
The problem isn't Islam, it's religion - thebakedgood
https://medium.com/p/the-problem-isnt-islam-it-s-religion-6f2cf750f98c
======
willvarfar
The article lists the three things that the author thinks make people evil:

> There are also people who do evil. I usually lump the causes into one of
> three groups:

1) Mental instability.

2) Being misinformed.

3) Crimes of passion.

I think the biggie is peer pressure to adopt group norms, though. People try
and fit in. They don't question too critically the opinions of those around
them, and instead repeat and reenforce it so it slips towards a social evil.
Which is what religion is, really - a group norm you don't question
critically.

Further along:

> Even the founding fathers knew religion was trouble. After all, they left
> partially due to religious differences. But they knew religion was too
> touchy a subject to be involved in government

Trivia, but as a techie I can't help but derail discussion by pointing out
minutiae: the Pilgrim Fathers left England because it was _too tolerant_ , and
they wanted to set up a pure and intolerant new world. Which changes things
quite a bit.

------
k__
I think "good" and "bad" are the problem.

People try to define good and bad absolutly and fail every time.

Islam says some things are bad.

Religions generally say some things are bad.

Even non-religious people are like "I don't need no god or something to do the
right thing!"

We need to understand that there isn't something good or bad out there.

There is simply the wish that some things are handled a special way.

Like, for example, not eating animals. It's not bad to eat them neither it is
good. It's just something we can do.

Every person and the society as whole has to accept that we just "decide" how
we want to live.

If we get this we can change our minds more easily if new information arises.

