Richard Dawkins criticised for Twitter comment about Muslims

[Razgovory]

also there is an other thing here which is spot on: this guy has been trashing Christianity regularly, and nobody gave a damn. He makes one comment on Islam and gets all this shit thrown at him.

And, as a teacher of mine once said: you can only be offended about something that is true.

Yes, clearly nobody gave a damn.

[Legbiter]

Isn't snark like Dawkins posted the entire purpose of Twitter?

[garbon]

I think it's quite obvious.  Islam has stultified intellectual inquiry in the Muslim world.

But how does he actually make that point?

As it is it just looks like the 'look what happened to Greeks/Romans' argument against gay marriage. It seems maybe slightly interesting but totally off-point.

There was something mentioned about some islam people claiming "BUT LOOK AT OUR SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS ZOMG!!!!1111oneoneoneone" and Dawkins merely pointed out: "what scientific achievments"

Actually I believe what he said was that we so often hear about their scientific accomplishments. Pretty freaking weak.

[The Minsky Moment]

I thought Dawkins was supposed to be an atheist, but looks like he just proved that a mass conversion to Judaism would lead to huge scientific and cultural advances.

[crazy canuck]

I thought Dawkins was supposed to be an atheist, but looks like he just proved that a mass conversion to Judaism would lead to huge scientific and cultural advances.

[Josquius]

"

But some users appeared more forgiving. @Chriss_m, said: "Dawkins spent the best part of 10 years attacking Christianity and not raising an eyebrow. He now turns that same eye on Islam and uproar."

Dawkins is a ethnic Brit and ex-Christian ergo he is totally entitled to bash Christianity all he likes. He's a complete outsider to Islam.
Sorry right wing poor oppressed Christianity moaners but your complaint doesn't work.


The way Twitter comments are all over the news lately rather annoys me

[Admiral Yi]

Dawkins is a ethnic Brit and ex-Christian ergo he is totally entitled to bash Christianity all he likes. He's a complete outsider to Islam.
Sorry right wing poor oppressed Christianity moaners but your complaint doesn't work.

Would this same logic extend to, say, ex-pat Brits bashing the US? 

[crazy canuck]

The way Twitter comments are all over the news lately rather annoys me

Agreed.

The medium really has become the message.  Its very inexpensive for new agencies to create content from social media.  Much more difficult and expensive to send reporters out to find what used to be considered real news.

[The Minsky Moment]

Dawkins is a ethnic Brit and ex-Christian ergo he is totally entitled to bash Christianity all he likes. He's a complete outsider to Islam.

Think for a bit about the implications of what you are saying here.  Are you really claiming that only an insider is permitted to be critical?

[Richard Hakluyt]

The way Twitter comments are all over the news lately rather annoys me

Agreed.

The medium really has become the message.  Its very inexpensive for new agencies to create content from social media.  Much more difficult and expensive to send reporters out to find what used to be considered real news.

Yes indeed. The flawed re-election of Mugabe received far less attention in the British media last week than a buffoon referring to "Bongo Bongo land".

One is a gibbering no-account asshat stuck in the 1940s, the other is a nasty dictator stuck in the 1940s who has buggered the lives of millions of people.

[Ed Anger]

I don't believe in Richard Dawkins.

[Josquius]

Dawkins is a ethnic Brit and ex-Christian ergo he is totally entitled to bash Christianity all he likes. He's a complete outsider to Islam.

Think for a bit about the implications of what you are saying here.  Are you really claiming that only an insider is permitted to be critical?

No. That's not what I'm claiming. It is a very different sort of criticism however. Particularly with stuff like religion and ethnicity, I.e. Jewish or black comedians telling a joke about their folks vs. A white Christian guy doing the same.

[crazy canuck]

Is Tyr too PC

[The Minsky Moment]

Islam is not an ethnicity though - Dawkins is right about that part. 
And it's hard to think of something that gets more criticized by outsiders than religion.  Whether by other religions or by non-believers.
One of most successful plays on Broadway is a three hour full bore mockery of Mormonism.

[Eddie Teach]

No. That's not what I'm claiming. It is a very different sort of criticism however. Particularly with stuff like religion and ethnicity, I.e. Jewish or black comedians telling a joke about their folks vs. A white Christian guy doing the same.

Black comedians tell jokes about "white people" (generally only applicable to upper middle class urbanites) all the time.