Because it's Islam that hinders scientific education in the US, right? It's Islamic Creationism that's pushed in US science classes; it's Islamists who oppose stem cell research?
I happen to agree with the pro-life side, but both terms are intended to highlight what the respective sides view as the most important aspect of abortion.
Let's make this clear: if you want to call yourself 'pro life' then you have to be pro life across the board. What I notice is that those that call themselves 'pro life' will usually use the abortion issue as a way of forcing their way of life on others, regardless of what happens to unborn children. They're just a convenience to use in order to restrict the lives of others, they're not a goal per se.
'pro lifers' appear to have no compunction when it comes to bombing abortion clinics and assassinating doctors.
If you're pro-life then I assume that you have transferred 90% of your savings to help out kids in countries where food is scarce?
That would be a lot more effective then getting on the anti-abortion bandwagon.
"'pro lifers' appear to have no compunction when it comes to bombing abortion clinics and assassinating doctors."
That's about as sensible as saying that "Islam" has no compunction when it comes to bombing civilian targets. Or that "atheists" have no compunction about executing people because they're religious. You're painting a very broad group with the actions of a small handful.
Regardless, this conversation has strayed very far from the small factual correction I intended to make.
"Yes, some people in countries dominated by islam do fight for their freedom of conscience and for science to prevail. ."
These two contradict themselves.
One can only hope that islam will see the light like other religions did - yet I doubt that, for it seems even more opposed to science that the other religions were/are. There have been various sects trying to bring the enlightenment to islam, but they more or less have failed. (in fact, I believe Mustapha Kamal in Turkey is one of the only example of success - and even that one was not perfect, with religious persecution of the religious minorities)
There are signs that a united califate (islamist empire) might emerge again - the various revolutions could have been an opportunity for democracy to emerge, but the islamists did dominate. Some serious ideological division between islamists are blocking, but politics does wonder everywhere, and when you notice a peace agreement between sunnis and shias, be very worried.
Maybe it can't be like the pacific fall of communism - maybe it will take a war like the fall of fascism.
The way things are, the west will prevail and so will science - with strong collateral damages however.
It is just a shame to spend so many years and resources for such a pointless confrontation - and that's not even counting the human losses.
At least science and progress will prevail. Too bad it might seriously hurt the current leader of the free world - like it did for France and England in WW2.
BTW for those who will cry wolf and racism, here's a nice facebook page in french : https://www.facebook.com/Athes411 - algerians atheists. Yes, some people in countries dominated by islam do fight for their freedom of conscience and for science to prevail. Odds are against them however.
Science requires a "critical mass" to bear its fruits, or people end up burned or with their heads on sticks - like many did, in the middle ages or the other dark periods of humanity.
Society, in the countries where these people live, is fighting against them and their un-islamic beliefs, there are fewer and fewer of them to make a political difference, while we are offering very little opportunity to leave for greener pastures.
Odds are against them - just like they were against galileo, or the russians who did not believe in communism and saw it for what it was but couldn't manage to flee. Science, facts and all that will certainly win in the end- but meanwhile, it won't do any good for the people stuck in a fight against an angry mob of people, which includes some who sincerely believe they have 40 virgins waiting for them in heaven!
EDIT: Secularism and science do conflate. Just like fascist and communist suppressed research that was against their dogmas, and subsidized stupid theories that played well with their beliefs. In the catholic world there was that thing called "the middle ages" for a reason - and then enlightenment. We are currently in the islamic middle ages. Go read the atheist page - it's worth spending some time on. Their last post from only 2 hours ago even has a nice picture of science as a book/shield to protect against religious dogmas : https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=342402572541947&...
Downvotes ? Does not matter. True science holds no belief - just paradigms, which can be reversed with enough time, theories and matching evidence. Any form of political or religious belief is good and helpful - until it starts believing that dogmas are better than facts. Then it steers away from the truth. Science is not a body of knowledge, but more a process of thought.