Whilst being atheist myself, I always thought of myself as having respect of other people's religions. Besides, it's their personal choice, blah blah blah, if I want to be an open-minded atheist I must be open-minded of everything, including those whom I I think have closed-minds.
But recently I've been thinking; nah, fuck that.
I was always taught as a boy that I must respect other people's religions, but now as a young adult I can not see it as anything else than silly. Sometimes I feel like someone from a twilight episode, where I've woken up and everyone else is different but I'm still the same. Am I the only one that's sane anymore?
Why should I respect a religion that does not respect me?
Why should I respect a religion that breeds bigotry that causes people to say things like, 'athiesm is why the world's gone to the shitter in the last 30 or so years'.
Why should I even tolerate a religion that breeds hate-mongering toward people like me?
Why should I put up with a fairy-tale that casts me as the villain.
Why should I be the subserviant one and retain my utmost 'respect' for this over-empowered cult?
Ironically, I think it's the average modern-day athiest's tolerance that will slow down the inevitable decay of established religions.
I don't think we'll ever uproot this weed on our planet, but oneday I think they'll resemble the dismally achieving Communist party of present-day Russia. We'll let them stay out of our tolerance, and there being there will be a reminder of what we don't want to go back to, a reminder to keep going forward.
Don't look back, Don't look to fairytales, Don't see ghosts and UFOs You should always respect one's religious beliefs, however imaginary friends, delusional behaviour, a belief in a two thousand year old folk-lore should be treated by a professional.
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Re:Respect Religion: But why?
Date: 2008/02/12 14:52
By: Steely Dan
Status:
God is a vampire!
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Re:Respect Religion: But why?
Date: 2008/02/13 16:06
By: freakunique
Status:
I get what your saying and I've felt the same before, but in the end I still have respect for other religions. I myself am not religous but I will always respect others and their religions, even though I don't always agree with everything that religion produces. Like with Christianity, yeah some Christians would hate me for my sexual orientation and have no respect for me, but others do. Yeah some will take it too literally, but some don't. I guess what I'm getting at is that yeah, some people are going to be jerks and use religion in order to be even bigger jerks but others won't, and you have to give them some respect (but not have to be sub-serviant). I get what you're saying but in the end i live by the rule of repecting all religions, as long as they are peaceful and cause no harm.
peace n love ~Jessica Don't like much do I? But what I do like I love Passionately
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Re:Respect Religion: But why?
Date: 2008/02/14 01:22
By: BravoLima
Status:
'I get what you're saying but in the end i live by the rule of repecting all religions, as long as they are peaceful and cause no harm.'
Okay, but can you give me an example of a major religion that is peaceful and causes no harm? You should always respect one's religious beliefs, however imaginary friends, delusional behaviour, a belief in a two thousand year old folk-lore should be treated by a professional.
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Re:Respect Religion: But why?
Date: 2008/02/14 12:02
By: freakunique
Status:
all religions will have people who cause harm, even if the ideals of the religion itself are peaceful. Christianity and Catholisism are peaceful religions, or at least i see them as peaceful, despite some people being cruel. Buddhism is a fantasic example of a peaceful religion, and i've never heard of any buddhist doing any harm, i mean i'm sure it's probablly happen, but I'd imagine it's extremely rare. Don't like much do I? But what I do like I love Passionately
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Re:Respect Religion: But why?
Date: 2008/02/15 03:50
By: BravoLima
Status:
Well, it depends how you look at it. I agree on Buddhism, of the major religions, it at least seems to be the more easy going.
However, taking Islam and Christianity for example. You cannot tell me that they're peaceful religions. Even when you remove fundamentalists (which would plague the earth with or without religions), there are elements in both religions that do cause harm. Maybe nothing as obvious as outright bashing of the face, but just look at Islamic Law, and how it's still applied to the legal system in some largely Islamic countries. Women have little say, little protection, because men seem to be seen as some kind of demi-Gods (well we are kinda ). I see harm in a lot of those systems. Christianity is largely controlled in Western societies compared to other parts of the world, mainly because of Westerners firm drive for 'freedom', religion's kind of been pushed out the way in the process, at least a bit anyway. Even so, Catholicism is generally fairly fundamental, and part of it's system can easily cause harm toward homosexuals even today. Luckily, Western religion 'usually' has political correctness to contend with. Islam in Eastern countries in many cases does not.
It's just, the way I see it. Religions deserve no respect. I've had friends that were/are religious, but I can not take their beliefs seriously, and I do not respect their beliefs.
The only thing I respect is their right to choose. However, I still think, at least large parts of educated Western countries can now do without religions. You should always respect one's religious beliefs, however imaginary friends, delusional behaviour, a belief in a two thousand year old folk-lore should be treated by a professional.
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Re:Respect Religion: But why?
Date: 2008/02/15 05:37
By: freakunique
Status:
I see what you mean and i respect your opinion. And yeah, I didn't use islam as an example because on a whole, not the most peaceful religion. Don't like much do I? But what I do like I love Passionately
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Re:Respect Religion: But why?
