About the social issue. Reading this obviously points out another social issue : the complete inability of HNers to have an informed opinion on islam. Or maybe

About the social issue. Reading this obviously points out another social issue : the complete inability of HNers to have an informed opinion on islam. Or maybe it should be put another way : the implied social duty to on one hand be disgusted by islam (I get the impression from many posts here that that is the feeling between the lines), and to deny that that is the case, even articulate supposed moral equivalence. The islam is bad, but so are some christians argument, where for example constant mob-based violent repression of people is equated to a parent refusing to let a minor date someone for some reason, and not report the obvious difference between those 2 social situations. Nobody in America is locked up, and nobody will be killed for "disobeying" (with the exception of criminal activity, of course). America has freedom of speech and opinion. Well, frankly, there is something in America making people afraid of voicing their opinions on this matter. It just drips from the comments here that the general opinion it is (justifiably) very negative, yet nobody wants to come out and say it. Why can't we have the obvious simple opinion : are muslims all horrible people ? No. Are some of them ? Yes. Are some of them horrible people BECAUSE of islam, because they want to be what they consider muslim ? Yes, absolutely. Is islam's prophet an immoral, disgusting bastard ? You better know it. Is islam itself bad ? Yes. I'm not necessarily a fan of christianity, or any other religion, but frankly I think 99% of the islamic religion justifies opposition just as cults do, legal opposition, social opposition, ... In a way that 99% of christianity doesn't. I don't understand why openly destructive and repressive ideologies have to be given a free hand just because "they're a religion" (besides, anyone who has even a basic familiarity with it will agree islam is a state, not a religion). So I've said it. Let the consequences of whatever dumb social contract I've just violated come. This whole thread reads like it's a bunch of twelve year olds talking to their parents for permission slips for sex ed.