It is factual to say that some cultures more than others are more conducive to the general well being of everyone, especially if we can agree on the baseline th

It is factual to say that some cultures more than others are more conducive to the general well being of everyone, especially if we can agree on the baseline that the worst possible suffering for everyone is BAD, and everything else is better and you build up from that. Some scriptures have seriously bad ideas in them, such as direct calls for violence against certain minority groups and people professing different beliefs from the majority. Some cultures are so integrated or intwined with these scriptures that it would be intellectually dishonest to say they do not influence and play a major part in the culture. The link is stronger in some cultures than what we are used to in a modern mostly secular west. Currently some cultures are simply not the best place for women or non heterosexuals to be in, that is a fact. Change towards bettering these cultures can not happen if ideas can not be discussed openly and the cultures and some of their core tenets can not be criticized. It is not racism or racist or whateverphobic to criticize islam the religion and certain similar aspects of cultures surrounding it in muslim majority countries. That is not to say that other cultures don't have issues but for example Buddha did not call for killing gays and unbelievers and spreading the faith through violence, even if some people in countries that profess being majority buddhist do cause violence. [1] I just don't think it's feasible to throw the Pali canon or core tenets of buddhist thought at someone to manufacture suicide bombers of them. Majid Nawaz, a former radical islamist who was jailed in Egypt for being part of what could be called an extremist (or even terrorist?) organization has been making rounds talking about having a 'war of ideas' and the need for reforming islam. [2] He co-authored a book with Sam Harris called 'Islam and the Future of Tolerance'. The book explores islam and some of its dangerous doctrines and how the muslim world needs to embrace reform to bring their culture to the 21st century. [3] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Rohingya_persecution_in_Myanmar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Rohingya_persecution_in_M... [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wE2jHf3RKk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wE2jHf3RKk [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_the_Future_of_Tolerance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_the_Future_of_Tolera...