Salon: Jeffrey Taylor- 'Reza Aslan's Atheism Problem: Fundamentalists Aren't the Issue, Apologists For Religions Are'

Source:Salon- Bill Maher, Reza Aslan & Richard Dawkins.

"ill Maher’s recent monologue on "Real Time" about the failure of liberals to speak out about the routine atrocities and violations of human rights carried out in the name of religion in the Muslim world has unleashed a torrent of commentary, much of it from progressives advocating more, not less, tolerance of Islam...

From Salon 

"Professor Reza Aslan is the author of the New York Times #1 Bestseller "Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth," and is a writer and scholar on religious studies. 

Is there a media bias against Islam? Reza Aslan points to certain media pundits and hosts who call all religion bad, but Islam "the worst." Is it bigoted when pundits like Sam Harris call any non-extremist Muslims "not real" Muslims? Are some media commentators denouncing and defining Christian and Muslim extremism themselves fundamentalist bigots? Where is the balance between when interpreting holy text? What is the difference between atheism and neo-atheism? Is there such a thing as the one "truth?"

Reza Aslan sits down with The Young Turks' Cenk Uygur to discuss and debate the state of religious commentary in media, religious ignorance, the removal of religion from society and neo-atheism, what it really means to be religious, picking-and-choosing attitudes across the board, and much more on fundamental misunderstandings of religion." 

Source:The Young Turks- Cenk Uygur interviewing Reza Aslan.

From The Young Turks

Jeffrey Taylor makes a good and I would argue real, an Atheist argument against religion. Even though he writes for Salon (ha, ha) he didn't use his article to bash Christianity. But to say that all religions have serious issues (more or less) and that is a big reason why he doesn't believe in religion. 

This has been my whole point and is my whole point about religion and a big reason why I'm Agnostic. That religion's are too restrictive for my liberal outlook on life as someone who wants to and lives openly. And religion's tend to be followed by people who don't understand their religion and do horrible things as a result.

There are good people of all faiths and I doubt anyone serious disagrees with that. And yes there are radicals probably in all religion's that give that religion a bad name. But the problem is there are enough radicals to not only give Christianity and Islam a bad name, but to do a lot of damage to society and other societies that hurt a lot of people. Including people who follow the same religion and follow that religion incorrectly and do horrible things in the name of their religion. Even though their religion does not sanction their horrible acts.

I'm not saying that religion is bad and that all religion's are bad and dangerous. That is where I would probably separate from Sam Harris and I've backed him several times on this blog the last few weeks. It is people who don't understand the religion that they follow, including religious leaders that don't follow the religion they follow. And lead that inspire people to do horrible things that is the problem. And something that is going to have to be addressed if the Middle East is ever to become a stable place where people can live in peace and live good lives.