And let me add, that as a huge fundamentalist demonstration gathered to save Terry Schiavo, prompting Congress to order the federal supreme court to review a case over which they had no jurisdiction, the question becomes how many idiot voters we have among us. So many at least that politicians are more scared of the idiots than they are of the freethinkers. To what conclusion? Some people are too fucking stupid to have a voice? I think yes, but it goes against all the founding fathers established, or does it? No, at the origin of this country only male land owners had a vote. Hmmmm.

We keep dancing around which human institution is less flawed, but the truth is that they all are. Human history proves that every empire ever established has decayed and disappeared. So the only relevent question is, can freethinkers ever cure the idiots?

NeoWolfe

http://equal-rights-now.com/In.....38;lang=en

You may not regard Iran as a “modernised Islamic society”, but I daresay most male Iranians do.

Religion seems to be used as justification for treating women poorly in many cultures, which I suppose is womens own fault for allowing the rise of the Patriarchal culture. I don’t think you can say this is not about religion and is just a class or gender thing though, I think perhaps it is more a mix of all three.

As for myself, I have my own beliefs and I am tolerant and open minded about others with one stipulation, and that is that they do not use their beliefs to harm others. As soon as someone uses their beliefs to justify harming another human being, be it physically mentally or emotionally, then they waive their rights to be treated with courtesy and respect by myself, call it bigotry if you like that’s your call not mine.

Anglo-Saxon law codes were probably harsh by modern standards, but so what? Islamic culture has had plenty of time to get with the program. Ignorance of basic human rights is certainly no defence here. You’re not saying that it’s okay for a nation that’s signed up to the UN Convention on Human Rights to conduct itself in this way because ‘it’s their culture’? That one never flies, not should it. UNCHR is for the human race, cultures be damned.

If – as you assert – Muslim nations are making progress, it’s not especially obvious to this observer. Indeed, in many Islamic countries the status of women is being undermined by the fundamentalists. I sympathise with your viewpoint on some of the strong language here, but it is born of genuine moral outrage.

For a real eye-opener, you could start reading the old Anglo-Saxon law-codes!

Meanwhile, it is clear that in modernised Islamic societies women have a higher status – although there is still some way to go (the same could also be said of many Christian countries, of course).

In other words, you are generalising from a specific example to create a hostile stereotype to apply to an entire group – a classic example of herd-like xenophobia.

And no, I am not a troll. I am a passionate atheist who detests ignorant bigots of all stripes.

Or as William said perhaps you are just a troll…