Sam Harris and the Mosque

[realisticphish]

(which is not a mosque, but you know)

I assume that most people have read his comments criticizing the whole thing. Frankly, some of his comments got to the point of total insanity (erecting a monument to Satan?).

I have been frustrated to hear a few other atheists, though none as big-name as Harris, taking this opportunity to criticize Islam and its (current) connection to terrorism.

Well, yeah. But is that relevant? As atheists, we are a severe minority in this country. Now is not the time to be supporting anti-constitutional actions on the basis of emotion and differences in belief. Harris even uses the (by now) classic line of "I believe in freedom of religion, but..." WHY IS THERE A BUT? I think Islam is as pointless and archaic as any other faith, and it has certainly spawned its share of barbarities. But there is a time and place for that criticism, and I refuse to join the right-wing religious crowd in spreading ignorance, racism, and demagoguery. Not to mention that I am a civil libertarian before I am an atheist, at least in legal issues, and for the moment, what's in the Constitution is more important than what's in the Qur'an


Plus, IT'S NOT A FUCKING MOSQUE AND IT'S NOT AT FUCKING GROUND ZERO. GAH.