Does religon deserve respect? Should we respect it?

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Permalink Reply by Hekate Moon on October 6, 2009 at 5:36pm

Many theists use the "respect" argument as a way to say "You can't criticize our religion or say anything bad about it." If any religion or belief is free from criticism, then it is getting too much power.

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Permalink Reply by Howard S. Dunn on April 5, 2010 at 12:18pm

Any religion - no matter how overtly 'tolerant' that has as one of its tenets that it is the one true religion and everyone else is doomed for not believing does not deserve to be respected. If people live by a code that includes the concept of heresy - that belief system does not deserve respect.

Also - any belief system that cannot withstand or abide skepticism does not deserve respect.

Finally, stating that you do not believe as another does is not disrespect.

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Permalink Reply by Howard S. Dunn on April 5, 2010 at 12:55pm

Sorry? I actually was careful to say that I didn't respect the belief system. I guess I don't follow what you don't follow. I actually respect a number of people on most levels - without hesitating to question or even deride their stated religion. Often, when I point out that their very stated beliefs condemn to me hell for mine, they back off of complaining when I talk about, for instance, 'that storybook Jesus was in.'

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Permalink Reply by Howard S. Dunn on April 5, 2010 at 2:49pm

In the loud-mouthed Mid-Atlantic (actually, because so many people live here - one of the truly most courteous places I've lived) there is a type of 'courtesy' that actually allows people to have an opinion.

I don't have to raise my voice, use vulgar or belittling language, or even condescend to say: "I don't believe in god." However, for some reason, that simple phrase is less well tolerated than saying "I think we should hang all the politicians."

However, when I point out that a person's religion pretty blatantly says that I am going to suffer in hell forever - people become uncomfortable and try to backpedal from it. Then I get to say - I think that my statement that I don't believe in your god is far less disrespectful to you than the implication that I'm going to burn in hell forever is disrespectful to me. I have found (and there are a good number of Catholics this way - I used to be one) that many are actually kind of embarrassed about that part.

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Permalink Reply by ryan cameron on April 5, 2010 at 4:28pm

I respect certain people who happen to be religious but my respect is in spite of their religion not because of it. I have absolutely zero respect for religion, on the contrary, religion itself along with faiths of all kinds that have no basis in reality deserve ridicule and scorn in society.

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Permalink Reply by ryan cameron on April 6, 2010 at 8:40pm

I agree, churches and religious imagery/propaganda should be off limits to children under age 16 like pornography, gambling, and legal recreational drugs such as alcohol. Churches should be in "red light districts".

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Permalink Reply by Jay Pea on April 5, 2010 at 5:53pm

The reason I do not respect religion does not directly relate to the belief system. I am of the mind that people can believe how they want to as long as they leave me alone about it. Should they bring it to me I will certainly discuss my atheism with them. Having said that, the reason that I do not respect religion is the fact that just about any person who tells you that you need to respect religion only really wants you to respect THEIR religion.
I think that someone such as a Christian would say, "hey, you need to respect religion," but then turn around and mock Islam or Mormonism (I realize that Mormonism is a sect of Christianity, but most "traditional" Christians would deny that it is in a heartbeat). I cannot respect a religion that, by the very definition of the word, is hypocritical when saying that religion deserves respect.

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Permalink Reply by Rosemary LYNDALL WEMM on April 5, 2010 at 8:11pm

There is a heap of difference between respecting someone's right to believe nonsense and the right to have the nonsense respected. There is a huge chasm between someone's right to practice their religion in a way which does no significant harm and their right to act on aspects of their belief system that endanger the lives of others or results a significant impairment of their quality of life.

There is nothing contained in any charter of human rights which implies or directs that people not ridicule, or harshly criticise stupid or baseless beliefs and ideas, no matter how much they might be treasured by those who subscribe to them.

It is the religious who distort the concept of respect for someone's religious preference to include the right to have these personal preferences protected from challenge. Next time you hear this from a religious person ask them which clause in the international charter of human rights protects their religion from criticism. Then ask them which countries have imposed a ban of this nature, and which religions have protected themselves in this manner. Hint: it is almost exclusively the Muslim religion, although Catholic Ireland has involved itself. Ask them about the average level of education in these countries compared with nations like Denmark who thought nothing of publishing a cartoon depicting the Allah god in an unflattering manner. Hint: the worse educated the nation, the more likely it is to protect itsself and its philosophies from challenge. Of course, communist Russia was an exception to this rule but the Russian personality was just as intolerant and brutal under religious rulers as it was under communist ones. Christian apologists conveniently ignore this.

The truth does not need to be protected. Nor should it be. Scientists revel in the ruthless dissection of the treasured ideas of the time. It is the very means of ensuring the science progresses. It is only religion that tries to protect itself from any challenge. It has to in order to survive.

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Permalink Reply by Jim DePaulo on April 7, 2010 at 1:17pm

Silly as that belief is it has a greater likelyhood than a magic sky guy creating the universe.

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Permalink Reply by Lisa on April 9, 2010 at 3:36pm

I used to think so, but the more i examine it, the less respect I have for it and its slowly turning to disdain. It deserves the complete opposite of respect.

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