Society tells us to respect the religious beliefs of others. Why is that? If someone believes that the Earth is flat, or that stars are just pin pricks in the sky that light shines through, or that eating tomatoes cures cancer; we'd laugh at them and correct them. Not so with religious beliefs. We are told to respect someone's believe that the Earth is 6000 years old. It is wrong to question their beliefs, even when they are obviously and demonstrably incorrect.

It really is a bizarre situation. Could you imagine a world where we had to respect everyone's beliefs no matter how crazy they are. We'd have to agree with a paranoid schizophrenic's claims that men in black are following him. Doctor's wouldn't be able to speak out against snake-oil salesmen. We'd release rapists who claim "she was asking for it".

So what is it about a religious belief, as opposed to any other, that should earn our respect?

You can respect their right to beleif such but you should not have to respect the beleif itself. Its a double standard given to faith that you don't find for other forms of thought. People's political beleifs for instance are not respected but are openly critiqued all the time (as they should be), why would religion be given a special status? I don't think it should.

Because we don't know everything and I'm just happy to be in the land of the free.

I think the answer is subjective. Respecting everybody's opinion wouldn't stop us from "discussing" or "preaching" our own. We arent really concerned here with pursuit of truth. What the aim of respecting is peaceful co-existence.

I wonder if you really should throw a paranoid schizophrenic in jail. We (or maybe a counselor) would discuss stuff out.

How do we know who is a paranoid android? :) Is a scientologist or the follower of wingmaker or an occult/witchcraft/pagan follower wrong or shouldnt we respect his individual belief?

I think the issue is of acceptance more than respect.

If someones really into something then more power to them,if theyre close minded and can't see others do not think as they do then eff them.life is a learning process,open up and see what's going on around you.I respect people's views on anything as long as i get the same respect back.

I respect people's views on anything as long as i get the same respect back.

Thank you for illustrating my point. Would you respect a KKK member's views that negroes should all be hanged or turned into slaves?

Thank you for illustrating my point. Would you respect a KKK member's views that negroes should all be hanged or turned into slaves?


Thread title dude. Religious beliefs.

Because we don't know shit yet.

There is a "secret" to the universe. You attract what you think about.


Any minute now I'm expecting Cung Le's mother and Aunty coming in attached by chains and covered in chocolate with ball gags.

*Kronker continues attracting*

I can move planets

Thread title dude. Religious beliefs.

Sorry, I thought that you were answering in generalities, not specific to religion. But you still didn't answer the original question - why should we respect people's religious beliefs when we don't respect any of their other crazy beliefs?

Yet another hate-mongering thread by Lancaster. Your colors remain true bro.

You have once more, dropped a level in the evolutionary tree of life.

xcept68: Good to see you back, bro. Stay longer this time.

Sorry, I thought that you were answering in generalities, not specific to religion. But you still didn't answer the original question - why should we respect people's religious beliefs when we don't respect any of their other crazy beliefs?

As long as their beliefs donot conflict with our well being or day to day activities , we should tolerate them, the moment they start interfering with anything it should be opposed.

do unto others as you would have them do unto you. intolerance of other's right to believe what they want is one of the most repugnant things I hate about religions in general. If one takes on the role of truth bringer, you'll spend your whole life in vain and they'll still be people in New Guinea that think caned peaches come from heaven.

http://www.infobrasil.org/fotos/fotos/Corel/images/1208.jpg

Sorry, I thought that you were answering in generalities, not specific to religion. But you still didn't answer the original question - why should we respect people's religious beliefs when we don't respect any of their other crazy beliefs?

I didnt?

As long as their beliefs donot conflict with our well being or day to day activities , we should tolerate them, the moment they start interfering with anything it should be opposed.

Well put.

Are you of the opinion that all religions are irrational?

Are you of the opinion that all religions are irrational?

who you asking aman?

who you asking aman?
Lancaster.

Also I'd like to ask him whether we should believe only in things that've been proved? Wouldn't that limit our world view?

Are you of the opinion that all religions are irrational?

In the literal sense, all religions are irrational by definition because their adherents believe in something without evidence. But perhaps you meant something else. Instead of "irrational", would one of these words be more appropriate for your question? - incorrect, misleading, mistaken

Also I'd like to ask him whether we should believe only in things that've been proved?

Of course not. I believe green is a nicer color that blue. There will never be proof either way. If a friend tells me a story, I'll likely believe her as I know that she's been truthful in the past.

I think I didn't clearly state my question. My question was why do we respect (and tiptoe around) people's religious beliefs, but that same respect doesn't apply to any other beliefs people hold.

If I claim that Couture is the best fighter in the world, people are going to challenge me on that belief. If I claim that the democrats are the best political party, people are going to argue with me. If I claim that Jesus was the son of God, walked on water and turned water into wine, most people will let it slide and not question it.

Here's an illustration of the attitude I'm talking about.
As long as their beliefs donot conflict with our well being or day to day activities , we should tolerate them

I interpret tolerate as shouldn't challenge. If nobody challenged people's religious beliefs we'd still believe that the Earth is flat and all the other crazyness people believed 2000 years ago.

I think tolerance would lead to springing of better, more lasting ideas. The baseless false ideas would be weeded out. If you don't give people their breathing space (acceptance and respect) and benefit of doubt, society wont be able to prosper at the rate at which it can.

Thoughts?

I think that there are (must be - coz otherwise we'll have to believe everything has been figured out by our race and we've reached our best) things exist whether they've been proved or not.

People believe in god the same way you believe that couture is the best player in the world - coz they observe something and the existence of god seems a logical explanation to them. They don't need to reason about it - its their instincts that guide them.

Opinion?

People believe in god the same way you believe that couture is the best player in the world - coz they observe something and the existence of god seems a logical explanation to them. They don't need to reason about it - its their instincts that guide them.


Belief in God is one religious belief. I disagree with it, but accept that other people do believe in it, and that's fine with me. I accept that they have an instinctual feeling about that.

Another religious belief is that Mary was a virgin before giving birth to Jesus. There is nothing instinctual about this belief. It is merely dogma. My point is that is should be as accepted to challenge this belief as it is to challenge the belief that Randy is the best fighter in the world.