I think it's fine to decide that you don't agree with a religion and don't wish to know any more about it. Nothing wrong with that in general. My objection is with those who decide that they dislike not the religion, but people based upon the religious beliefs of those people, and especially if they don't understand that religion.
We're talking about a variety of things here, from not wanting to learn about a particular religion because one does not have an interest in that religion, to know learning because one disagrees with that religion, to not learning because one does not believe in religion at all, to not learning, but still having an opinion on the goodness or badness of the members of a particular religion based on (intentionally) incorrect information.
A: I don't like Islam.
B: I disagree with Islam.
C: I don't know anything about Islam and I don't want to know.
D: I don't know anything about Islam and I don't want to know and I don't like Muslims.
E: I don't like Muslims.
F: I don't like Muslims, because Islam requires them to drink the blood of Christian babies, which I know is not true, but I choose to remain ignorant anyway.
That's what I'm trying to say. Replace 'Islam' and 'Muslims' above with any religion you like.
it is opposite in practice. our military isn't over there to kill the religion but people. The religion is a bi-product. If one believes taliban ways of cutting off fingers and stoning people for adultry (based on their religion) then i suppose we are killing them and attempting to change them for both who they are and what they practice.
There is a anti-american sentiment among many muslims that can't be denied. i could post various videos of "down with america, kill america, the end to the heathen" type crap but why bother. It has come down to we either change them over there for the sake of diminishing a threat and gaining some middle east control or we kill them. This is of course, not all muslims. But a element within that can't be denied. some of that element comes with them to the u.s. Not all muslims in the u.s. are eager to assimiliate into u.s. culture, but rather expect the u.s. culture to work around them. This has been seen in propositions in school systems for separate curriculum, seperate rooms, praying rooms, different schedules. similiar problems in the work place with prayer or holiday or whatever the person does for religious practice. Right to the point of denying christmas trees. I know someone who is in social services who told me they are having a drastic increase in religious immigrants collecting services. questionable whether they want to work, or can work and get along.
Many are traditional and may take social services over sending the woman to work. Then they have eight kids. It is not just a failure of one culture to understand another. It is a failure of assimilation. This is of course not all of them, or anywhere near a majority. But faced with opposition and radical fundamentalists being the most obvious it brings on a reaction, combined with middle east war that is not favorable for getting along. At some point many of us, including myself, having seen enough of it nolonger care if muslims adapt or make it here, or even if they make it there. Between war and being told they object to the town christmas tree and seeing the anti american hate videos the patience is long exhausted. which is sad but almost unavoidable. There is only so much the public can take of a group of people. sad because, i am sure some muslims are very nice people, who are not the ones getting the attention. But since 911 there have been numerous attempted attacks. The last one the suv in newyork. It is a culture of suicide bombers, women, children, no matter. Not all, but these are the ones that stand out. womens rights do not exist in some of these cultures.
The media is constantly repeating the sentiments of much of this thread, get along. Dont allow bigotry. No ignorance allowed. which i questioned already. No one should be required to listen to anti-bigotry garbage while in a war with a population (and religion lets face it most of the middle east probably hates us) while having attempted attacks still done in their homeland by sects of the same group. Or then be told they have to explain why they cant have a separate room in the schools. Many of those here do not assimilate, and segregate themselves. or attempt to.
The other fear, fact based or not, is the religion and people will take over countrys by sheer numbers as they immigrant and have lots of kids. Possibly some truth to it i did read a article a while back on changes in immigration policy to limit it and from certain countrys, religons, from overwhelming one by sheer immigration. Think it was europe with the muslim concern and the immigration law changes. Also the one creating laws they couldnt' cover there face or something.
"don't be a bigot" is a huge simplification of a much larger problem. One of which once the war started i hold my cup to who wins. Not on the politically correctness. If i was a immigrant muslim i would be attempting to assimilate, being very careful to explain and show a pro american attitude. Unfortunatley many of them are not doing that. so the resulting anti-muslim sentiment, given the above is not only expected but i am not sure i can disagree with it. A rational person at war with people of a faith that says they want to kill them would be skeptical of those immigrating in country of the same faith from the same region of the world.
Now if you are religious i am sure you believe in the tower of babel. If you are a fundamentalist you must believe it word for word. So if you believe it one must believe there was a valid reason god separated the tribes and the languages. Put together they were too dangerous. If you dont believe it then consider it a example. There is a reason people dont always get along, and it isnt necessarily a bad thing. That is why we have wars. To solve those disagreements that just cant be agreed upon.