Negative biases against Islamic people.

This is hard to admit in a public forum, but I hope I can say this in the right way and get the discussion I think is necessary around this issue. I live in a very rural area so I don't know a lot of people who are Muslim, the ones I have met are fine people, but I have this negative feeling about the religion, that spills over into my feelings about people. It's there for other religions too, but not as strong. I think it's obvious that this is due to media and books I have read, I think Christopher hitchens and Sam Harris had pretty dim views. Also I've read salman Rushdie and Ayaan hirsi Ali and these authors informed my opinion. I see the news and what is happening in the Middle East, and it's frightening. Obviously I'm an atheist, I'm not interested in converting, but i would like to have a more balanced view, and I really hate being biased, racist, or anything of the sort. So I'm looking for positive stories about Islam and ways others deal with biases in regards to religion, as an atheist. I guess the first step in conquering biases is to admit them, so here goes nothing.

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Permalink Reply by Umbra on November 16, 2012 at 4:18pm

I have in the past tried to communicate with people of different faiths and tried to go in to friendly discussion with them.

I'm afraid that I have nothing positive to report. Christians and Buddhists appear to be generally accepting of you denouncing faith as a whole. Muslims have refused to speak to me for not being religious. I did not put this up front, I was asked. Muslims have a name for people like us, namely "kafir". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kafir

As a whole Islam appears to me to be the most aggressive of religions. The Taqiya as posted by Marvel underlining perfectly my reservations against it. http://www.thinkatheist.com/xn/detail/1982180:Comment:1210344

On a slightly more positive note experiences with Christians in my area being called a "good Samaritan" after having gone out of my way to help someone. I've also received many blessings for giving helpful advice. I politely leave them under the illusion that I appreciate their blessings. The truth is a little more ironic of course as an atheist.

I think you will not find positive stories about religion on an atheist forum. It is simply the wrong place to look for that.

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