B
Bodd
Maybe we are getting to the nub of the problem with your statement. It was perhaps an over generalisation, not accurate and unfair.
You now concentrate on specific groups who happen to be adherents of a particular religion. No-one would disagree with you that ISIS, Taliban, et al are an evil cult. But a cult they are. They follow the same interpretation of Islam as Saudi Arabia. So maybe Saudi Arabia could be included in the overall identification of evil cults.
But if you identify specific cults and misappropriate them as the wider religion, then you are being overly-general, inaccurate and unfair.
For instance, you wouldn't condemn all Catholics because Sinn Fein were predominantly Catholic, or suggest that Catholicism was evil because of the troubles. Or condemn all Buddhists because Myanmar Buddhists are practising ethnic cleansing, nor suggest that Buddhism is evil because of those issues, etc.
Such overly general sweeping statements creates the wrong impression, creates and multiplies prejudice and does nothing for the writer's reputation.
In addition, I don't see how you can suggest that a religion is evil, but then suggest that the adherents of that religion are OK.
It's like suggesting that Conservative policy is inhumane, but Conservatives are OK. If the policy is inhumane, it requires people to enact that policy. Therefore how can those actors be OK, when enacting an evil policy or religion?
Sure, some adherents of the policy or religion, those that practice the inhumane or evil interpretations of the policies or religions, must by definition be evil, or acting under duress, or be genuinely incapable of deciding for themselves. But those that don't practice or enact those inhumane or evil policies or religious bits, are OK, normal people. Invariably, the vast majority of them.
As others have said, all religions have their inhumane or evil bits in them, but only a tiny minority of people choose to live by those bits of the policy or religion, and force others, against their will, to do likewise. We need to be more precise about who or what we describe as evil, to avoid spreading and multiplying prejudice. We both know that some are easily influenced.
I stopped reading when you said
In addition, I don't see how you can suggest that a religion is evil,
I don't remember saying that. So won't bother reading what you have to say