Insightful former radical islamist article

[Seacrest]

Seriously, most of this "Islam problem" could be solved if they just stopped DEMONIZING THE POONTANG.

[kj]

>>Believe what you want, but be aware that your belief has no more superiority than does that of a Haitiian Voodoo priest.

No, I won't be aware of that. What's the point in belief, if you don't believe it? At any rate, I'm not talking just about christianity, but about any beliefs. If you believe the arts are important, what's wrong with being rabid about that? If you believe children are important, what's wrong with being rabid about that? If you believe people should be used for fishbait, well, that's just wrong. Not all beliefs are equally good.

>>Practice the belief, forget the institutions that profit from it and we'll all be better for it.

Going to a church is an important part of practicing the belief. Organizing and acting on belief (other than christianity) is also important (what good is a belief without action?). Not all institutions are bad, so you just choose one that's good, or do your best to make it good. There's a limit to what one person can do, and organizations are the answer to that reality. kj.

[Lux Interior]

Rufus: He still digs humanity, but it bothers Him to see the shit that gets carried out in His name - wars, bigotry, televangelism. But especially the factioning of all the religions. He said humanity took a good idea and, like always, built a belief structure on it.

Bethany: Having beliefs isn't good?

Rufus: I think it's better to have ideas. You can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier. Life should malleable and progressive; working from idea to idea permits that. Beliefs anchor you to certain points and limit growth; new ideas can't generate. Life becomes stagnant.

[kj]

>>I think it's better to have ideas. You can change an idea.

Yes, you can throw ideas away when they are BAD ideas. kj.