Is it disprespectful to say that someone's beliefs are nonsense?

Question

I often see folks complaining that it's wrong to challenge or ridicule other people's beliefs, but why? Ideas and beliefs cannot be sacrosanct - they stand or fall on their own merits, not on the basis of how attached people are to them, or how much 'emotional capital' they have invested in them. If an idea or belief is ridiculous then it deserves to be ridiculed, and if it's *right* then its adherents have nothing to worry about.

Some excellent and thoughtful answers here! Thank you. It's difficult to criticise ideas and beliefs that we regard as ridiculous without being personally offensive to the people who hold them, but we should try.

Answer 1

"Ideas and beliefs cannot be sacrosanct "

Absolutely right. There are unecessarily rude ways of disagreeing with people, but no view should be "safe" just because it is firmly held, or comes with strong emotional connotations.

My views are up for challenge. If someone can show me why my beliefs are flawed, and present me with better ones (I'll test them too...), then they've done me a favour, not harm.

Answer 2

Of course it is disrespectful to say that someone's beliefs are nonsense. If the person's beliefs are correct and sane, then you have no reason to say anything against it. The only reason you would be adverse to religion and/or a belief of good and evil and reward and punishment is if you or yours are doing things that would land you in whatever version of Hell the person's religion dictates.

As for if someone's beliefs seem ridiculous... well, if a person holding a banana-shaped orange claims that the banana is the holy ruler of the world and will eventually turn into an alien being and lead its followers to a paradise in the cosmos, then... well, yes it seems insane. But if that is what they truly believe who are you to mock them? As long as they aren't trying to forcibly convert you, there isn't any reason for you to be negative.

That's called having manners and not being a... insert whatever word you'd like to, here.

Answer 3

It depends... for me anyway. If someone just states they believe in something and I think it's nonsense, I normally don't say anything Unless... that person is real *** about it. Like many of the Fundies that drop by here, thinking if they speak with enough authority (this means, if they quote enough Bible verses or Quran quotes, etc) then you wouldn't be able to ridicule them. People like this deserve to be taken down a few notches, imo. But I see no reason to go out of my to make fun of other people's beliefs just because I don't think they are true. It wouldn't say much for my own intelligence if I wasted my time on that type of thing.

Answer 4

The emotional attachment to them is what makes some take the challenge so personally.

Something being considered ridiculous is really subjective.. it's in the eye of the beholder, so to speak. What I think is ridiculous may not be ridiculous to you.

If we go by majority opinion as to what's ridiculous, then in the U.S., we'd have to accept that christianity is not.

There's no "right" or "wrong" to it. Subjectivity is too prevalent in this case. Therefore, all ideas and beliefs are either sacrosanct or the subject of ridicule in one way or another.

If people can disassociate their attachment to the belief, and simply listen to another point of view, then dialogue can be achieved. There's a way to do it without being disrespectful on both sides of any issue.

Answer 5

I think it's dismissive to say that one's beliefs in general are nonsense, but there's nothing wrong with challenging the context of the beliefs themselves. I find hypocrisy much more tiresome than candor. The hypocrisy of Christians loving Jews, for example, when this "love" is actually to further their own religious agendas.

Answer 6

To call out a whole group as nonsensical is wrong. In a case by case basis it is fine. It is wrong to slander a whole group based on a few individuals who you have spoke with.

For instance I have seen a few Christians, Muslims, Buddhist, and Atheists on this board who post drivel, that adds nothing to conversation or intelligence.

However, I've seen others who add something to the Q&A who I may not agree with, but they are not displaying the mental maturity of a 5-year old.

Not that one has to be serious all the time, but over a period of time, when the Q&A's start to resemble the same immature connotations it is pretty obvious that we should call a spade a spade.

Answer 7

Most people's beliefs are not proven or could have proof - like religious beliefs. People believe in a religion because of a false promise - eternal life, the return of the messiah, 25 virgins waiting for them in Heaven, etc............................
but when a person believe's in something that is proven or has 100% proof, then the belief is True.
i.e. The sun in Hot. 100% proof!

So there is NO disrespect when you tell someone (like a christian) that beliefs are full of CRAP! because 99.9% of the christian beliefs are full of CRAP and can't/wouldn't be proven!

"religion is Spiritual fraud"; "religion is the Worse invention of humanity" - Jesus Christ

Create a private, personal, direct, divine relationship with Our Creator and save your Soul
from religion.

Only with Our Creator's Love and Peace will we be Truely Free!

Without God, there is No Love; Without religion, there are No Wars!

Answer 8

I think there is a value to constructive criticism. In this world there are two camps and between us a line in the sand.

My side uses tools of science such as telescopes and microscopes to get answers about the natural world.

My world view is subject to change as new evidences come in.

Some have a book. This might be a religious book or even a science book and they won't change their world view due to resistance to change.

While I wouldn't neccessarily think it good net etiquette or appropriate in the real world to mock someones beliefs, I would think it ok to suggest and promote a world view that I hold based on the evidences I have seen, and indeed mock the resistance itself, not the person or the persons beliefs, but that persons psychological disorder of resistance.

Consider an atheist who thinks the sun goes round the Earth. Hypothetical. This person says no its right here in this book (imaginary book I know). We would be ok in saying look I have a telescope and these mathematical observations. We would be right in saying your resistance to change is kind of silly.

Should we say heh you who beliefs in a geocentric universe you are a fool? Ideally no,

---

The reality is, this is yahoo answers, and I mock those on the other side of the line in the sand.

I admit that I do. I admit I could be better about winning people to my world view by not mocking.

If this makes me a hypocrite for preaching understanding and then going and mocking, well so be it.

I'm not perfect I can get better.

-Mayor

Answer 9

Depends on the nature of the expression, perhaps. I don't mind people questioning my faith; in fact, I enjoy some of the challenges.

What I dislike are the blanket statements that my faith is nonsense, and that the root of my faith, in God and Jesus Christ, is comparable to some subjects that sometimes appear in this forum.

If you demand respect, you should also show respect, wouldn't you agree? If an idea is ridiculous to you, then explain exactly why that is, but why not express it in respectful terms.

Answer 10

It's not rude to discuss differences in beliefs if done so in a civilized manner. That's simply a way to learn and to grow. Rudeness enters the picture when the discussion becomes hostile and full of ridicule.