posted August 28, 2006 11:57 AM              

Bigotry, the intolerance, fear, and hatred of those different from ourselves is still a far too common occurrence in the world today. Bigotry is almost universally considered wrong because it robs others of their rights as human beings through discrimination and persecution. Here in the United States when we think of bigotry, we tend to think of it in terms of ethnicity, and surely bigotry against those not of European origin is still the most common form of bigotry to be found in the United States. Bigotry can take other forms however, and one can be bigoted against others because of their religion, culture, and sex as well as their ethnicity.

Indeed, religious bigotry may well have been the most common form of bigotry for much of Europe's history. Most of us are familiar with the persecution of Christians in ancient Rome, in which they were fed to the lions in the Coliseum and even blamed for the burning of Rome. During the Middle Ages the Jews were persecuted to no end, not just because they were another ethnic group, but another religion as well. Religious bigotry still exists in the world today and one need look no further than Bosnia. In so far as ethnicity goes, there are often few physical differences between a Serb and a Bosnian and they pretty much speak the same language. They share a common origin and one would not be able tell the difference from a Serb and a Bosnian on the street outside of the mode of dress. The only real difference is religion, and due to religious bigotry they are willing to kill each other. The same is true of Ireland, Palestine, and even the United States. One need not be of a minority race to be a victim of religious bigotry.

There are more subtle means of persecution than physical violence resulting from religious bigotry. These involve character assassination and harassment of members of religious minorities and the people that associate with them. Often members of religious minorities find themselves in the position of the outsider and are refused jobs and even mocked or laughed at. They are often excluded from social functions or community gatherings. They may be falsely accused of crimes or framed for crimes they did not commit. Sometimes, religious bigotry will be cloaked with false accusations that members of minority religions are lazy or insane or an undesirable element. The most common form of persecution is to accuse the minority religious group of being a cult or Satanic. Early Christians were accused of sacrificing babies, cannibalism, and one piece of ancient Roman graffiti shows Christ with a donkey head. No one would accuse Christianity of such things now.

Bigotry of any kind seems to stem from the same source. Sociologists early in the 20th century developed the theory of the authoritarian personality. An authoritarian personality has strong feelings of inadequacy, dependency, and hostility, particularly toward those in authority, even though they may be in a position of authority. Because of these feelings of worthlessness, they tend to displace this anger and hate towards themselves onto another group. The bigot is simply transferring their own sense of low self esteem and their own self hatred to another racial, cultural, or religious group. The bigot will stereotype, lie, about and persecute that group no matter what the truth. They will even go so far as to accuse the persecuted of being the persecutor or fabricate instances of persecution.

Such reasoning is not reasoning at all, esp. when it goes against the teachings of most religions. Nearly all religions teach "love thy neighbor," and that it is wrong to harm others. Most religions have some form of sin be it in the form of transgression against god or karma.

posted August 28, 2006 05:59 PM              

quote:

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And Islam is to blame, if followers are still interpreting the words literally, words that were written 1300 years ago, and trying to apply it to today's world, word for word, every aspect of life...

F&ck that. It's bullsh*t. Islam is the most oppressive concept I've ever heard of, even more than communism--lioneye68

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while i do agree that there has been alot of ignorant attacks on the muslim religion here in gu lately, i also agree that racism is the wrong word....there are african muslims, asian muslims, etc just as in christianity......

what i notice though, is an attempt to blame the muslim faith for being the underlying cause of terrorist attacks, when really, just as with christianity, the religion is used more as a recruiting/inciting tool for people with a power and/or political agenda......

*********

Gallup: Many Americans Harbor Strong Bias Against U.S. Muslims

By E&P Staff

Published: August 10, 2006 10:40 AM ET

NEW YORK A new Gallup poll finds that many Americans -- what it calls "substantial minorities" -- harbor "negative feelings or prejudices against people of the Muslim faith" in this country. Nearly one in four Americans, 22%, say they would not like to have a Muslim as a neighbor.

While Americans tend to disagree with the notion that Muslims living in the United States are sympathetic to al-Qaeda, a significant 34% believe they do back al-Qaeda. And fewer than half -- 49% -- believe U.S. Muslims are loyal to the United States.

Almost four in ten, 39%, advocate that Muslims here should carry special I.D. That same number admit that they do hold some "prejudice" against Muslims. Forty-four percent say their religious views are too "extreme."

In every case, Americans who actually know any Muslims are more sympathethic.

