Should Atheists have respect for religious beliefs?

Question

Or should we treat religious people like society treats insane people? I don't advocate making religions illegal, but when I encounter someone who is religious, they immediately lose all intellectual credibility with me. The best way to get rid of religion is to stop pretending like religions are special. If a lot of people believe something crazy it doesn't make it any less crazy. Tax exempt status for religions also has to go. This just serves to proliferate the insanity.

Answer 1

If I had an invisible friend named Bill, they'd throw me in a padded cell. Yet, somehow it's acceptable in society to name my invisible friend Jehovah, Jesus, or Allah.

Pretty messed up if you think about it. The only real difference between sanity and insanity is what name you choose to give your imaginary pal.

-SD-

Answer 2

Well, it depends on what you mean. If I run into someone who believes in a higher power but acknowledges that most of the stuff in the Bible didn't literally happen, then that's mostly fine by me. If I run into a young earth creationist who thinks that the world is 6,000 years old, that men and dinosaurs co-existed, that Noah's Ark has been proven, that people long ago actually did live to be hundreds of years old, and that evolution and Big Bang Theory are both massive Darwinist conspiracies to discredit the Bible... then that's a different story.

I only have a problem when people argue with established fact. The world is NOT 6,000 years old, and anyone who believes it is, as far as I'm concerned, is either delusional or horribly misguided. Saying I have no respect for them seems a bit harsh, but that doesn't mean I don't deeply wish that those kinds of false beliefs weren't so widely held by so many people.

Answer 3

Since it is impossible to prove the central tenet of atheism, one could reasonbly argue that hewing to this position is just as insane as insisting on the theist position. But let's move on...

According to independent expenditure analyses conducted by the Brookings Institution as well as the CBO, taxing churches would result in a net LOSS of revenue for the government. Quite apart from what many athiests presume, religious organizations spend enormous portions of their revenues on social welfare programs (food banks, drug and alcohol counseling, homeless shelters, etc. etc.). If you tax the revenues of the religious organizations, you decrease the services they can offer. And if you decrease the services, you increase the need.

whether you like it or not, governments cannot function as cost-effectively. Therefore, if government is forced to pick up the slack, it will mean higher levels of governmental outlays that far outstrip the revenues they would gain through taxation.

So now we reach the "gut-check" question... Are you willing to absorb a tax increase when you don't have to, just to stick it to the churches? And if so... what does that say about your level of sanity???

PS... I'm neither a theist, nor athiest, as both positions are empirically and rationally non-verifiable. It's the "sane" position to take.

Answer 4

http://vislab.cs.vt.edu/~rbryll/profound.html

quote:

"If scientists and nonscientists fail to communicate with each other over religious questions, it is because they are talking past each other, referring to entirely different Gods. This is because the foundation of science is based on observing reproducible events, but miracles, by definition, are not reproducible. They happen only once in a lifetime, if at all. Therefore, the God of Miracles is, in some sense, beyond what we know as science. This is not to say that miracles cannot happen, only that they are outside what is commonly called science.

Biologist Edward O. Wilson of Harvard University has puzzled over this question and asked whether there is any scientific reason why humans cling so fiercely to their religion. Even trained scientists, he found, who are usually perfectly rational about their scientific specialization, lapse into irrational arguments to defend their religion. Furthermore, he observes, religion has been used historically as a cover to wage hideous wars and perform unspeakable atrocities against infidels and heathens. The sheer ferocity of religious or holy wars, in fact, rivals the worst crime that any human has ever committed against any other.

Religion, notes Wilson, is universally found in every human culture ever studied on earth. Anthropologists have found that all primitive tribes have an "origin" myth that explains where they came from. Furthermore, this mythology sharply separates "us" from "them," provides a cohesive (and often irrational) force that preserves the tribe, and suppresses divisive criticism of the leader."

Answer 5

You're entitled to your opinion, but I disagree with every gripe you have.
Religious people lose intellectual credibility with you? Isaac Newton, Einstein, Bell, Franklin, and thousands of other geniuses were religious. I suggest you drop your predujiced attitude and start learning to judge people correctly.
I am an intelligent person and I also believe in God. In fact, I've debated about a dozen people I've met on this forum who have masters degrees and doctorates in science and I've shut them all up.
As a matter of fact, I usually don't get as far as debates because many people remove questions that I answer because I make them look foolish as I am about to do to you.

