Christian State’ Threatens to Kill Muslims - "The Islamic State now has competition"

originally posted by: DJW001
a reply to: enlightenedservant

Another issue that clouds the ISIS census is that some people (particularly Russia) do not make a distinction between actual militants and people who happen to live in territory they control. I'm sure that a lot of "Morality Police" and civic workers are just ordinary people doing the only work available at the moment.

I agree. Same goes with the people in Assad's administration who may just be secretaries, dockworkers, etc. We treat them as war criminals worthy of a drone strike when they're really just people with bills to pay. One of the biggest reasons I hate war so much is because it's always the civilians who suffer the most.

I wouldn't mind if the political, business, and spiritual/ideological leaders got in a ring & fought it out. Why get the civilians involved when we can see a televised brawl between clerics, politicians, oil executives, and chickenhawks? They could even promote it like they do the World Cup or championship boxing matches. I'd probably purchase a pay per view to see Putin vs Erdogan, Obama vs Khamenei, and Assad vs Saudi Arabia's king lol. (ok ok, people would really want Putin vs Obama, Khamenei vs Saudi's king, and Assad vs Netanyahu; but those are reserved for future pay per view events.)

originally posted by: beansidhe
a reply to: enlightenedservant

Thank you for pointing out my un-researched hyperbole.

With the figures you give, it does certainly make you wonder why multiple nations can't get a grip on ISIS? But then Faud Hussein probably makes a very valid point, in that they probably could mobilise the local population if need be. What choice would an individual who wanted to protect his family really have?

Sorry, didn't mean it in a bad way. I think I have a real mental issue with semantics and being "pedantic" (I actually hate that word too, but whatever). I'm not OCD with physical things, but I guess I am when it comes to concepts & issues. Hmm, is that even possible?

And yeah, there's a good article about your point with individuals & their choices for joining ISIS. But when people point out that we need stability & economic opportunities in order to stop terrorism recruitment, we get mocked & demonized for it.  What I Discovered From Interviewing Imprisoned ISIS Fighters

When you consider the language used in the letter, it reads as though written by a Muslim.

Who else would refer to killing the brothers? Save someone of the same faith?

a reply to: angeldoll

Just as Christians by and large, do not hate Muslims, and Muslims by and large do not hate Christians, Atheists do not hate Christians, or Muslims, or any members of religious organisations.

Small, vocal minorities within all the aforementioned groups have tendency to hate on the others, much to the chagrin of the majority of the members of their given belief systems. Evidence can be found in my life alone, and I am but one man. I have friends who are atheist, who, by their behaviour toward those in need, are some of the most loving, caring, nurturing individuals one could hope to meet, and have been legendary in their treatment of me over the years. And yet, I am Christian. If what you say is true, then they would have mocked me, made a fool of me, slandered my name, lambasted my stupidity at every turn, insulted my religion maliciously and often...these things have not occurred.

And yet they are staunchly opposed to taking on faith of their own, claiming that while they believe in my right to make a choice on my own behalf about what to believe, their choice is to believe in no mysticism, no religion, no arcane afterlife mythos or anything of the sort. I respect their free will, as they respect mine.

originally posted by: angeldoll
If you guys don't think Atheists hate Christians, then perhaps you need to catch up on your reading on ATS. They HATE Christians. If you haven't picked up on that, then look at some of the Christian bashing threads as they are abundant.

Atheists are neutral. "Anti-theists" are the ones who hate organized religions.

a reply to: enlightenedservant

Not at all, I was just joking! I wouldn't say 'OCD', I would say 'accurate'.

Thanks for the link, articles like this help to provide an understanding about individuals rather than demonising whole groups.

 They are children of the occupation, many with missing fathers at crucial periods (through jail, death from execution, or fighting in the insurgency), filled with rage against America and their own government.

They are not fueled by the idea of an Islamic caliphate without borders; rather, ISIS is the first group since the crushed Al Qaeda to offer these humiliated and enraged young men a way to defend their dignity, family, and tribe. This is not radicalization to the ISIS way of life, but the promise of a way out of their insecure and undignified lives; the promise of living in pride as Iraqi Sunni Arabs, which is not just a religious identity but cultural, tribal, and land-based, too.

