Christian Extremists React to Tragedy in Orlando

We atheists are often asked whether we consider all religions equally bad or if we think that some religions might be worse than others. Opinions on this subject vary quite a bit, which is exactly what one should expect when one recognizes that atheism is not a worldview or a philosophy and has no dogma to which one must adhere. Atheists are free to have very different opinions on this and many other topics. This atheist happens to believe that all religions are equally false but that some are currently a bit more dangerous to humanity than others.

As an atheist blogger, I can be confident that whenever I write anything about Christianity, I will be criticized for not writing about Islam. "Isn't Islam worse than Christianity?" "Isn't Christianity just a soft target?" I can also bet that whenever I write anything about Islam, I will be accused of giving Christianity a pass. "What about the Crusades?" "Just look at what Christians did when there was no separation of church and state!" I find that both Christianity and Islam warrant criticism, and while I do tend to write more about Christianity, I like to think that I am paying attention to both.

Lately, it seems like I have been thinking and writing more about Islam. I don't imagine the reasons for this are terribly difficult to figure out, and I plan to focus even more on Islam in the near future. Since some are bound to be upset by that, I give you this post.

Here are just a few of the ways Christian extremists are reacting to the recent mass murder in Orlando:

• Scott Lively's Oblivious Response to the Orlando Shooting
• Orlando victims support sign infuriates Christian homophobe
• Sacramento Pastor Defends Hate-Filled Sermon on Orlando Shootings
• Here Are All The People Applauding The Orlando Gay Club Shooter
• Pastor refuses to mourn Orlando victims: "The tragedy is that more of them didn't die"

Sadly, there are a lot more of these out there that can be located with a simple Google search. Those wanting to focus on the hatred against LGBT persons evident in this case can easily find far too many disturbing examples of where such attitudes come from. In the United States, anti-LGBT hate does not occur in a vacuum or without a source. It has been the bread and butter of Christian extremists for some time.

Of course, some Christians will insist that nobody mentioned in any of the links above is a "real Christian" just as some Muslims will insist that nobody who commits any acts or murder or terrorism is a "real Muslim." I think the rest of us know better.