Religion

[Mozz]

1) Is it wrong to lose a decent amount of respect for anyone who is religious?

2) Is it wrong to say, from a purely objective point of view, that one religion is "better" than another?

3) How do you justify your faith?

4) How is religion any different than any other belief (i.e. people who believe in free markets)? And why should a group who believes in God X get tax-exempt status while a group who believes that the Giants are the best team in football does not?

 

[Archaic]

1) Probably, though I guess it might depend on circumstances. Fundamentalist, on the other hand...

2) No. This kind of thinking is PC-bullshit that you can't have a negative opinion of someone while maintaining a neutral point of view, and it gets on my nerves.

3) Don't have any, so don't have to. As to how I justify my lack of faith...lack of evidence on the part of the theists.

4) It's not, and they shouldn't.

 

[Roses Ablaze]

3) How do you justify your faith?

I've asked my philosophy teacher the same question, but he didn't answer (I want to believe in God for security I guess, which isn't a good reason to be religious...I think he thinks a good Christian comes up with his/her own reasons).

 

[GrnMarvl14]

1) Is it wrong to lose a decent amount of respect for anyone who is religious?

2) Is it wrong to say, from a purely objective point of view, that one religion is "better" than another?

3) How do you justify your faith?

4) How is religion any different than any other belief (i.e. people who believe in free markets)? And why should a group who believes in God X get tax-exempt status while a group who believes that the Giants are the best team in football does not?

1. As long as it's not because you believe your religion is better.

2. Depends what criteria you use.

3. Not letting anyone know the true purpose and telling the public that it's for the good of mankind.

4. Eh, it's like how people can believe in God, but not in UFOs. Or bigfoot. Or other such creatures that have equally valid evidence as many of the Christian stories. Or, as some believe, are IN the Christian stories. I don't think people should get tax cuts for believing in ANYTHING. But maybe there's a valid reason that I've just never heard. Although, somehow...I doubt it.

 

[Dagoth Ur]

1) Is it wrong to lose a decent amount of respect for anyone who is religious?

2) Is it wrong to say, from a purely objective point of view, that one religion is "better" than another?

3) How do you justify your faith?

4) How is religion any different than any other belief (i.e. people who believe in free markets)? And why should a group who believes in God X get tax-exempt status while a group who believes that the Giants are the best team in football does not?

1) How seriously do they take their religion, and which religion is it? The more fundie they are, the less respect I have for them. If it's just a casual thing that helps them deal with stress, and they don't impose it on anybody, I wouldn't care (and wouldn't know, because they wouldn't chatter about it constantly).
2) No. Religions that preach real peace and real acceptance of people and science are better than things like Islam, hardcore Christianity, Mormonism, etc.
3) My faith is in science, logic, and rationality. Any principles in question can be demonstrated.
4) Religion - beliefs, mostly nonsensical, created by ancient civilizations using their imagination rather than observation and logic. Free market and economics - principles logically formulated through observation of human behavior and history, and can be tested. No, churches should not get tax exempt status, especially if they insist on participating in political activities or infecting schools with stupidity like creationism/ID.

question: How tax-exempt are religious organizations? Which taxes do they not have to pay?

 

[Argy]

I've asked my philosophy teacher the same question, but he didn't answer (I want to believe in God for security I guess, which isn't a good reason to be religious...I think he thinks a good Christian comes up with his/her own reasons).

Unless you go to a religious school, your teacher probably refused to answer because he doesn't want to let his beliefs influence the way his students percieve he teaches the class. I remember last year in my government class, my teacher made it a total mystery his political affiliation until one day late in the year when he made an offhand comment to a few of us that he "tries not to let (his) liberalness show through." He did a good job of it.

As for the questions:

1) Of course not, because religion requires the abandonmentof reason.

2) No, because one religion may be more objectively reasonable and helpful to society than others.

3) My answer is similar to Archaic's. It should not be my job to attempt to prove why there is not a god. That job is for the one(s) making the outrageous claim (i.e. there is a god).