There are financial rewards for joining IS (I have read), a basic way to make a living. Who'd have thought that at the core of all but the very, very few is the desire to live a life in peace, supporting your family with a sense of identity and belonging? Of course there is. This is why twits who call themselves 'Christian State' or whatever are just as much part of the problem, in that they perpetuate fear, 'otherness' and division.
(I'm preaching to the choir with you, I know you understand this.)

As a Deist, I rather picture the Great Spirit looking down at the foibles of humanity and thinking: "Fruitcakes!".

Then looking away at a pod of Sperm Whales in the ocean and thinking: "Fabulous!!!".

Gotta love anecdotal evidence!

originally posted by: muse7
The scourge of Religion needs to be eradicated

Heil Hitler!



Note: I'm not a Nazi, just making a point.

originally posted by: beansidhe
a reply to: enlightenedservant

Not at all, I was just joking! I wouldn't say 'OCD', I would say 'accurate'.

Thanks for the link, articles like this help to provide an understanding about individuals rather than demonising whole groups.

There are financial rewards for joining IS (I have read), a basic way to make a living. Who'd have thought that at the core of all but the very, very few is the desire to live a life in peace, supporting your family with a sense of identity and belonging?

Of course there is. This is why twits who call themselves 'Christian State' or whatever are just as much part of the problem, in that they perpetuate fear, 'otherness' and division.
(I'm preaching to the choir with you, I know you understand this.)

Thanks. And I agree. I also think communities and governments should use the same techniques that are used to prevent people from joining gangs and organized crime rings. It's not always effective, but it can still drastically reduce the potential members. A wise man from South Sudan once told me that it's useless to preach to people if we don't offer a good alternative too. I've tried to focus on solutions ever since then (not saying I'm good at it, but that's my focus now).

As for the "Christian State" thingy, I've been unsuccessfully looking for a follow up about this. Right now, I'm thinking it's a "lone wolf", a bunch of idiots like a gang, or someone who's trying to point out a double standard. Either way, death threats are unacceptable. I may start scouring social media to see if there's anything other than this basic story about the incident.

originally posted by: masqua
As a Deist, I rather picture the Great Spirit looking down at the foibles of humanity and thinking: "Fruitcakes!".

Then looking away at a pod of Sperm Whales in the ocean and thinking: "Fabulous!!!".

Hey, animals have their own relationships & "drama" as well. So maybe those sperm whales are actually at odds with each other over dumb things too. They may have a stigma against seal eaters, compared to the more "righteous" octopus eaters. And maybe others believe that birds are actually "angels", clouds are the equivalent of stars, and land animals are "heathens" that were banished from the water as divine punishment. Ok, I'll stop now...

originally posted by: M5xaz
a reply to: Cinrad

100% BS
Christian State does not exist
Big lie by muslims to attempt to say Christians extremists like ISIS exist
Mulims then play victim to try to deflect attention from the fundamental violence of their cult.

What are you talking about? A Christian extremist just shot up a planned parenthood? How short is your memory?

Could be satire mocking jihadis.

It is written in the exact style used by Muslim terrorists only with the roles reversed.

a reply to: angeldoll

Would you care to answer me then?
I bear no ill will to you, nor truebrit, nor enlightenedservant, yet you seem eager to tar me with a brush and colour me hateful.
Let he without sin cast the first Stone, and I believe myself in this context the least sinner.
I beleive you are inciting hatred between deists and non deists, where there should be none.


Perhaps it is because I would gladly join brit in his house for christmas and observe the lords prayer, before we dined, and would gladly stay with enlightenedservant and not eat swine and say peace be upon him when mentioning Mohammed, *because neither have ever expressed demands that I do so*. I would expect both to follow the rules under my roof, and know what? I think both woul'd follow my rules under my house without me having to demand it.

And thusly I dont fit into your 'Hateful Atheist' ideology?

Come on, don't fear us, we aren't the great Satan you might have been told/assume.

a reply to: enlightenedservant

If I'm fully honest I'd consider myself anti-theist more than atheist, purely because I have come in contact with things I find daft, that pre-ats I haddnt, but (and may just be me/some) I have never felt any ill will to a religious person outside of those who say me and mine must do this/must not do that.

Plus I find some of the religious threads some of the most enjoyable, again generally when they lack the 'smite thee down' types but more the happy to explore the texts type.

My mother is heavily Christian in what she thinks of as her way, but she is disabled, yet I don't hate god, before the 'you are an atheist because you hate god' types come in.

I wear her Saint Peter pendant with no shame and no feelings of hypocrisy.