Date: 2008/05/14 21:35
By: musicianboy312
Status:
Ya know? My church is filled with a bunch of people who are very set in their ways. They wont stand outside yelling for gays to die, but they definitely don’t agree or approve of it. They are also people who build schools in Africa, work for charities every weekend and have some of the most giving hearts I know. They are just people and people are not perfect. Put yourself in their shoes, god. if I wasn’t gay myself, growing up in a church, and not being influenced by “forward thinkers” I cant say that I myself wouldn’t think of it as a perversion. Lots of people get religion wrong and unfortunately those are the loud ones on the street with the picket signs, but they don’t represent the whole. All I’m trying to say is that there are so many religious people who are just trying to do what they believe in their hearts to be right, and how can you not respect that? You don’t respect the picket signs and the yelling, those are the misguided people. The people you respect are the ones who have something better to do than protest gay marriage. Like trying to give help and love to those who really need it.
James*
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Re:Respect Religion: But why?
Date: 2008/05/16 13:21
By: Dan69
Status:
The violent acts being done in the name of religion these days do in fact go against the basic teachings of most religions, including Islam by the way. There are some who have twisted the intention of those words to justify violence, and manipulate others into doing the same. But you can do that with any words. I could go pull a children's book off of the library shelf and show you several ways that it's words could be twisted into a message of violence.
Does this mean that those religions are bad? Obviously you think so or you wouldn't have brought it up.
You can't fight hatred with more of the same. All that will do is justify the message some are trying to send about us. Think about it, if you hear someone yelling that gays are evil or something like that, and your response is to say that the church is evil. How will that sound to those who believe in that religion? It will sound like you are attacking their faith, which will in turn reinforce the message that one man was trying to send. Which leads to more people believing it.
In other words, instead of weakening their hold on society, you'll be strengthening it. No those pants don't make your butt look big. It doesn't need any help looking big.
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Re:Respect Religion: But why?
Date: 2008/05/19 03:31
By: BravoLima
Status:
By the very concept of religion, violent acts can not go against it. If all is due to interpretation, as you all so claim, then a radical Islamist's crazy beliefs that blowing up a street-full of civilians will grant him a plethora of virgins is totally within the realms of individual interpretation. Therefore, his crazy misguided assertions, cannot be an invalid assessment of religion, because it is his own interpration.
I notice no one answered my questions, I also notice that this is a fairly old thread, dregged back up by somone not quite getting the point.
Why should I respect something that doesn't respect me, that hasn't respected me for thousands of years. I'm a sinner, as it is written, I don't care about your 'gay-extremist' interpretation of things. The establishment has it's condemnation, and your individual minority view on religion and morality does little to change my stance.
It's not the minority of religion that infects politics and status quo, it's the majority. It's the minority that come here and defend just how great the majority - which I bitch about - is.
Like I've previously said, tolerance of such a corrupt and virile institution will only maintain it's present-day level of insipidity or allow it to get worse. Perhaps gradually declining church-numbers will get the Church to reach to a larger audience, and start taking orders from the people rather than giving it, perhaps not. You should always respect one's religious beliefs, however imaginary friends, delusional behaviour, a belief in a two thousand year old folk-lore should be treated by a professional.
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Re:Respect Religion: But why?
Date: 2008/05/19 15:37
By: dragon_14
Status:
This won't answer your question but it will address a point that you made, not answering that point either just bringing up something else that may be something to consider (read: if you only want an answer to that one specific question then don't even bother reading anything else)
Being gay is not a sin, however homosexual acts, i.e. having anal sex or any other form of sex that does not lead to procreation (sex for pleasure based on lust) is a sin.
That being said everyone, not just homosexuals, sin. It is impossible to go through life without sinning for anyone. But according to most god will forgive sins if they are repented, even if you do them on more then one occassion, because humans aren't perfect and they sin.
It is also a practice of many schools of religious thought to adopt a policy along the lines of 'love the sinner not the sin' so they don't condone or even agree with the sin itself, but they try to accept the person that has done it recognizing that they are not perfect but are still god's children and should be loved. Shawn"Dragon_14"
-Senior Manager Operations Department -Training Officer -Forum Assistant Manager TheGYC Chat Service
Science has made us gods even before we are worthy of being men.
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Re:Respect Religion: But why?
Date: 2008/05/22 02:49
By: BravoLima
Status:
Yeah, I guess that's why the local Catholic High School is banning students from taking same-sex partners to the grade 12 school dance, being supported by most other Catholic schools. I guess they display a debilitatingly powerful level of open-mindedness. I guess that's why every time sexuality-based equal rights laws are posed, the Church opposes it based on rhetoric like 'protecting the family unit' or 'upholding the moral fabrics of society'.
The Church represents many things, but the only thing it loves is itself, and donations. You should always respect one's religious beliefs, however imaginary friends, delusional behaviour, a belief in a two thousand year old folk-lore should be treated by a professional.
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). I see harm in a lot of those systems. Christianity is largely controlled in Western societies compared to other parts of the world, mainly because of Westerners firm drive for 'freedom', religion's kind of been pushed out the way in the process, at least a bit anyway. Even so, Catholicism is generally fairly fundamental, and part of it's system can easily cause harm toward homosexuals even today. Luckily, Western religion 'usually' has political correctness to contend with. Islam in Eastern countries in many cases does not.
