Theists and atheists( P.S.)

shelleyo

Just another face in a red jumpsuit
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 9, 2010
Messages
2,126
Reaction score
342
People need to just learn to respect other people's beliefs and stop it with the "what must be true for me must be true for everybody else and if not must be made to be true" crap.

That's what's ruining America today. All anybody wants to do is be offended and yell and scream at each other and control how each other express themselves.

Sigh.

I agree, mostly.

I don't have to respect a belief I strongly disagree with, however. I don't respect beliefs I think are ignorant, for instance, whether that belief is one about some aspect of religion, human nature, disease, etc.

I respect a person's right to hold whatever beliefs they want, but I do not and will not respect the idea the believe in, just because they believe it. Does that make sense?

Shelley
 

Devil Ledbetter

Come on you stranger, you legend,
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 8, 2007
Messages
9,767
Reaction score
3,936
Location
you martyr and shine.
I respect a person's right to hold whatever beliefs they want, but I do not and will not respect the idea the believe in, just because they believe it. Does that make sense?
Yes. I respect people, not beliefs. That is, I respect people who behave themselves in a manner worthy of respect.
 

Roxxsmom

Beastly Fido
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 24, 2011
Messages
23,130
Reaction score
10,902
Location
Where faults collide
Website
doggedlywriting.blogspot.com
One stereotype I run across that religious people have about the non religious (and especially about atheists and agnostics) is that they are bitter or angry at god or are just generally angry people who use their intellect and logic to block god's saving truth (and that a non theist can just flip a switch an "believe"). I just had to read/critique a short story written by someone in my writing group (who is born-again) and the atheist character in his story is a very angry, bitter person.

Another cliche I've seen trotted out recently is that atheists/secularists/humanists etc. are very egotistical people who want to BE god. I really don't know where that strange idea came from.

Conversely, many non theists seem to think that all or most religious people are foolish/weak/frightened sheep who would rather be told what to do than use their noggins. This ignores the fact that there are a spectrum of theistic beliefs and traditions, and not all religious people are narrow minded fanatics who think the Earth and universe are only 6000 years old and everyone else is going to hell.

Certainly, there are bitter and egotistical atheists, and there are weak/foolish (and intolerant) theists, but people of all beliefs fall along a complex continuum.