4) Religions are comprised of three elements: Beliefs, rituals, and an ethical code of conduct. Of course, these elements, separate or combined, are not exclusive to religions. Ethics are clearly separate from religion, as evidenced by the millions of nonbelievers who have high moral standards. Brushing one's teeth is a ritual, but not part of a religion. Believing that capitalism is more efficient than communism is a belief that must be supported by reasons, but that belief is not usually backed up with practiced rituals and morals.
Giving tax breaks to religious groups is a tricky situation, because many of them perform charity and are classified as non-profit organizations.

 

[Roses Ablaze]

Unless you go to a religious school, your teacher probably refused to answer because he doesn't want to let his beliefs influence the way his students percieve he teaches the class. I remember last year in my government class, my teacher made it a total mystery his political affiliation until one day late in the year when he made an offhand comment to a few of us that he "tries not to let (his) liberalness show through." He did a good job of it.

Except that he's made both his strong faith in God and liberal views very clear. More clear than any teacher I've had, actually, to the point where I wonder how much faith my more conservative classmates have in him. Or maybe I just let politics affect how *I* view people too much and normal people aren't like that...

 

[Archaic]

3) My answer is similar to Archaic's. It should not be my job to attempt to prove why there is not a god. That job is for the one(s) making the outrageous claim (i.e. there is a god).

Indeed. It's one of the main rules of logical debate. The "Burden of Proof" always lies with the side making the "positive" assertion, in this case, the existance of a deity or deities. Or as I like to call them, invisible magic sky pixies.

 

[Argy]

I prefer invisible pink unicorns in the corner, myself.

 

[Archaic]

IPU is a bit too specific. Kind of like Flying Spagetti Monster. Only usable for certain situations.

 

[ChaosRocket]

1) Is it wrong to lose a decent amount of respect for anyone who is religious?

I don't think it's "wrong" to lose respect for anyone for any reason. I mean if you want to disrespect someone because they actually find sitcoms funny, you can. But I think some religions are perfectly fine and respectable, example, Buddhism.

2) Is it wrong to say, from a purely objective point of view, that one religion is "better" than another?

Again I don't think it's "wrong" to objectively state that anything is better than anything else. For instance you could say that from an objective point of view, sitcoms obviously are not funny. Yeah some religions are obviously better than others, in my opinion. Though I dunno about the "objective" because stuff like this is always going to be an opinion and it's fairly impossible for anyone to have a 100% objective opinion.

3) How do you justify your faith?

I don't feel it's something I have to "justify." I don't believe in God because there isn't any proof. However I'm agnostic about souls and an afterlife because I've left my body and I can "feel" spirits around me. I accept the possibility that I'm just insane, but when you feel something as strongly as I do, it's hard to totally disregard it. But there's still no proof for it, so I'm agnostic as far as it goes.

4) How is religion any different than any other belief (i.e. people who believe in free markets)? And why should a group who believes in God X get tax-exempt status while a group who believes that the Giants are the best team in football does not?

Yeah, it's the same thing...I don't see why they should get tax-exempt status.

I as a human have tax-exempt status, though!

 

[QuietDragon]

>>>1) Is it wrong to lose a decent amount of respect for anyone who is religious?

Definitely! All my friends except one aethist are either Catholic or Christian and I still like them all the same. ^^ I wouldn't hate somebody just 'cause of their religion or stop respectin' 'em.

>>>2) Is it wrong to say, from a purely objective point of view, that one religion is "better" than another?

If they state it as their opinion and give reasons for it, instead of just saying everybody else's religion sucks and their's rocks, then it's fine and dandy.

>>>3) How do you justify your faith?

-shrugs- I've never had to... well, there were a few times when I had to and when I did, the person usually doesn't give me a chance and leaves, because, y'know, all Muslims like to bomb people for no apparent reason so he/she has to run away QUICK so he won't get the twelve year old little girl Muslim ANGUREEEH and hunt him/her down!!

Or something. ^^;;

>>>4) How is religion any different than any other belief (i.e. people who believe in free markets)? And why should a group who believes in God X get tax-exempt status while a group who believes that the Giants are the best team in football does not?


Don't have taxes here. Have no idea WHAT they are because nobody tells me properly. ;-; -flailflail- What are taxes?

