What do/did Hitchens(RIP), Thunderf00t, TheAmazingAtheist, George Carlin (RIP) and Billy Connolly all have in common? They equate all religions with the same amount of evil and certainly are not Anti-Islam enough

Summary: New Atheists vs Islamphobia Movement

 

David Wood who owns AnsweringMuslims.com posted: "Epic Showdown: The Islamophobia Industry vs. the New Atheists"

Here are my thoughts and comments on the issue:

Hi I've followed this topic on my blog for a while now, here are some thoughts.

News update: before we begin, the Taliban are murdering school children again.

To set the record straight: this ignoramus who appeals to scholarship didn't do his own "research".

Hitchens is not in the camp of Harris, Dawkins and Maher.

Hitchens believed all religions were equally evil (e.g. see his debate with Tarik Ramadan) he makes it very clear, he does not view Islam as worse.

Turns out Mr Ramadan, might not turn out to be as "moderate" as we thought: see here

This does not mean however that Hitchens was like your ordinary leftist who ignored, dodged and made excuses for the Muslims and Islam, he clearly said Islam is a huge problem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24J3Y0mtWZU

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/02/christopher-hitchens-nails-apologist.html

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/02/hitchens-iran-vs-israel.html

However, if you watch for example the most updated edition of the four horsemen (hosted in Australia) Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris & Ayaan Hirsi Ali all seem to specifically think Islam is worse. They seem to defend Western Values strongly, they certainly aren't self hating like the leftist wing.

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/03/politically-correct-atheists-growing.html

Ayaan, Richard and Sam seem to be clear, while Dennett seems more tame, but does seem to atleast in some small way acknowledge the problem.

Yet again compared to Richard Dawkins.... Sam Harris and Bill Maher like Pat Condell are absolutely out spoken in their distinction between "Islam" being the worse vs the rest of more moderately bad religions:

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/03/bill-maher-islamic-nutcases-are-worst.html

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/03/bill-maher-on-quran-burning-incident.html

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/03/sam-harris-pointing-out-islam-more.html

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/03/sam-harris-islam-is-worst-one.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIpdC0o3mdM (Bill Maher on Burqa)

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/07/reza-aslan-blames-stoning-women-on.html (Bill Maher exposes Reza Aslan)

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/04/reza-aslan-master-schemer-and-snake.html (I expose Reza Aslan's defense of terrorism due to poverty and defensive revenge)

This is a debate where leftist Chris Hedges (who is particularly annoying to listen to), represents the leftist positions well enough) debates Sam Harris on this issue:

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/04/debate-chris-hedges-vs-sam-harris.html

I probably couldn't watch it again, it's hard listening to leftist dribble.

Therefore in the New Atheist movement, you have ex-Muslims, like Salman Rushdi, Ibn Warraq,  Ayaan Hirsi Ali etc who are influencing people like Pat Condell, Bill Maher and Sam Harris, who are in turn influencing Dawkins who in turn is influencing Dennett. Dawkins and Dennett seem to be the least enthusiastic about it, but atleast acknowledge the issue, Dawkins more so than Dennett.

So there is a hierarchy of just how "anti-Islam" many of the New Atheists are but there are definitely those who are "out spoken", who genuinely seem to influence the less outspoken ones with sound reasoning and argument. It certainly is a slow process, but a process that maybe working, it's taking an amount of time, but once some famous YouTube atheists like Thunderfoot or TheAmazingAtheist catch on, you will have a huge Atheist Personality telling the truth about this issue. Imagine if e.g. someone like George Carlin had of been anti-Islam and the effect this might have? Or instead of Billy Connolly hating all religion in general, he would point out the truth that we cannot equate every religion as equally violent in 2013.

Lastly then there is me. One of the arguments on my blog is that Islam is the worst religion in terms of violence, terrorism, human rights, subjugation and warfare, I am an agnostic/atheist. I have made this point in various posts scattered across my blog including:

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/01/alarming-islam-statistics-muslims-in.html

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/02/american-muslims-dont-want-sharia-law.html

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/02/updated-terrorism-statistics-again.html

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/02/islam-is-superior-to-west-did-islam.html

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/01/islam.html

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2013/04/obama-says-dont-jump-to-conclussions-re.html

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2013/02/is-islam-worst-religion-in-todays-world.html

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/03/who-is-worse-americans-who-dispose.html

http://www.answeringabraham.com/2012/03/europe-in-denial-yet-again.html

On the FAQ here I say:

"Do you view Islam as worse than other religions?"

Only in the sense that Islam has a socio-political element. Theologically it is not worse or superior, none of the claims can be justified. Politically and in terms of a modern movement Islam is currently more dangerous than any other religion constantly demonstrating that it views itself as the most supreme world religion, that it has a special right not to be offended, and that Muslim citizens should have separate Laws given to them by Sharia Councils, never integrating, always demanding and simply it's ultimate desire is to transform the entire Middle East, Arab Spring, Africa, Europe and the West into the Islamic Caliphate.

Islam is not merely a religion but a movement, similar to how Judaism was considered before it became the religion of the "book", it was the history of a people, a nation and the kingdom of God and his Messiah. You could not separate nation and state and religion, that was a total rule of daily life. Now Islam has become this political, universal religion.(source)

There is more scattered on the blog.

As for who is going to win this contest between these New Atheists and the Islamophobia Industry?

For the first time yesterday, I saw an Atheist use the word "Islamophobe" and I was left standing there with my mouth open, stunned and shocked, but hey it does exist after all, millions of Atheists have bought into this frame, Atheism is obviously not a single creed, ideology or manifesto. Atheists are unique and critical, skeptical thinkers with their own individuality. Sam Harris even thinks we should shift away from the term Atheist (see links above).

I don't think we can predict how many Atheists hate religion equally vs how many of them know Islam is worse, all we can do is hope some of them start reasoning like Pat Condell. I mean I have to admit the ACLU objects to some pretty stupid episodes, like a Christmas service and tree in a school building at Christmas time etc. Who cares, who gives a rat except these "leftist" nutjobs who want to exaggerate and distort the purpose of the constitution.

Derek Adams
www.AnsweringAbraham.com