At what point is a person's beliefs to be disrespected? I am a Christian. I have a very dear friend who is an atheist. She is constantly cursing church people and I just find that a complete disrespect for my beliefs and being I am one of those church people a disrespect to me. I just don't understand where people think it is okay to treat others with such disrespect for their beliefs. I know as a Christian that my beliefs are not something that I have made up to fit my lifestyle, God has revealed himself to me many of times since I have accepted him into my life. My beliefs are not anything that are going to change. I have built my life on my beliefs and I stand on them everyday. Do people not see that it is just a simple lack of decency to be so hostel to the beliefs of other human beings?
2007-02-21 02:22:07 · 18 answers · asked by t2ensie 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
yes, my friend is not much of a friend, maybe neither am I being I haven't had anything to do with her since the last incident about a month ago. But it is also part of my beliefs to love her anyway. There is no difference between a person and their beliefs. People are made up of their beliefs.
2007-02-21 02:45:14 · update #1
One of the biggest problems these days is a lack of common courtesy. This means respecting others and their beliefs. I fear that we are used to being polarized and will only accept those of like minds. The funny (or sad) thing is that those are the same people that scream for tolerance when they are attacked.
2007-02-21 02:29:34 · answer #1 · answered by diogenese_97 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No one should be acting as your "friend" is. And that goes both ways. I would say when someone keeps forcing their beliefs on you and what I mean by forcing is constantly telling you how wrong your beliefs are as compared to theirs after being told ONCE that you aren't interested. I'm an atheist but I have no interest whatsoever in converting people. People have their own beliefs for their own reasons.
And....if this person is such a dear friend why does she keep belittling you in this manner? Have you told her how you feel? A true friend would never act this way. Good luck.
2007-02-21 02:33:02 · answer #2 · answered by Stormilutionist Chasealogist 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Every decision is a choice. Your friend has chosen to beleive something other than Christianity. There is nothing wrong with that itself. However, when she incessantly chooses to put down those who beleive something other than her that becomes a problem. Since you are her friend I am assuming she knows you are Christian. I personally would see this as a slap in the face if she was constantly using the same behavior around you.
In Mark 38 it says this:
38If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
As her friend you need to try and help her understand God's love, and how the Christian faith is based in Truth. However, you also should request she not insult the religion.
2007-02-21 02:55:12 · answer #3 · answered by David J 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This notion that we must "respect someone else's beliefs" is the most wrong-headed thinking I can imagine.
Do you respect Hitler's beliefs?
Do you respect Osama Bin laden's beliefs?
Do you respect Mohammed Atta's beliefs?
Do you respect Charles Manson's beliefs?
I am sure, that like me, you reserve the right to disrespect beliefs that you find offensive, pernicious, harmful, hateful, tyrannical, racist, bigoted, etc. So does your friend, and I happen to agree with her.
That said, I enlisted in the Army after college graduation and took an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic, and the most important guarantee in that document is freedom of speech, which includes your freedom to say things that offend me and my freedom to say things that offend you. I was and remain willing to die to guarantee that you can continue to believe a set of myths and fables that I believe are not only false, but which have had and continue to have a detrimental effect on society and humanity as a whole. Whether I respect you is entirely dependent on how you contribute to society by helping others and how you harm society by hurting others.
In that regard, I don't care if you worship Jesus, Satan, the Easter Bunny or a velvet Elvis painting, though I will certainly tell you such actions are silly, and if you go about telling people they will burn in hell forever because they don't worship your Jesus or your velvet Elvis painting, I will tell you that you've crossed over from being silly to being cuckoo and annoying.
People build their lives on falsehood every day. I'm not obligated to say your silly beliefs are respectable, reasonable or even defensible just because you like the lies you've embraced. I respect your right to embrace them, and I will defend your right to market them, and I expect the same from any fellow citizen in this pluralistic society, because otherwise this won't work for any of us. But I totally disrespect your theistic beliefs as baseless, infantile, uncritically held, anti-scientific and formed in brain-washing and emotional dysfunction. At the same time we probably share almost every ethical and humanitarian belief, which is probably why several Christian pastors are among my closest friends despite that they know I think all this incarnated god, atonement , after-life, damnation stuff is cave-man talk.
You have to decide for yourself whether you want to be around someone that constantly goes off on your core beliefs. But I have to assume something is connecting the two of you that you want to keep, some mutual support and affection that isn't based in shared fables. I am quite certain that whatever you and your friend have that keeps you by each other's side, it is much more real and reliable than your invisible super-being with magical powers.
2007-02-21 02:46:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
As a Muslim, my beliefs are constantly being disrespected by ignorant people who don't want to spend even an hour reading about what it is to be a true Muslim and follow the path of peace. They are more content to let the media and other people decide their opinions for them then to expend an ounce of energy to come up with their own ideas.
2007-02-21 02:29:56 · answer #5 · answered by Maverick 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You only need to concentrate on one word..."Respect".., respect that this person (dear friend?) has opinions and the right to voice them. Respect his/her beliefs as you respect your own. Respect your God by listening to all sides and remember how He instructs you to respond. It is not hostile or indecent to vigorously criticize something, just a bit more hurtful to some, than others. Do you remember "Jesus said " .."turn the other cheek"?
Judge not, lest ye be judged. This person will eventually learn when to be less vocal. For now, embrace their opinion and try to educate them on the finer qualities of communication etiquette.
2007-02-21 02:47:03 · answer #6 · answered by twostories 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People should be respected, Not Beliefs. False beliefs should be shown to be false. False beliefs have led to mass murder and genocide. No one gains by believing in falsehoods. When someone "disrespects" your belief, they are not disrespecting you. If you can't tell the difference, that is your problem not theirs.
2007-02-21 02:37:47 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am spiritual and not christian,but agree totaly.It is wrong to disrespect anyones beliefs by being rude
2007-02-21 02:28:49 · answer #8 · answered by woodsonhannon53 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
People are going to disrespect you. It's human nature. As for your friend, you might need to let her know that her comments are unwelcome, and that she needs to tone it down. If she cannot respect your wishes, then maybe she's not really a friend!
2007-02-21 02:32:04 · answer #9 · answered by ? 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is a lack of decency to attack other people's beliefs. Tell your friend that you are insulted when she says things like that. Explain yourself to her, not us.
2007-02-21 02:33:57 · answer #10 · answered by Kharm 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