Another episode that would probably be of great interest to the folks here was her interview with historian Jennifer Michael Hecht on the “History of Doubt”.

But most nonreligious people are not anti-religious and this is a key. Most nonreligious people are not anti-religious.

Even if we were to accept this unreferenced statistical analysis, what of it?

Because we have these misunderstandings of one another. I mean, I do have to say, I mean, I think there is a need sometimes for people at atheist conferences to turn to one another and say, ‘Oh, you know, Muslims aren’t bad people. There are just extremists within every tradition.’

Is this guy for real? I’d like to know the atheist conference where a speaker said that “Muslims are bad people”. Even more disturbing, is the statement, “there are just extremists within every tradition”. It seems to suggest that all religions are essentially good, but corrupted by bad people. Something he’s not willing to defend or make an argument for. There’s plenty of people willing to make the arguments for the opposite, that religions make good people bad, people Epstein only criticizes for their tone, tact, and strategy, not that what they say is false.

If you believe that Islam is a religion of peace, that Christianity is and always has been against slavery, then you’re only willing to accept interpretations of text that are favourable, and you will ignore horrendous acts as not the “true” religion, against historical evidence and literary techniques. You have ceased to judge religion by its merits, by the harm or good of the ends, from the ideas therein, acted out. You have decided to discover religion as good, instead of discovering whether religion is good.

Also, I feel dreadfully silly arguing about what to call ourselves. Didn’t South Park mock us for that?