Was it unclear that I was only using Islam as an example?

I ask because when I wrote my post last night, I thought it was very obvious that the core of my argument was targeted at the deeper problem of clinging to hate-filled ancient books, without qualification or reserve, and without rational reflection on their contents and the ethical consequences of advocating adherence to their contents.

The Christians that do the same are just as guilty and for the exact same reasons.

There are three broad reasons I chose to write about Islam and not Christianity. Or Zoroastrianism. Or Sikhism. Or whatever, take your pick.

First, I chose not to write about Christianity and Christians in part because I was uncertain if I could constrain my emotions and keep in within rule 2. I have no particular personal prejudice or dislike for Muslims (and thus Islam) from experience -- I have met quite a few but I have never been mistreated by them either for being an atheist or for being a gay man. I cannot say the same for Christians and Christianity.

Second, the homophobia of Muslims is topical. There was a homophobia-motivated mass murder of gay men by someone who was either a self-hating gay Muslim or just a hating Muslim.

Third, I went after the Koran because a lot of people seem unwilling to do so. No one in the West hesitates any more to tell Christians that (at least some parts of) their holy text is nothing more than a collection of ancient fables and the legal and moral thinking of barely-literate Iron Age pastorialists from West Asia. Even other Christians are quite eager to say a slightly watered-down version of this when their fundamentalist cousins start insisting that Leviticus is a moral code which should be state law.

It may only be my feeling, but people seem to be much less willing to point out the absurdities and moral dangers of a literal interpretation of the Muslim holy text and clinging unwavering to regressive elements in their religious traditions.

I do understand some of this may be because the far-right is so eager to bash Muslims that others may be afraid of appearing to do the same for the same hate-motivated reasons -- but bad ideas are bad ideas regardless of who holds them.