Pat Condell has recorded a video message to his fellow atheists who have taken issue with his views on islam, shariah law, and western governments’ political correctness.  Although this message was meant for the atheist community, Pat’s wisdom about ‘freedom as his religion’ should resonate with many peoples across the world.

Full Transcript:

I’d like to clear up something once and for all, if I may, because from the correspondence I have received, it’s clear that a number of people in what’s called the atheist community have taken exception to some of my opinions and no longer consider me one of their one. Apparently, I have violated some kind of atheist orthodoxy and I’ve been, for want of a better word, excommunicated. And I have to say that really is quite an honor; thank you very much indeed. I feel so liberated now, I could almost go into a church and give thanks. Almost.

You know, if I cared what atheists thought about me, I would never be able to bring myself to say a critical word about islam, and that’s what I think about the atheist community. You see, I’ve noticed that many atheists are very happy to attack christianity with the full force of their finely honed intellects, driving home their arguments like fence posts, yet when it comes to islam, it’s a different story. Suddenly, atheism takes a backseat, and political correctness steps forward. The argument gets inverted like a hourglass with the sand running in the opposite direction as they rush to find excuses for religious fascism and to condemn anyone who speaks against it as a racist. What about all the hindus and sikhs I hear from who feel the same way about islam? Are they racists as well?

Atheists pride themselves on examining the evidence, yet too often, when evidence to do with islam is presented, it’s filtered through a political correctness and rendered inadmissible, because there seems to be a default assumption that drawing attention to the ongoing soft jihad against western values; that’s ‘soft’ like a velvet hammer, is somehow a slander on muslims. That their religion is essentially benign and that it’s critics are motivated primarily by bigotry and hate. And I’ve encountered this attitude so many times now that I am no longer surprised by it, but I think the people who are afflicted with it, are as much in denial as any religious bigot. Their equally irrational, equally delusional; they’re just slaves to a different dogma.

I’m an atheist, but I don’t love atheism, however, I do love freedom. I’ve said before that freedom is my religion, and I wasn’t joking, because we all know that you should never joke about something as solemn and sacred as religion. I don’t worship freedom because I don’t worship anything, but I do regard it as the highest virtue and the one from which all other virtues spring.  And, of course, it is extremely un-islamic, which between you and me, is one of the best things about it, but don’t tell anyone I said that as I would hate to cause disharmony.

I’m a fairly recent convert to the religion of freedom. Most of my life I have taken freedom for granted; it’s just been there in the background being reliable and boring, but since the rise of the european super-state along with multi-culturalism, the religion of peace, and all the insane bollocks that goes with it, I am pleased to say that my appreciation for freedom as a concept has been fully awoken, and has now reached genuinely religious proportions. Hallelujah.

It isn’t the usual kind of religion admittedly as it doesn’t require anyone to think less of themselves which might be a problem for somebody who believes there is virtue in self-hatred. Nor does it preach hatred against any group of people like, for example, homosexuals or jews which will obviously limit it’s appeal among those of the single brain cell persuasion. But if you measure religious conviction by strength of belief, and why shouldn’t you; then freedom is definitely my religion, and I warmly recommend it to any atheists who may be looking for something tangible and worthwhile to believe in; as clearly some of them are.

The reason I make videos can be summed up in three words; Freedom From Religion. And given the way the world is right now, inevitably that means, especially freedom from the religion of peace. And if that makes me a bigot or a racist or a fascist or a hate-monger or any of the other choice names that I have been called by atheists, well then so be it; I’ll just have to wear it because I don’t actually have a choice.

You see, Islam rejects individual freedom, and therefore, in accordance with my deeply and sincerely held convictions, I am obliged to reject Islam, which I do unequivocally. It is, to borrow a term, haram to me. I avoid it the way a muslim avoids pork.

To hear someone advocate the obscenity of sharia is as offensive to me as it would be to muslims if I were to stroll into my local mosque during friday prayers handing out bottles of beer and bacon sandwiches. However, I believe that islam wouldn’t be the problem it is today in the western world, and shariah wouldn’t even be an issue if not for the grossly irresponsible self-indulgence of cultural guilt and political correctness, which I believe, has literally turned us into our own worst enemies. It’s the rot in the foundations of western society through which the poison of religious fascism is being allowed to seep. And if we carry on as we are making ludicrous allowances for it, molly-coddling hate, tolerating intolerance and looking for excuses to make excuses for Islam, our society will be poorer for it, and our children will be less free, especially the female ones. And history will condemn us as the generation of liars and cowards that let it happen. The generation that was morally and politically so far up it’s own rectum, it didn’t even notice the lights going out, and I don’t want that on my conscience, thank you very much. I don’t want to be the person who wishes they said something when they had the chance. And frankly, the last thing on my mind is what atheists may or may not think about it. Peace.