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melman

(7,681 posts)

37. It's not

Reply to Shoulders of Giants (Reply #29)

Sat Oct 4, 2014, 11:43 PM

Oct 2014

But you'll never convince most of the people here of that. It's bizarre.

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Ben Affleck Slams Bill Maher for "Racist," "Ugly" Views in Heated Islam Debate [View all] joeybee12 Oct 2014 OP

Maher is an asshole. Archae Oct 2014 #1

Affleck nailed it, as far as I'm concerned. (nt) Paladin Oct 2014 #2

Agree, Maher looks more unhinged the more he doubles down on this. n/t BuelahWitch Oct 2014 #4

Nah, he and Sam were completely calm amuse bouche Oct 2014 #112

Totally agree Paladim. I'm with Affleck. 2banon Oct 2014 #14

I agree. Islam isn't the Skidmore Oct 2014 #96

I don't mind Maher's usual criticisms of religions. Paladin Oct 2014 #98

What people who want to condemn Islam forget is that many of the areas that have a hrmjustin Oct 2014 #3

Every single Religious State Organization needs to be completely abolished globally. 2banon Oct 2014 #17

Then they'd find something else to manipulate for gain... bobclark86 Oct 2014 #49

True. But those groups would have to something far more to hang their power grabbing hat on 2banon Oct 2014 #100

Tell that to any crappy cult leader... bobclark86 Oct 2014 #109

I agree and can we include Atheism too Joe Turner Oct 2014 #66

wow. there's an atheist state? Name it. cali Oct 2014 #76

thank you for clarifying what I thought should have been obvious. 2banon Oct 2014 #101

Atheism is an Organized Religion? That's news to me. 2banon Oct 2014 #99

There are a lot of instances in history where leaders have behaved very badly... DemocratSinceBirth Oct 2014 #94

I stay just as far away from any religion as I can get madokie Oct 2014 #84

I agree Madokie and well said! onecent Oct 2014 #95

Maher made some great points about that religion. It has issues. nt Logical Oct 2014 #5

And Christianity doesn't? Judaism doesn't? Spider Jerusalem Oct 2014 #7

You pretty much made Maher's point PAProgressive28 Oct 2014 #10

No, Maher is an ignorant fuckstick Spider Jerusalem Oct 2014 #12

"Expecting Muslims to be as secular and enlightened as the liberal West..." Wait, your argument... Humanist_Activist Oct 2014 #35

My argument is not that they're not civilised, no Spider Jerusalem Oct 2014 #36

But no civilization exists in a vacuum, Turkey gave women the right to vote before the United... Humanist_Activist Oct 2014 #39

I'd argue that in a lot of cases... Spider Jerusalem Oct 2014 #42

That's the issue, wasn't it, you had nations created after generations of very little... Humanist_Activist Oct 2014 #48

There's a difference between an explanation and an excuse Spider Jerusalem Oct 2014 #59

Yes, that is true, and true equality and egalitarianism hasn't been reached anywhere yet... Humanist_Activist Oct 2014 #61

Well, maybe one day they can come up to our standards. We can then expect them sabrina 1 Oct 2014 #78

+1 Marr Oct 2014 #60

Well, the Muslims of cwydro Oct 2014 #75

To be fair there are outside forces in the ME that have made this difficult for decades. hrmjustin Oct 2014 #23

yes, and while afghanistan and somalia are middle east they are muslim JI7 Oct 2014 #41

Terrific melman Oct 2014 #13

All religions are fucked up, especially the fundies, again, who is really following their holy book? snooper2 Oct 2014 #92

There was a time during the Middle Ages when the Islamic civilization Blue_In_AK Oct 2014 #20

Yes, that's true. Then the fundamentalists took over. mountain grammy Oct 2014 #30

The problem, according to some, is that whathehell Oct 2014 #74

They had a Renaissance WAY before Europe did. Blue_In_AK Oct 2014 #80

No, that was not their renaissance, it was their 'golden age' whathehell Oct 2014 #104

Their Renaissance was the Islamic Golden Age. NuclearDem Oct 2014 #93

Golden Age, Renaissance, it makes little difference. Blue_In_AK Oct 2014 #106

Yes he did. It was a good discussion, and was directed. At fundamentalism, and yes they still_one Oct 2014 #27

Like the RC priests that fuck young kids don't. yup LawDeeDah Oct 2014 #43

I one hundred percent agree. So what did bill maher do wrong? Nt Logical Oct 2014 #47

I can't give a shit about Bill Maher, what is Wrong is LawDeeDah Oct 2014 #52

And someone can think the same about you! Correct? Nt Logical Oct 2014 #55

because I have so much influence? LawDeeDah Oct 2014 #58

You sound grumpy. Maybe nap time! Nt Logical Oct 2014 #62

You sound constipated, Time for an Exlax? LawDeeDah Oct 2014 #63

Maher is just an arrogant, self-loving prick pangaia Oct 2014 #79

Well there is that whole female genital multilation brewhaha... VanillaRhapsody Oct 2014 #73

Yes, and though I'm sad to disappoint those bending over backwards whathehell Oct 2014 #105

its xenophobic, it's not necessarily "racist" (Muslims aren't a race). Spider Jerusalem Oct 2014 #6

