I’ve visited Muslim countries as well; no problems. Travel definitely leads to a realistic viewpoint.

@CarolinaGirl60 but so does interacting with people of all religions and cultures within our own country...they are Americans...just like we are...they want the same things as we do...for their children and grandchildren...I don't think most people would even know what religion a person was in our neighborhood if they were blind...I know I wouldn't...they are Americans and people of Islamic faith do not act or do anything any weirder or more horrible than Americans of other faiths...I just don't get it

@thinktwice I agree with you. I’ve had a few Muslim friends, a few Jewish; but here in my part of the South, I just meet/know various flavors of Xtians. I love meeting people as just people, with an open mind.

Yep. I’ve argued with a few. Turned me off from this site for awhile.

The ones I occasionally run into don’t bat an eyelid when it comes to criticism from of Christianity, but scream “racism!” at criticism of Islam, despite the fact that neither religion is a race.

@TheDarkNolanite Maybe your attitude of hating them and wanting their beliefs erased played a part in that?
Catholics actually DID ‘assimilate’ pretty much all of South, Central America and Mexico. They felt it was their ‘god given right’ to do so. They destroyed untold cultures and groups of people.
An agnostic/atheist seeking out only one religion to despise is just that: hate. Very few conservatives will just admit to motives such as hate(religion) or just wanting to control women(abortion)...just two examples.

@CarolinaGirl60 Just because the Catholics destroyed society plenty doesn’t give Muslims the right to try and assimilate us.

@TheDarkNolanite Not what I said. Read it again.
I gave an example of what happens when a group(ANY group) believes...no, ‘KNOWS’, that their ideas of how the world should work are the only correct ones. At that point, they begin to step on the rights of others, to be filled with hate/judgment, and to feel justified in whatever they need to do to ‘make it right’.
That’s one world view, which is shared by extremists world over.
There are xtians who execute LGBT folks in other countries(like Uganda, funding ties to US); extremist xtians here in America openly say they want to do the same.
Muslims are not the only monster under the bed.

I cannot agree more. The Democrats are more likely to support more of the policies I support than any other party....since there are 2 parties to choose from. I have no problem supporting Democrats even though they cannot possibly ever check every box of my personal beliefs and values. The problem with a third party is that voting for them always ends up supporting the opposing party by siphoning off votes but not adding up to decisive victory. It is basically an opposition vote. The Green Party, the Independents....those politicians cannot seem to garner enough national support to ever make a dent. And how many atheist politicians are there in the most religiously affiliated Western nation around? Not many. It is still political suicide to run as a freethinking secular humanist. I'm not holding my breath to wait for the 'perfect' candidate. Lifelong Democrat. Pick a team. Being Independent in this particular case seems like giving up to me.