Racism?

[Barquentine]

The allegation that being opposed to a particular religion is 'racist' is ubiquitous today. I have always struggled to understand why even the quality media subscribe to this solecism.
Can anyone explain in what way all Christians are today considered to be from a single 'race'? It simply does not make any logical sense. Either I have a fundamental misunderstanding of what 98% of people are saying or the majority are just plain wrong!
I am open minded and am prepared to adopt the common usage if anyone can help me to understand!

[LazyGun]

I think you will need to give more detailed examples of this alleged link you postulate between religions and acts or comments that have been defined as racist, Barq.

Medieval, yes. Patriarchal and patronising, yes. Tribal, yes. Homophobic, yes. Anti - scientific, yes. I can think of examples of all of those attitudes in various doctrinal statements from the mouthpieces of several of the organised religions over the years, but I cannot bring specifically racist commentary to mind.

I cant remember anyone here, or anyone in general life, for that matter, labelling Christianity as racist, so, based purely on my own experiences, I would disagree with your initial point.It might be the case that some people are using the term racism as a lazy shorthand, when what they really mean is culturalist possibly?

[naomi24]

//It simply does not make any logical sense.// Of course it doesn't - because it isn't logical. I've seen several threads here where people have described what they perceive to be religious discrimination as racist, but they're wrong. They not only confuse religion with race - they are also at a loss to know which of the multitude of 'ists' or 'isms' our language now contains is appropriate to the subject under discussion.

[Barquentine]

Exactly Lazygun. No one assumes all Christians are from one race. But I have hundreds of examples from hundreds of news reports that label Islam as a 'race'. I had thought they were made up of different races, but the BBC, ITV and Sky News all insist on making us all accept that they are a homogenised single race. Maybe it is I that is wrong; I can hardly argue that the intelligent carefully selected journalists on our national television could possibly be wrong, can I? My friends also now insist that Muslims are from one specific race as well - I think they may have been brainwashed by the BBC.

[naomi24]

Sorry. I didn't realise you were referring specifically to the media. I can't say I've noticed it. Can you provide links to some of the examples you have?

[ll_billym]

The word 'racist' is misused a lot. To be a racist means that one believes that whole races of people have characteristics that mean that they are inferior to ones own superior race. The key words here are inferior and superior, it is not intolerance, ignorance or even hatred to a certain degree.

Most of what you are talking about is actually bigotry which is intolerance or hatred towards others religions, politics or race.

[joko]

i know someone claims he is racist and is almost proud of it... however on further inpesction it appeared that he had no issue with blacks and chinese, but hated paskistanis ... but only the muslim extremists

he hadnt really made the distinction himself, but to me that means he against religious fanaticism against britain/whites etc...not skin colour...

well arent we all?

he was quite pleased to discover this...

[mibn2cweus]

Religion is not a cause, it's the manifestation of an irrational belief system, albeit a self-perpetuating one. Rationality is a choice, a choice one would expect people to make; assuming they knew how to be rational; a virtue one is not going to learn from religion or by being religious.

Race is not a choice nor is it a determining factor of ones choice to be rational, so it's not rational to criticise someone for something over which they had no control but is merely an artifact of having been born.

Taking polls has never been an effective method for determining truth, but since when have proponents of religion been known for their aversion to grasping at straws.