How do you feel about Faiths other than your own?

Question

I think people should respect others beliefs.
If you are curious, you should learn about them before bashing them.
What do you think?

Answer 1

i am completely open to other peoples religions. i am even experimenting with others.

Answer 2

I believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah spoken of in the OT and that He is the only way for mankind to obtain Salvation. Christianity therefore is the one true teaching and all others are false.

To respect others beliefs, according to Encarta Dictionary, means one must “(1) [have] a feeling or attitude of admiration and deference toward somebody or something; or (2) to pay due attention to and refrain from violating something.

By those definitions a Christian cannot “respect” any other religion, to do so would mean that they would have to deny their beliefs and violate their principles. The same applies to today’s definition of tolerance; “a: sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own.

However, a Christian can be tolerant (b: the act of allowing something) if by that it means living in peace with a neighbor who holds different view but not accepting that view and denying their own.

Answer 3

I think everyone has a right to their own beliefs. I don't want someone pushing their religion or faith on me so I respect them and don't push mine on them. I hate when people come to my house and try to talk religion to me. I understand that they are just trying to spread the word but it frustrates me. I know what I believe and I don't like other people trying to change it just because they believe something different. The only faith I don't like is the one where the people believe that by killing themselves and taking a bunch of people with them that they are earning a place in what is their version of heaven. I don't think it should be considered a faith if it involves hurting people just because they don't believe the same as you or because they are of a different race. I say live and let live.

Answer 4

I am a Christian, but I know a lot about a ton of faiths. I think you should kind of respect others beliefs. It is true that you should know about them before you bash them. You don't really have to respect something that doesn't seem right to you. You just have to live with it. I don't totally make fun of other people's faiths or anything, but you don't have to respect them.

Answer 5

I grew up around every faith you can imagine. I was always taught to respect others beliefs and that has stuck with me all my life. I feel people are free to believe what they like as am i. I don't judge people on there faith and have many different faiths in my immediate family. We are all human beings making the most informed choices we have. Each to there own, live and let live.


Scottish Muslim woman (raised protestant as a child)

Answer 6

I think that everyone has the right to worship as they please. Everyone should be respectful of other people and not try and push their religion or views on someone else if they are not asked.
As far as bashing goes, if you do not believe in what you are hearing or even if you find it offensive, you do not have the right to bash. Just simply let them know that you do not wish to discuss religion with them any longer and to please change the subject. If that doesn't work, then simply walk away.

Answer 7

Religion aims for truth, as I suspect is what most people want. You dont have to learn everything about it to know that it only require faith.

Given that I have faith in something too, I dont put so much emphasis on it. Id be happy to leave other peoples' faiths' alone only if they never bring it into politics. But unfortunately, that is not the case. You need reason and logic to make the right decisions for everyone. Once someone uses the "It is against my religion" argument to make political decisions, it is impossible to reason against it.

Answer 8

I totally agree with vengeancethiswaycomes. Each person must choose his or her own path and let everyone else practice their religion. There's nothing wrong with telling someone about your religion and seeking knowledge about different religions but it's not right to force someone into or out of their beliefs.

Also, religion-bashing is wrong, especially when someone is looking at misconceptions as opposed to looking at facts with evidence.

Answer 9

Phanti, you and other people, who say "we should respect..." sound so nice, but what if I tell you that believing in God is just plain silly? Would you respect this statement of mine?
A friend once told me: "When a person says he or she believes in Jesus Christ, who was born to a VIRGIN mother, was killed, but came back to life and coming back to Earth after 2000 years, other people respect this person's beliefs. But if this same person says he or she believes in Tooth Fairy, people laugh at this. What's the difference? Why a story about Jesus is more believable than a story about Tooth Fairy or Easter Bunny? Because the Bible says so? But if you believe in Bible, you believe that God 'operates in mysterious ways' and maybe God created Tooth fairy, but didn't put anything about it in the Bible for reasons known only to HIM."

I think the above statement of my friend is a little simplified, but it makes sense.

Answer 10

I believe true believers can be found in every religion.

I don't think of it as bashing when I know the facts, I have studied religions from all over the world.

There are many cults that consider their selves religion and are not or like witchcraft, paganism and heathenism are something else all together.

Answer 11

I think people are way too judgemental when it comes to religion and take it personally. Most of the people judging are quite ignorant about other religions.

I'm agnostic, and am quite open-minded and accepting to all religions (as long as you don't try to convert me, or bash me for what I believe).