Moderate religious believers can never put up more than a token resistance to religious extremism, because they justify their own beliefs in exactly the same way. If you really think that you are following the instructions of a Sky Boss, either directly or as interpreted to you by some intermediary, then you are severely limited in how much you can criticise people who think exactly the same thing. As I've said before, any atheist can show Islamic fundamentalists exactly where they are wrong: but that's something that no pope or imam or rabbi or pastor can do. Moderate religious belief is the medium that extremists swim in.

A positive contribution with a couple of unsupported claims, one being that the Paris terrorists were cowardly. Why? They were prepared to die for their beliefs. If they had been soldiers, police or civilians on our side, we would have called them heroes. But it makes us feel good about ourselves to smear activists with the charge of cowardice. Secondly, the claim that IS is based on a perverted reading of the Koran. What are they doing that isn't part of the foundation story of Islam, apart from making videos?

Gee way to go Asclepius, you want us to call these terrorist Brave or even Hero's! I don't think so there is nothing brave or heroic about shooting unarmed civilians.

As for the article and Jon J comments I agree. All religions and the Abraham ones in particular are full of fair tales to justify killing. you may decide to ignore parts of your religious books but its still in there.

Aesclepius,

Are you fair dinkum ? That if these mass-murderers 'had been soldiers, police or civilians on our side, we would have called them heroes.' In ISIS-held territory of course, but out here in the real world ? Are you suggesting that, no matter who does the killing, to murder 89 people at a concert is heroic ?

And it all has nothing to do with Islam ? So, like in the other 27,000 terrorist attacks since 9/11, when people shout 'allah akbar' and butcher or blow up or machine-gun or rape innocent, random people, they are not doing it in the name of Islam ?

You must be having a lend of us ?

Joe

Jon J, sorry but most Christians are moderate & can disprove islam better than an atheist. the scientific philosophy of:-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Common_Sense_Realism was invented by enlightened, conservative Christians 300 years ago.

Asclepius, quite correct, they are misguided but heroic none the less.

Cobber the hound, Q, what about all the crimes committed in the name of atheistic, secular humamism by atheistic, secular humanists who were following their own religious dogma?

Loudmouth, he did NOT say that the heroes were NOT murdering in the name of islam, just that we should be honest enough to admit that they showed a misguided heroism in being willing to die for their faith. EVERYTHING you hold dear was given to you by enlightened, conservative, protesting Christians who were willing to die for their faith over the last 2,000 years.

Sorry Brian but every muslim terrorist who has ever committed an act of terrorism against the west was encouraged to do so by atheistic, secular humanists who invented multi-CULT-uralism. We need to solve this problem by first deporting ALL muslims, then deporting ALL atheistic, secular humanists. Then the rest of us can begin to repair the damage done to the land of OZ by atheistic, secular humanists & repaying the debts accumulated by atheistic, secular humanists. The Protestant Work Ethic is what made the "Common-Wealth of Australia" the great nation it was 100 years ago.

BOTTOM LINE THE LAND OF OZ WILL NEVER BE GREAT, UNTIL WE BECOME ENLIGHTENED, CONSERVATIVE, PROTESTING CHRISTIANS AGAIN.

Despite how many are 'non observant', Islam provides the way into extremism worldwide .Do we want to finish up in Australia like Western Europe? We are on the way and the only certain stopper is to restrict Muslim immigration. http://www.independentaustralian.com.au/node/291.