The Problem of Evil combined with the problem of Free Will

[The Grand Nudger]

Are you talking about if we accepted that their sacred cows are sacred to them or accepting that those cows should be sacred to everyone?  I see no issue respecting the fact that someone has their own personal sacred cow, and if I'm made aware of what that cow is, I have no issue with adjusting my behavior around them accordingly.  That's practically second nature to me.  I do have an issue if they are expecting me personally to have the same sacred cow.  Mainly because while it's possible to act as if I do, it's not possible to actually have a scared cow I don't naturally have.  So I'm not sure to what precisely you're referring when you say "if we applied it uniformly".  Apply what uniformly?

The stifling deference, to every sacred cow, of every nutter. 

Um, no, I did not belittle his position in the slightest.  

I get that -you- don't think you did..but that doesn't matter, with respect to deference of some other persons sacred cow.  

I told him it wasn't a subject I was interested in and for all I know, he could be right.  That it would really take some time and thought to go over and this wasn't the time and place, blah, blah.  You could say my initial internal reaction was that it was nonsense, but I recognize that for what it is: a reaction.  It doesn't make ridicule an appropriate response.  Likewise with any human reaction before thought and reflection set in, even if it's external.  Just because you react one way, doesn't mean the wiser part of yourself finds it justified.  

You don't get to decide what other people experience or interpret as ridicule..just one of the many problems with this deference.  

Nope. Deference for someone else's beliefs does not mean changing yours.  If you believe there's nothing wrong with eating beef, then eat your beef.  If you think there might be something wrong with it, then work it out.  If the other person believes that you shouldn't eat meat, then ignore or discuss.  I don't see how ridicule would help things.  

I didn't ask you anything about changing my beliefs, or even bring it up.  I asked you whether or not some deference was due, to avoid hurting that religious persons religious sensibilities.  I'm not even talking about ridiculing them, just wondering what sort of obligations deference places upon me in a given situation....or do you have your own sliding scale of when, to whom, and to what deference is due?

All I mean by deference is respecting the fact that just because they believe something intangible and different than you doesn't automatically mean that they're "wrong".  You have your beliefs and they have theirs.  They don't have to be universally evident facts to be worthy of respect.  That's the kind of deference I believe is due to everyone, theist or atheist.

I don;t think that people are wrong just because they believe something different from me, and I'm not sure what the relevance would be to our discussion?  I don;t have "my beliefs" in any case, if the other quantity is "their beliefs"...but equating all positions as equal beliefs is a common mistake theists make.  

Beliefs do, in my opinion, have to be worthy of respect to be shown respect.  The beliefs of nuitters are not worthy of respect...regardless of their truth. Some of them, hilariously, would be even -less- respectable if they were true. Al;l that rescues those beliefs, and those people, is that it's a flight of fancy.

Could be dangerous, but I don't think there's anything inherently disrespectful about it, unless your intention is to provoke them.

Deference made you misapprehend the question.  I'm wondering, since there's some sort of deference due to muslims...apparently..if there's deference due to atheists.  Shouldn't muslims..and muslim countries..just shut their mouths about alcohol, and let people who don't believe as they believe drink a damn drink?  Provocation..by drinking...and maybe then I shouldn't do it?  Why not?  What should they not do, then...to provoke me?

Why does this deference only seem to apply to nutters and their ridiculous beliefs?