Should you respect other people's beliefs automatically?

Question

If a guy believes the government is ran by aliens, we aren't showing very much respect to his belief by throwing him into an asylum are we?

Answer 1

I don't care about other peoples beliefs as long as they aren't harming anyone :)

Answer 2

That's an interesting point. I'm not sure I can answer your question. A belief that a psychiatrist would call a delusion is still a belief, and forcing the believer into a hospital certainly reveals a level of distrust, and perhaps even hostility, for that belief (but not distrust and hostility for the believer). So where do we draw the line between delusion and "healthy" religious belief? I don't know. Does a line even need to be drawn? I don't know, but there clearly is such a line in place.

As to some other answers: I'm not sure how to distinguish between respect for some possession, and respect for a person's right to that possession. What does it mean to respect something, anyway? It all seems sort of imaginary and inconsequential. I think people use words like respect to posture themselves as a more enlightened individual than they are*. We need less ambiguous language.

*I don't consider myself an enlightened person

Answer 3

If a guy believes his government is run by aliens, we may not be showing him respect by throwing him in an asylum, but maybe that's where he belongs and maybe he needs medical care more than he needs respect?

The answer is of course no, you shouldn't respect a person's beliefs automatically. What if the person' beliefs are that he gets to rape little boys and girls at whim, should that be respected and supported? Or is a woman says she has the right to cut off her husband's penis in his sleep? Her religion demands it, but I don't respect that automatically. I do not think I could be convinced as to the propriety of either one of those practices.

Interesting...

Answer 4

No beliefs are worthy of respect. Belief is stupid and irrelevant. What is, IS... whether you believe it, or not. Belief is nothing more than the ILLUSION of knowledge... i.e., self-delusion.

However, it IS necessary that we make some accomodations in order to be able to get along in the world. So, it makes sense that we should respect each person's right, in the privacy of his own mind, to delude himself in whatever manner he deems fit. BUT... when such 'believing' people enter into a public forum, declaring their faith-based delusions (beliefs) to represent fundamental 'truths' of existence and reality, then the insanity of those delusions needs to be exposed, if for no other reason than to protect vulnerable minds that might be otherwise influenced by them.


"When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called Religion." ~ Robert M. Pirsig

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Answer 5

I have much respect for all beliefs, just not total agreement. I will still always be a God fearing Jesus loving born again Christian. I dont need to agree to respect.

Example: I respect a woman's right to choose an abortion, because that is her right and her body.
Now ask me if I agree with her choice, absolutely not.
see the difference? Oh yeah...God has soo much love for you Bronze!

Answer 6

Yes we should respect what people believe, because all of us cherish our right to believe what we believe, wether or not it's right, and respecting another person's belief does not mean that you have to agree with their belief, and we can respectfully still state what we believe, in turn we can expect the same respect back form them also, although of course we may not always get it.

Answer 7

Of course we should I would hope others would respect me enough to do the same. Beliefs are our part of our uniqueness because they very in so many ways! Why would we all want to be the same?

Answer 8

You can't throw someone in an asylum just for believing something. However, If he's running around the streets naked screaming about how George Bush is planning an intergalactic takeover, that's liable to get him thrown in the loony bin.
I respect peoples right to believe what they want, as long as they stay the hell away from me

Answer 9

Not if these beliefs are potentially dangerous to society at large, or to special parts of society, the environment, the bearers of these beliefs, etc., then the bearers of these dangerous beliefs should be stopped, blocked, watched over, or any other required preventive action.
and as far as I know, almost every belief has a potential for harm.

Answer 10

There's a fine line between beliefs and delusions. You should always respect someone right to their beliefs but when it becomes delusion it is best to get them help.