To paint them and their religion, on the whole, as violent because a relatively small number of extemists are is a horrible disservice.

Could you point out where I did this? I mentioned some ideas that you will find expressed in much of the Muslim world. And I mentioned a few examples that illustrate the irrationality of those ideas. Where is the disservice in speaking the truth?

Cindy, it's the whole conclusion:

The intention here is not one of retrenchment or negative criticism, but of broadening our concept of reason and its application. While we rejoice in the new possibilities open to humanity, we also see the dangers arising from these possibilities and we must ask ourselves how we can overcome them. We will succeed in doing so only if reason and faith come together in a new way, if we overcome the self-imposed limitation of reason to the empirically verifiable, and if we once more disclose its vast horizons.

That whole pfft to empirical verification is just abhorrent to me.

Also:

This is a dangerous state of affairs for humanity, as we see from the disturbing pathologies of religion and reason which necessarily erupt when reason is so reduced that questions of religion and ethics no longer concern it. Attempts to construct an ethic from the rules of evolution or from psychology and sociology, end up being simply inadequate.

Modern scientific reason quite simply has to accept the rational structure of matter and the correspondence between our spirit and the prevailing rational structures of nature as a given, on which its methodology has to be based.

Could you point out where I did this?

This passage reads to me as if you're implying that the Islamic response has been only the violent acts, rather than mostly being verbal expressions of offense:

I think that the Muslim response has been childish, ill-informed and hypocritical. The idea that people should commit violent acts to further their religion is widespread in the Muslim world.

Though perhaps your intent was merely to say that Muslims are childish and hypocritical for daring to be offended when the nominal religious leader of a billion people chose to illustrate his criticisms of their religion with a quote that uses "evil" when describing the founding of that religion?

Meanwhile, the Anglicans and Greek Orthodox are all, "What the hell did we do? We haven't been speaking to him for centuries."

But it's clearly all the fault of the Jews: [link]

"We call on the pope to carry out a scientific and fastidious reading of Islam. We do not want him to succumb to the propaganda of the enemy led by Judaism and imperialism against Islam," Fadlallah said.

Oh, the Protestants hate the Catholics
And the Catholics hate the Protestants
And the Hindus hate the Muslims
And everybody hates the Jews.

Earworm.

Now I shall have to listen to the whole album. And maybe the other one too.

Yeah, context can do a lot, but come on: "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman" . That was supposed to cause no reaction? And this was the only quote he could find that would make his point? No. Just no.

Oh, the Protestants hate the Catholics

And the Catholics hate the Protestants

And the Hindus hate the Muslims

And everybody hates the Jews.

And that's without counting the fun-to-mock religions. Like Puritans or Jews for Jesus (who also hate the Jews).

Religion, it's what brings us together. No wait, it's what causes wars. I always get that confused.

Religion, it's what brings us together. No wait, it's what causes wars. I always get that confused.

I look at religion as those unifying beliefs that have that tiny law which means the Buffistas are all going to Special Hell when we die. Except maybe ita, for obvious reasons.

Edit: Realized I must clarify. First, to go to Special Hell in death, ita must first die. We now know this is impossible as that she would kick the ass of any grim reaper who would try. Then all the other grim reapers would look at the first one and quietly agree never to try and reap her as somethings are just not meant to be.

This does not mean she won't visit. There is a very high chance she will visit for the porn, and start for the pretty.