A short anti-Muslim rant

I'm not sure what is religion and what isn't.  A few "hard" Communists around here (yea there are a few still around) view any non-physical non-materialist understanding of even human behavior as superstition.  I tend to view their dogmatism as not terribly different from a religion, but most Communists relegate Communism to being a philosophy of politics and history, and allow that mind and spirit may be unknown and undescribed phenomena.

One characteristic I have found in religion, except for most Buddhists (though by no means all Buddhists) is that they assert doctrines -- things that are true and things that are false, end of subject.  This is maybe the main reason religions in history have such a bad record.

When religions (and other ideologies) do this sort of thing (I am right and that is the end of the subject and anyone who disagrees is engaging in something bad), I think they need to be opposed.

In today's world probably the worst for this sort of thing are the Muslims, although a lot of Hindus and Roman Catholics and followers of a few extreme Protestant denominations, are right up there with them.  Is my saying this "bashing" their beliefs?  To live in a Muslim country and have been born a Muslim but to not believe is extremely dangerous.  Such people exist but they keep their thinking to themselves.  Can this be the sign of a genuinely "true" and good religion?  To live in a Muslim country and not be a Muslim is to have to put up with all sorts of daily inconveniences and rules.  Muslims living in non-Muslim countries insist that they be allowed special rights that they deny those back home.  It really sticks in my craw.

We can be a bit air-headed and say all belief is good, or something like that, since many beliefs do achieve great good, but it isn't true and needs dealing with honestly.