Not All Religions Are the Same
Islam Vs. Christianity
I should take this moment to also explain that I do not believe in God or organized religion. I am only attempting to show how one religion can be worse than another religion. I, in no way, endorse the belief in any religion.
With this being said, the point of my argument is best understood through the example of Christianity and Islam. I have written several articles on the topic Islam and many of the messages sent to me regarding my attacks on the Islamic belief system have included statements such as;
"Christianity has killed as many people as the Islamic faith."
"All religions are equally malevolent."
"Christianity and Islam are both bad religions."
These statements are not true. The bottom line is that these religions are not equally negative in nature. For someone to say that Christianity is equally as oppressive as Islam is ridiculous. This becomes evident when considering the simple fact that in most Islamic countries, the law imposes severe penalties for blasphemy or a person whom is an apostasy (one whom abandons the Islamic faith). Only in Islam is one's life placed in danger for leaving their faith.
As well, the comparison is often made by individuals that Christians kill in the name of God, using the example of abortion clinic bombings. This comparison is also ridiculous. To conclude that all of Christianity is equally guilty of violence as Islam, based on the fact that some individuals have bombed abortion clinics, is a terrible comparison. The fact is that since 1977, in the United States and Canada, there have been 8 murders committed for the reason of abortion (NAF, 2009).
This is a far cry from the consistent acts of violence in the Islamic world. If one were to include the casualties at WACO (76 people) and the casualties of the Jim Jones Cult 'The People's Temple' (909 people), along with antiabortion attacks the number comes to 993 people dead since 1977. This is less than half of the number of people killed on 9/11. This is just one example of how much more dangerous Islamic faith is compared to Christianity. Between 9/11 and 2004 there were 2,929 deaths resulting from Islamic terrorism (Rivas, & Windrem, 2004). One can easily see how much more dangerous Islam is compared to Christianity.
The facts speak for themselves to the gross imbalance of detriment created by Islamic faith as compared to Christianity. The fact is that one would be hard pressed to get a Christian minister to strap a bomb to his body and race into an abortion clinic with the intent of killing without regard for the innocent individuals who might be sitting inside. Almost every day there are similar acts of Islamic terrorism posted in the news. So much so that it does not always make the front page. Therefore, to state that one religion is equally malevolent as another is erroneous.
References
National Abortion Federation (2009), "Incidence of Violence & Disruption Against Abortion Providers in the U.S. & Canada", Retrieved June 5, 2010
Rivas, R, & Windrem, R. (2004, September 2). Worldwide terrorism-related deaths on the rise. Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5889435/
Published by Vincent Van Noir
Vincent Van Noir is a professional writer who concentrates in research, academic, and argumentative writing. With a desire to help other people Vincent combats misinformation and propaganda by exposing corru... View profile
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14 Comments
Post a CommentWell, well, the making of a first-class "crap-storm"! Good work!
brave piece here, thanks for sharing your opinion....
Robert, the rational basis for my ethical judgment is pretty obvious in that if one chooses to believe in a religion, he or she should be weary of the fact that some religions, in particular Islam is a dangerous belief. Your personal attack on my belief has nothing to do with this article. As well, to say that an argument concerning whether one religion is better than another is the equivalent of preferring one flavor of ice cream over another is ridiculous. If you prefer chocolate over vanilla ice cream doesn't get you killed by a suicide bomber or worse yet, ask you to be a suicide bomber.
The problem with this article is that you have no rational basis for the ethical judgments you make. So you think one religion is better or worse that another, so what? This is no more significant than pref chocolate ice cream to vanilla. There has never been a great philosopher who was an Atheist. mThe collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 proved that it is impossible to found a civilization on the basis of Atheism! Not only was it the murderous political system in World History, it was the most culturally sterile. Where is the great art, the great architecture, The great novels and short stories, the great painting, the great sculpture, the great music, the great anything. This regime completely destroyed the economy of the country that experts predict that it will take 50 years to rebuild it. All these crimes against humanity were committed entirely consistent with the spirit and precepts of Atheism.
Finally, an article I agree with. :)
True, Christians have killed for their religion and also fought other Christians, but I don't recall them ever having destroyed their own churches or shrines, and certainly not killing innocent people in the name of God. It's only Islam (some sects admitedly) that promote killing people, including your own if it means killing others, and suicide bombings, using women and children, plus bombing your own holy places as well. I don't see how these things could be done in the name of God. Of course they don't worship God, just a prophet. Don't get me started on the teddy bear...
A thought-provoking article. Thank you for putting things in such blunt perspective.
I would just like to point out that you are pointing out only direct violence. What about explicit actions which prevents others from gaining scientific or historical knowledge? Those indirect costs and their fallout is hard to measure.
I disagree Rebecca. The hijackers of 9/11 were not poor kids that lacked education. Most came from middle class, not overtly religious families. The danger of Islam is that it crosses all classes and has entrenched itself in the legal doctrines of these countries. Your view of Islamic countries is skewed. Terrorists would not be able to fund and carry out their plans if it were not for the large amounts of cash that is provided by Islamic governments and rich Islamic people. Osama himself came from an extremely wealthy family and is educated.
It's not the religion that makes one group "worse" than another - it's the geographical location of the main source of the believers and the level and value placed on education. Islamic countries are poorer, do not believe in educating all, lack the resources and know-how to compete educationally and breed ignorance. This is why Muslims in richer, educated countries do not partake in the unevolved actions of hatred. Ignorance is what breeds hatred, not religion.