybe this is just a ploy for Muslim women to get out of proper hair care.  I bet that’s it! ;)