Anyone who would make a statement like you have actually shows how ignorant you really are. The minute you admit you are incapable of judging the content of a person's arguments and automatically discredit them because of their beliefs, shows that you are an intellectual midget. It is a true sign of immaturity if you cannot listen to someone because of how you pre judge them.
That also opens the door to you being brainwashed from a one sided viewpoint since you refuse to listen to any other side.
If Hitler would have considered Jews as intelligent people, he would have had control of the A-Bomb instead of us. Thank God for some people's ignorance.

There are unintelligent people of every race, creed, religion and sexual orientation as well as intelligent people within each group. You sir, are a racist against the religious for your beliefs. I have no respect for people like you, nor do I consider you anywhere near my level of understanding and wisdom. And I'm as religious as they come.

Many people pick on the tax exempt status of churches as well. They are exempt because their money is donated by taxpaying citizens!! They're not a workforce, but receive donations from the parishioners. Then they take that money and distribute it to the poor. Why should they be taxed? You'd be double taxing the money.
I admit that some churches are corrupt and rob people blind. However, that's the fault of the church members for not looking into where their money is being used. The idiots that donate to Benny Hinn's ministry should be smacked really hard. If they would read their bibles, they would know that man's a fraud and should be in jail.

You need to do some soul searching and remove the contempt and hatred you have in your heart towards the religious. If people like you were in power (and it's coming) the religious would be treated like the blacks under segregation.

It is no question that your attitude is proof that the bible is correct when it prophesied people like you would be more and more commonplace in the last days. When the antichrist takes control, you will be very happy for 3 1/2 years. But I shudder to think what will happen to you after that small period of peace.

Answer 6

the absolutely time I have disrespect for someone's' perception is at the same time as the ignore about any outdoors information that would not in good structure with what they prefer to have self belief. fundamentalist Christians or creationists extraordinarily a lot in good structure this bill. once you try to assert a 60 million year previous dinosaur bone can't be more advantageous than 6000 years previous, you lose all appreciate from me. i do not rather imagine something, both way, of the guy who has their beliefs and seeks motives for a way technology and faith (as they have self belief it) ought to co-exist.

Answer 7

Why not respect them? Like anything else, race, societal status do you judge them based on their stereotypes? I mean, I'm religious but i'm not fanatic about it, I don't scream from the rooftops that religion is right, and mine is the one true path.

Religion has the point of faith in a higher power, be it to blame or praise depending on your present time. I know more than a few priests and the like I would rather sit down and discuss anything with than atheists if I could, but that doesn't mean I judge all atheists from the moronic ones.

As for tax exemption, who died and made you lord high judge of humanity? people need their religion and beleifs because otherwise they would likely begin to try to understand the universe which is quite hard to near impossible to do and their place in it. If it makes them happy, let them be led.

Now when they start shoving their religions or lack thereof down my throat, then I will start to get upset.

Answer 8

Define what you mean by "respect" because that changes depending on the speaker.

If by "respect" you mean respecting people's right to have religion, the vast majority of atheists already respect theists' right to be religious. In fact, we atheists show this respect for theists more than they do for us.

"I don't believe atheists should be considered citizens. This is one nation under 'god'."
- George Wanker Bush, 1988

If by "respect" you mean keeping quiet while they say it in public or by trying to insert it into law, government and schools, then the answer is no. The usual response by theists is, "You're attacking 'god'!" to which I say, "No, I'm rebutting your opinion." More often though, the religious are akin to the KKK wanting to march in Skokie and then complaining because people want to oppose their free speech. The racists and the religious may have a right to free speech, but so do their opponents.

(Actually, I should say the racists *are* religious. Almost exclusively, racists in the west are christians; the number of racist atheists can be counted on one hand. That's not to suggest that all christians are racists, but almost all racists _are_ christians....)


.

Answer 9

Just because you are an Atheist doesn't mean you have the truth "by the balls". You feel strongly about your beliefs just as religious people feel strongly about theirs. It's not so much about respect as it is about acceptance and tolerance. Accepting that not everyone thinks and feels as you do, and tolerating people for their differences. In my opinion, Atheists are (or can be) just as annoying as Religious people. I'm glad to say, I am niether. You both deserve each other.

Answer 10

No way should religious people like loonies....have they not faced enough persecution from since the beginning of time, like being thrown to the lions?....i mean come on now.......religious people deserve the respect that every human being deserves....are we not a civilized nation?....um maybe not.....but i do believe we should all respect each other regardless of our beliefs, and regarding your comment religions are special, especially to the believers.....it's clear that you have not even the remotest comprehension of what belief truly is.

Answer 11

I believe we should have respect for each other as indivuals. However as soon as a person with a particular religious persuasion decides to make that apparent to me, then I feel I have the right of reply to make my feelings on faith and belief known to them.