The poll was taken at the end of July and surveyed 1,007 adult Americans.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002 984956

posted August 28, 2006 06:10 PM            

Sociologists early in the 20th century developed the theory of the authoritarian personality. An authoritarian personality has strong feelings of inadequacy, dependency, and hostility, particularly toward those in authority (kinda like those here who rail against Bush and Co?), even though they may be in a position of authority. Because of these feelings of worthlessness, they tend to displace this anger and hate towards themselves onto another group (that's sounds familiar - "neo con" as an epithet, baby killer comments, mindwashed comments, total and utter disdain for anyone not on the far left...). The bigot is simply transferring their own sense of low self esteem and their own self hatred to another racial, cultural, or religious group (seems to me logical to add "political group" to that list). The bigot will stereotype (Conservatives are all mindwashed baby killers), lie about (like calling people racist and saying they said or did things they never said or did), and persecute that group no matter what the truth (kinda like impugning me or Tink or Charlotte or whomever in an unrealted thread because we have agreed with statements of Jwhop and/or Pid in the past - guilty by association as it were and the attacks that follow). They will even go so far as to accuse the persecuted of being the persecutor or fabricate instances of persecution. (..hmm..fabricate instances of persecution...like saying "people pick on me and make me call them names and they're racist").

So since you posted this Mirandee, and it can very reasonably be applied to the way you treat people and behave, would it be safe to say that you and other's like you have an "authoritarian personality"?

From where I'm sitting, you practice political bigotry Mirandee, on a continual basis. Bigotry is bigotry, whether it's racial, religious or political.

posted August 28, 2006 10:22 PM              

You just did it again on this thread!!
I posted an article and instead of giving an opinion on the article or your thoughts as Petron did, you attacked me personally attempting to start trouble instead.

Speaking of psychologists what you just did is called transference.

posted August 28, 2006 10:28 PM              

and in every religion ther is half the Truth..the Universal Laws allpy to the Fasle God too..half the truth must be presented..or we would not follow religion..

Now..I have no rELIgion..I have the Trinity within Me..as you do..relegion causes separatism..which is exactly what the false God wants..

posted August 28, 2006 11:00 PM              

God did not really create the concept of religion just as Jesus didn't create Christianity. That was done by his followers.

posted August 28, 2006 11:06 PM              

Clever...deceiving, but clever.

posted August 28, 2006 11:11 PM              

Troll..roll over. ...to the T

posted August 28, 2006 11:17 PM              

who are you trying to decieve?

i put two of your quotes which appeared in the same post side by side together......one after the other

posted August 28, 2006 11:38 PM              

This is my post, in it's entirety

quote:

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And Islam is to blame, if followers are still interpreting the words literally, words that were written 1300 years ago, and trying to apply it to today's world, word for word, every aspect of life...
It's not okey for women to be regarded as lowly as dogs.
It's not okey for non-Muslems to be treated with distain and contempt. No more than it's okey for Muslems to be treated with contempt in Western society. If we can afford Muslems simple & fundamental respects in our world, why can't the Muslem world afford us the same respects? WHY???? Because Islam is superior? F&ck that. It's bullsh*t. Islam is the most oppressive concept I've ever heard of, even more than communism, and I'd rather die than have to convert to it. If I were you, I'd run away & convert to anything but death cult Islam. But I'm not you. Thank GOD for that. PS, of course, you'd be marked for DEATH if you did that, so you'd never do that.

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posted August 28, 2006 11:52 PM              

quote:

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The difference is, if I may point out the obvious, that Islamic extremists target the entire rest of the world, i.e. everyone who is not practicing Islamic law...that means you and me in Canada, those in America & most of Europe, and Israel, Australia, most of Africa, ...simply because they are "infidels". It's nothing to do with what they do, it's all about the fact that they are not Islamic. That is just stupid and delusional.--lioneye68

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whats stupid and delusional is to say islamic extremists target all non muslims......thats not true at all.....in fact as jwhop is so fond of pointing out they also often target other muslims too

and who the f&ck here said that islam is superior??

ive never been treated with contempt by my muslim friends......who are you to say such a thing??

i was going to make this my first and only comment on this whole muslim bashing issue......but now maybe i'll stir things up some more.........

posted August 28, 2006 11:52 PM              

And admittly, I was reading some biased views about it - which was beginning to cause me to think the extremism was coming directly from the teachings of the Koran. And, I'll be honest, I was starting to get a bad impression of it. That was just my own ignorance, and DD called me ignorant many times. So, I kept looking into it - and I started finding sites by Muslims, who are speaking out against the Islamic extremist mind set, and the Sharia Law, and the human rights violations inherent in those states, and I realized, it's truly not the religion itself, but rather dangerously faulty interpretations of the words in the Koran.

posted August 28, 2006 11:56 PM              

quote:

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ive never been treated with contempt by my muslim friends......who are you to say such a thing??

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posted August 29, 2006 12:03 AM              

If we can afford Muslems simple & fundamental respects in our world, why can't the Muslem world afford us the same respects?

posted August 29, 2006 12:28 AM              

saddam hussein was treated as a "friend".......then the u.s. military stood at his border and watched while he committed the largest mass murder of his career

the saudi royal family is cemented into place by u.s. military and billions in petro dollars pouring into the hands of the priviledged few....

perhaps your idea of respect is different from the people of the middle east?

***********

"hey what does my dad....saddam hussein and little miss muffet have in common?"

"they all had kurds in their whey!!"

posted August 29, 2006 01:01 AM            

Edited to add: (Not trying to take over a thread but that link is there for Petron, if he pleases, as it relates to lioneye's stuff taken out of context.)