The difference is in my (faulty) assumption that the original poster was "someone who has intellectual issues with religionS" - instead of being "actually a religious extremist, with cultural and religious biases bordering on racism".
I do have intellectual issues with religion, I just don't pussyfoot around them as is nowadays required to avoid the "racist" label, at least when dealing with Islam. Christianity seems to be fair game for attack by the left, while Islam apparently is sacred and needs to be treated with silk gloves, or you're labeled a "racist". But anyone who can think for themselves understand that contempt for religion has nothing to do with race, and that accusations of racism are just attempts to silence dissent, nothing else.
Me, a religious extremist? Well, if it's "extremism" to expose religious hypocrisy and other nonsense to the point of ridicule, and/or show contempt for barbaric religions and their practices, them I guess I'm a (atheist) "religious extremist". A word of warning though, unless you want the term "religious extremist" to be diluted, just like the word "racist" has been the last couple of years, I'd advise keeping the "religious extremist" label for actual violent extremists.
As for cultural and religious biases, well, you got me there. I think western civilization is far superior than Islamic "civilization", and I'm not the least ashamed to admit this. As for religion, I think it is all a big load of junk. But some junk is pretty harmless (e.g. Buddhism), some junk is silly, while other junk is pretty dangerous (Islam). Especially as the latter is treated with silk gloves by much of the establishment here in the west. And this infuriates me a lot. I think Christianity is pretty silly, but it's already getting more than its fair share of derision and contempt. Islam also strongly needs this treatment, but it isn't happening, because of misguided notions of "cultural sensitivity" or "every religion is equal, just different".
Cause, you see, anything that you and the poster above are trying to ascribe to one particular religion can be ascribed to any other just as well. No religion is a religion of peace no more than it is a religion of war.
Ah, the silly notion that all religions are equal, just different. I think facts speak for themselves here, only someone with large blinders could continue pushing this outdated idea. There are many religions in this world, and they subscribe to radically different values. Some religions preach more peaceful values and other religions preach violence and hate. I don't believe in any of them, but I don't hesitate to admit the difference between them.
As for the term "religion of peace", it is an image that Islamic apologists have been pushing since the 9-11 attacks, but because of the almost 20000 terrorist attacks carried out since 9-11 by Muslims in the name of Islam, the term "religion of peace" is now used mostly in a sarcastic and mocking manner by people critical of Islam.
Exposing ALL religions as irrelevant and often contradictory sets of harmful superstitions is a moral act ... "Exposing" ONLY ONE religion as "backward, intolerant and violent" is, again, religious extremism with cultural and religious biases bordering on racism.
As I said, religions are different, and it is grotesque to suggest that you can never criticize specific religions for their specific teachings. Today, Islam happens to be the worst of the worst, so it by far deserves the harshest treatment by critics all over the world. If there comes a time when mainstream Islam becomes like Irshad Manji's harmless version of Islam, I and many others would have nothing to complain about. But until then, we will continue to single out Islam as the worst religion there is and as a threat to civilization as we know it. And no fake labels of "racism" or "xenophobia" can scare us away any longer, those words have lost their edge because of incessantly repeated overuse by people trying to stifle free speech and stigmatize dissent. Well, it's not working any longer.