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How Do We Respect Other People's Beliefs?
September 7, 2015 at 11:00 am
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?
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.
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RE: How Do We Respect Other People's Beliefs?
September 7, 2015 at 11:08 am
Anything less than complete reverence is not going to be enough. The religions are based on complete authoritarianism, and anything less than complete obedience is evil. That's why some christians feel persecuted when the people they're pushing down start to push back.
As far as respect goes, it's hard to respect the beliefs themselves, but you can respect the other person's right to have them. You can get all the fuzzy feelings you want from your god, as long as you don't interfere with what other people do. It's the core of why killing, stealing, raping, and such are wrong. You're interfering with someone else's life in a harmful way. Think whatever you want. Do whatever you want. Just don't mess with other people, and we can all get along.
Unfortunately religion commands you to get in people's faces, which makes it highly divisive.
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RE: How Do We Respect Other People's Beliefs?
September 7, 2015 at 11:11 am
"Beliefs" is a slippery word. Often a person will conflate the subject of their beliefs with the right to have them, and will leap happily between the two as it suits them. Dolphinetics at its purest (I am determined to make that a real thing!)
At the age of five, Skagra decided emphatically that God did not exist. This revelation tends to make most people in the universe who have it react in one of two ways - with relief or with despair. Only Skagra responded to it by thinking, 'Wait a second. That means there's a situation vacant.'
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RE: How Do We Respect Other People's Beliefs?
September 7, 2015 at 11:18 am
Ideas don't deserve respect. Don't bother me about mine, I'll leave yours alone.
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RE: How Do We Respect Other People's Beliefs?
September 7, 2015 at 11:19 am
If someone gives me a reason to respect their beliefs I will. My default position is that respect is earned and not given.
No belief is inherently 'worth' anything.
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RE: How Do We Respect Other People's Beliefs?
September 7, 2015 at 11:23 am
(This post was last modified: September 7, 2015 at 11:26 am by robvalue.)
I'd say respecting someone's beliefs means not trying to force yours onto them, and to leave them to make their own decisions as long as they aren't hurting anyone in the process. No one has the duty to say that someone's beliefs are sensible or "respectable", though. It's more to do with recognizing boundaries.
If someone believes that they are the righteous hand of god and they must kill everyone they see, whether or not I respect that belief is irrelevant, I'm going to try and stop them. If they want their unscientific beliefs taught in science class, I'm going to block their efforts.
It may be necessary to override someone's beliefs for their own benefit, for example they believe cars won't hurt them and they run out in front of them.
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RE: How Do We Respect Other People's Beliefs?
September 7, 2015 at 11:24 am
(This post was last modified: September 7, 2015 at 11:25 am by dyresand.)
If they try and pull out a reason like hell and why i should believe i tell them no that's pretty much stupid. If they do not bother me with their beliefs it's fine.
However their religion i do not respect but their beliefs as long as they keep it to themselves i'm okay.
Atheism is a non-prophet organization join today.
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How Do We Respect Other People's Beliefs?
September 7, 2015 at 11:32 am
If you don't believe in king Jesus then you are persecuting the Christians.
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RE: How Do We Respect Other People's Beliefs?
September 7, 2015 at 11:37 am
My question is why the hell do you care?
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