Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
(September 7, 2015 at 11:00 am)Rhondazvous Wrote: Theists often complain that we don't respect their beliefs. I've found that they often want a lot more respect than they're willing to give. So let's explore this question. What does it mean to respect someone's beliefs and why should we?
How can you respect it when another person’s paradigm for thinking is so different from your own that you can’t even get into a discussion about it that doesn’t turn into an argument?
How does a theist say he respects other’s beliefs when at the same time he believes those others are the enemies of his god and on their way to hell?
How does an atheist respect the beliefs of theists when those beliefs are not based on any algorithm of thought which the atheist respects?
Quote:Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Mark 16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."
Romans 10:14-15 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!"
Acts 4:19-20 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard."
1 Corinthians 9:16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.
I feel like the above precludes most of the well read of our christian counterparts from being able to "follow the letter" and still be able to respect beliefs of others. Xenophobia is built in to christianity. They'll never respect our beliefs so long as they've been reading the bible.
On the other side of the coin, I'll not respect theirs, for the pure inanity of it all.
Though I might not respect religious beliefs, I still have the capacity to remain civil while expressing my disdain for their fantasies.
True. Those scriptures and others preclude the possibility of Christians respecting the beliefs of others. How can you respect a belief you think is going to send people to hell?
When they come here talking about they aren't trying to convert us, we know right away they're lying. This isn't a general audience website.
This is a website specifically for atheists. Why would a Bible believing Christian come here just to chat and not to convert? They forfeit the benefit of the doubt when they come in here.
The god who allows children to be raped out of respect for the free will choice of the rapist, but punishes gay men for engaging in mutually consensual sex couldn't possibly be responsible for an intelligently designed universe.
I may defend your right to free speech, but i won't help you pass out flyers.
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.
--Voltaire
Nietzsche isn't dead. How do I know he lives? He lives in my mind.
(September 7, 2015 at 5:12 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:
(September 7, 2015 at 1:49 pm)vorlon13 Wrote: Weird maybe, how some, for example, Catholic dogma MUST be incorporated into laws for everyone (abortion to start with) but Catholics don't seem to mind Arbies being open on Friday.
God is a touchy motherfucker, how we know Arbies ain't pissing Him off royally ??
This is not true for all laws. There are plenty of Catholic laws that we don't necessarily think should be the law of the state. Premarital sex, for example. It's against Catholic law, but we don't think it should be illegal.
Abortion we do think should be illegal because we see it as killing an innocent human life.
But why are there any instances of Catholic dogma that shouldn't be implemented into the nations laws ??
Does Catholic conviction falter on some issues ?? Are doubts are creeping in ??
Timothy assures us ALL scripture is suitable. No asterisk, no fine print, just the Word. Otta be easy, no ?
(weird this post sounds snarky, but I'm perplexed again/still)
The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it.
(September 7, 2015 at 5:12 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: This is not true for all laws. There are plenty of Catholic laws that we don't necessarily think should be the law of the state. Premarital sex, for example. It's against Catholic law, but we don't think it should be illegal.
Abortion we do think should be illegal because we see it as killing an innocent human life.
But why are there any instances of Catholic dogma that shouldn't be implemented into the nations laws ??
Does Catholic conviction falter on some issues ?? Are doubts are creeping in ??
Timothy assures us ALL scripture is suitable. No asterisk, no fine print, just the Word. Otta be easy, no ?
(weird this post sounds snarky, but I'm perplexed again/still)
That is normal when asking questions about religion. That is why most religions discourage questions.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
(September 7, 2015 at 5:12 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: This is not true for all laws. There are plenty of Catholic laws that we don't necessarily think should be the law of the state. Premarital sex, for example. It's against Catholic law, but we don't think it should be illegal.
Abortion we do think should be illegal because we see it as killing an innocent human life.
But why are there any instances of Catholic dogma that shouldn't be implemented into the nations laws ??
Does Catholic conviction falter on some issues ?? Are doubts are creeping in ??
Timothy assures us ALL scripture is suitable. No asterisk, no fine print, just the Word. Otta be easy, no ?
(weird this post sounds snarky, but I'm perplexed again/still)
There are a lot of things that are "Catholic dogma" and also happen to be against the law. Stealing, murdering, raping, etc. Like all those things, we think abortion should be against the law because it is taking away the right of someone else. In this case, the right to life of the unborn.
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly."
(September 8, 2015 at 3:41 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:
Well obviously I wouldn't say I agree with literally telling anyone to "f*ck off" if they refuse to leave you alone, but I do agree in principle to be stern at that point.
But that's likely because you think swearing is bad. I personally think it's silly to be concerned about "bad" words.
So maybe just say something like "bless you" but with an air of exasperation?