In practice it tends to be racist... YoungDemCA Oct 2014 #110

If I might reiterate..... Mister Nightowl Oct 2014 #8

As I said before, Bill Maher's Islamophobia is well-established. closeupready Oct 2014 #9

As is Sam Harris's. stranger81 Oct 2014 #18

I am not surprised by it, I sometimes overlook it because Maher can be really funny. LawDeeDah Oct 2014 #45

Ben's been winning me over Union Scribe Oct 2014 #11

He's been on the right side of being left for a long time now. LawDeeDah Oct 2014 #19

Yeah I can't see myself sticking up a Gigli poster Union Scribe Oct 2014 #24

Here's the video. progressoid Oct 2014 #15

Seriously... ReRe Oct 2014 #16

How is standing up for liberal values against religious extremist bigotry? Shoulders of Giants Oct 2014 #29

It's not melman Oct 2014 #37

Since when has painting every member of a religion as a religious extremist been a liberal value? Violet_Crumble Oct 2014 #38

Great explaination! n/t BuelahWitch Oct 2014 #116

? ReRe Oct 2014 #40

I always thought Maher was an asshole. davidthegnome Oct 2014 #21

You do know that Bill Maher has also been insulting fundamentalist Christians for decades, right? Shoulders of Giants Oct 2014 #32

That just means he is a ginormous asshole. Major Hogwash Oct 2014 #44

Did you read what you just wrote? bobclark86 Oct 2014 #50

Good for Ben Affleck. cpwm17 Oct 2014 #22

That's funny amuse bouche Oct 2014 #114

A religion is not a race. Shoulders of Giants Oct 2014 #25

Yep. Ben threw "racism" out there to stop the debate. LostInAnomie Oct 2014 #57

Affleck was great! elias49 Oct 2014 #26

DOGMA! one of the best little movies ever. LawDeeDah Oct 2014 #54

You gotten know the CIA or FBI Beringia Oct 2014 #28

People should not be surprised by his attacks on religion because he has been doing it for years. hrmjustin Oct 2014 #31

"Ben is right...Maher is scum." amuse bouche Oct 2014 #33

Here I thought... bobclark86 Oct 2014 #51

"greed for power. Oh, and manipulating people " amuse bouche Oct 2014 #86

Not so much... bobclark86 Oct 2014 #97

I disagree amuse bouche Oct 2014 #108

I don't assume all Muslims are jerks based on the extremists just like I don't assume liberal_at_heart Oct 2014 #34

Of course, Maher didn't say "All muslims are jerks". Donald Ian Rankin Oct 2014 #88

In America, why do we find more fundies in the Bible Belt than in other parts valerief Oct 2014 #102

I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call Maher a 'racist'..... AverageJoe90 Oct 2014 #46

It's funny how many people on here think Affleck sounded intelligent in that debate. LostInAnomie Oct 2014 #53

I see their point, honestly. Marr Oct 2014 #56

Got to side with Maher Joe Turner Oct 2014 #64

Christians NEVER fight amongst themselves Hari Seldon Oct 2014 #65

That's a good point. LostInAnomie Oct 2014 #67

Christians certainly fought amongst themselves Joe Turner Oct 2014 #68

how about the militant religious strains choking womens rights in the US? LawDeeDah Oct 2014 #70

"There is no compulsion in religion" is a well-known phrase CJCRANE Oct 2014 #81

bull fucking shit on a shitty stick LawDeeDah Oct 2014 #69

All you have to do is read Joe Turner Oct 2014 #71

Post removed Post removed Oct 2014 #72

Really? Islam is the one religion that can't coexist? a la izquierda Oct 2014 #90

That is a good point. hrmjustin Oct 2014 #91

I wasn't impressed with Affleck at all. I certainly don't agree with Maher or Harris- at all- cali Oct 2014 #77

I agree with you 100% on that. Kristoff is a class act and few are as elloquent as he is Quixote1818 Oct 2014 #82

yes. I understand the wanting to agree with Affleck cali Oct 2014 #85

Weren't they confusing Muslim countries with Muslims in general? Manifestor_of_Light Oct 2014 #83

That's what I took away from it too, MoL BuelahWitch Oct 2014 #107

Islam is not a race, it's a religion. Maher is right, and Affleck should be ashamed of himself. Donald Ian Rankin Oct 2014 #87

That's the most bizarre, seriously flawed analysis I've ever read. 2banon Oct 2014 #103

"Every organized State Religion (Judaism, Christians, Muslim, etc.) have extremist fundamentalists" amuse bouche Oct 2014 #113

I don't quite get your point..I'm not promoting religion 2banon Oct 2014 #115

Believe it or not, but not every religious person is a fundamentalist, legalist, or literalist YoungDemCA Oct 2014 #117

They are all delusional, phony, or both amuse bouche Oct 2014 #118

i love when people bring up the crusades. hrmjustin Oct 2014 #89

" Maher told Affleck that he wasn't actually listening to them " amuse bouche Oct 2014 #111

An open letter to Ben Affleck: Bryce Butler Oct 2014 #119