 

[The Dude]

1) Is it wrong to lose a decent amount of respect for anyone who is religious?
Yes, in a way. If you lose respect for someone merely because they are religious, you cannot honestly deal with them, or any other religious person. I may not respect Christianity, but I do not disrespect people merely because they are Christians. You can't just think that all people who have a religion are ignorant fools. If you do that, you make yourself ignorant.
2) Is it wrong to say, from a purely objective point of view, that one religion is "better" than another?
If one has a purely objective point of view, one must not confine one's self to thinking in such absurd terms as better or worse. Now, objectively, one could say that one religion places greater value on human life than another, but that does not make them 'better', only more humane.
3) How do you justify your faith?
I dislike faith. I consider myself either atheist or agnostic, depending on my mood. I consider science to be of the highest importance, being based on logic and human reason.
4) How is religion any different than any other belief (i.e. people who believe in free markets)? And why should a group who believes in God X get tax-exempt status while a group who believes that the Giants are the best team in football does not?
Governments throughout the world could make a heck of a lot of money if they simply taxed churches and other religious establishments. A religion deserves tax-exempt status only if it improves the quality of l;ife in the surrounding area in some concrete way. Now I am convinced that while the Salvation Army deserves tax-exemption, the Seventh-Day Adventists do not.

I hate it when people say 'God Bless America'. I am sure that if He exists, He would be seriously tempted to smite Pat Robertson.

 

[Meriah]

1) Is it wrong to lose a decent amount of respect for anyone who is religious?
This depends on how religious they are. I consider myself religious (to be specific, I'm Nazarene), however, I do not inflict my beliefs on others. I see religion as a personal right. Once it is inflicted upon others, that right is violated.

In my opinion, lacking respect for someone because they're religious is like lacking respect for someone because they're atheist. Is there really much of a difference? I will admit that some fundamentalist Christian groups (like the Westboro Baptist Church) overstep their boundaries, but this does not mean ALL Christians are like that.

I know an atheist who constantly insults Christians by calling them hypocritical, insensitive, and intolerant. I could likewise say that atheists are heartless and selfish (the atheist I know is quite heartless and selfish!), but obviously this is incorrect.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that one should not be disrespected because he is religious, but rather, if he throws his religion on others.

2) Is it wrong to say, from a purely objective point of view, that one religion is "better" than another?

Yes. Religions are shaped from cultures. That is like saying that one culture is better than another.

3) How do you justify your faith?

I stay silent. Like I said above, I believe faith is personal. I feel that I should not have to justify my faith for this reason.

4) How is religion any different than any other belief (i.e. people who believe in free markets)? And why should a group who believes in God X get tax-exempt status while a group who believes that the Giants are the best team in football does not?[/QUOTE]

Unsure.

 

[Mozz]

2) Is it wrong to say, from a purely objective point of view, that one religion is "better" than another?

Yes. Religions are shaped from cultures. That is like saying that one culture is better than another.

You're new here, I gather.

 

[Dagoth Ur]

In my opinion, lacking respect for someone because they're religious is like lacking respect for someone because they're atheist. Is there really much of a difference?
Yes. Lacking respect for somebody who believes in reality is different than lacking respect for somebody who lives their lives according to the supposed whims of a supposedly all-powerful benevolent being who has never been shown to exist.
I know an atheist who constantly insults Christians by calling them hypocritical, insensitive, and intolerant. I could likewise say that atheists are heartless and selfish (the atheist I know is quite heartless and selfish!), but obviously this is incorrect.
Sounds like a nice, objective and smart guy. Does he do this to their face, and in what circumstances? What has he done to show himself to be heartless and selfish.
Yes. Religions are shaped from cultures. That is like saying that one culture is better than another.
Sigh. This again. I challenge you to prove that the culture of Pakistan, where a woman can be sentenced to gang rape for a "crime" her brother commited, then the perps get released from prison, is equivalent to say, US culture.

.

 

[FabuVinny]

Y'know atheism is a belief too. And atheists can be just like any other religion in forcing beliefs.

 

[Mozz]

Y'know atheism is a belief too. And atheists can be just like any other religion in forcing beliefs.

There is much more sense in being an atheist than in any of the major religions.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

There is much more sense in being an atheist than in any of the major religions.

A Christian would say the same thing about their religion. It's all relative.

 

[Mozz]

A Christian would say the same thing about their religion. It's all relative.

I'm right, they're wrong. I don't believe in a magical omniscient old man who makes alcohol appear out of thin air.