Idk how it's so difficult for westerners to understand that not all Muslims who consider themselves practicing Muslims observe all parts of the faith. There's so many Catholics who disregard lent, hardly anybody listens to the dietary restrictions, there's almost none who acknowledge Jesus' teachings on wealth. Do all Catholics choose not to use condoms? Do all of them have the same opinion on abortion?

But I do realize it's part of looking at the out-group as a monolith at best and a hive mind at worst.

[–] mathemachristian@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 days ago

I think a lot of the reddit type atheists are so far removed from religion in general they only view religious people as a cartoonishly idealized strawman that has no thoughts other than what their book says and their preacher teaches, who every second of every day is thinking only about god and how to be more godly and who believes the simplest interpretation of their religion. I have encountered it quite a few times as well since my username "outs" me as christian.

It's that plus for muslims the sheer racism that makes for a particularly potent mixture of arrogance and ignorance resulting in this weird "white savior thats sneering at their lessers" postings

[–] chronotron@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

it's perfectly fine to judge the members of a group that follows a set of texts by what those texts say

[–] mathemachristian@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Because there only ever is one interpretation of any text and religious people famously all agree on it.

Because everyone who professes to a given religion has access to, reads and observes the texts and definitely doesn't just go with whatever everyone else is doing and saying and getting their religious belief through osmosis.

Because different sects and cultures don't weigh some parts heavier than others and local cultural practices and superstitions play no role in how people observe or ignore the text.

Because the text is the only thing that defines a religion and there is nothing else to it.

And of course because you definitely understand the text by just skimming it until you find whatever verse lets you feel euphoric through enlightenment by your own intelligence.