Isn't it time to stop "respecting" religious beliefs?

[mariner2]

There are 1000s of religions in the world, (every one of them the only true one) and no matter what nonsense they spout we are always being told how we should respect the views of their devotees and tiptoe politely around them
Perhaps they should get the same level of respect as people that beleive in the tooth fairy and Santa Claus, in fact perhaps a little less, as no one to my knowledge has ever killed anyone in the name of the tooth fairy.

[alijangra]

What harm does it do you to respect other's beliefs? What do you do when you go on holiday to a foreign country ( yes, Im making an assumption here but many people do go abroad) and the predominant faith is, for example, buddhism?
I am originally from a very strict protestant area (no washing out on Sunday, no shops open on Sunday etc) and whilst I believe their views are backward and definitely only held by a minority, I think live and let live. I do not, and could never, live there anymore but I am not compelled to treat anybody with disrespect. Being disrespectful to others, for whatever reason, is weak and just shows a judgemental and intolerant attitude.

[Octavius]

Well I�m not so sure, didn�t Red Dragon feature a killer called Tooth Fairy? And an incident involving the lost tooth of my seven year old niece and the missing pound coin nearly made national press.

If you stop respecting people for anything they believe in then you are intruding on their human rights and freedom of expression. In that kind of the world we would need all the prayers we can get.

[jake-the-peg]

Forget respect I'll settle for them getting their damn bishops out of the house of Lords and the abolishion of the law that requires schools to hold acts of worship and teach religion to children!

[mariner2]

OK, I came over a little too aggressively, but I still think that religious beliefs are shown far too much respect.
This post was largely due to the jehovah's witness case in the news at the moment and the absolute nonsense I have heard from it's supporters.
One guy phoned a radio show yesterday and said "I have been a JW since I was born" when what he meant was I was born to JW parents and indoctrinated with that particular branch of superstition.
There are NO muslim children, or christian children, or hindu children, only children of muslim, christian and hindu parents.
I live opposite a JW hall and it makes me ill to see them taking their poor little kids down there to pollute their minds forever with their claptrap.
I absolutely refuse to respect that, and any other religion that does the same.

[brionon]

Mariner 2 ,I couldn't agree more.
We lock people up if they hear voices - they're no more mad than the Religious.

[chakka35]

There's a difference between showing respect and not showing disrepect.
Although I think all religion is boloney I behave myself when I have to go to church for social reasons. I don't contradict the preacher when he says things about the Jesus story which I know to be untrue. I join lustily in the hymns, many of which are very beautiful -albeit with fictional lyrics like most songs.
But I couldn't possibly respect it all. I tolerate astrologers, flat-earthists, crystal gazers without having the slightest respect for them. And the same for religionists. To respect them would be to abandon all respect for truth and reason.

[The Sherman]

Ihave mentioned before how religion is really just a loose band of associates wherin you get the nutters in america who harass people burying their kids or you get nutters who think that abortion should be completely outlawed yet all come under the heading christian, i dont show any of these people any respect and i will not tolerate them either and since they have labelled themselves christians i have no problem saying i dont like christians. You can try all you want in saying their wrong their misguided but i dont see how they can be misguided when they get their info from the same source that all christians use :a book of fables stories and ideas.

[naomi24]

Sherman, you say they get their info from the Bible, but many who call themselves Christian don't get it from the Bible - they get it from their preachers, priests and ministers who are often very selective in what they teach. Many Christians have never taken the trouble to read the bible and to find out what it really contains for themselves. They simply believe what they're told.

[sherminator]

I though that believing in Christ made you a Christian?

Can you therfore defines what a christian is then please?

[sherminator]

Also its bl00dy in the bible about hating gay people about how awful it is and shouldn't be tolerated so really these nutters are MORE christian in my eyes!


lets just go through this apparently organised religoin called christianity.

its a set of morality checks that you should adhere to to get your place in heaven.

so you hate gays or you dont (i've seen christians who do and some that dont)

you can be against abortion and you can also not mind it

you can believe in reincarnation or believe in heaven

some people believe the earth must only be roughly 5000yrs old some go with the scientists who dat it roughly 4.5 billion years old

ive even heard this quote (I believe god put dinosaurs here to test my faith)

how many different things do christians believe in?

what do they actually believe?

what is a christian?

[naomi24]

The Sherman and Sherminator Are you one and the same? Just asking so that we know whether we're talking to one person or two different people.

[naomi24]

Or even Sherminator, Wiz. :o)

[naomi24]

Got to do my duty and get dinner going now - what thread are you working on?

[sherminator]

sorry yes i use two different comps and couldnt remember password so yes i can finally reveal it is I the Sherman