Why should belief without reason be respected?

Question

Why should a widely held belief without evidence be any more respected than an individual's beliefs without evidence?

You can't prove that god(s) don't exist but you shouldn't assume to know god's will and thoughts before you even know if god truly exists. It's pure irrationality.

There is no evidence. All you have is some ratty 2000 year old book with over 300 contradictions, many scientific falacies and it depicts god as some kind of jealous sadistic fearmonger.

If anything, the Bible proves there is no god.

Answer 1

There is evidence all around us and in our design and in the Holy Bible.

The air you Breath is evidence that thier is a Creator Revelation 4:11 says Jehovah God deserve the Glory, Honor and Praise, because he created all things.

Answer 2

I think it depends on whom you are talking to. Of course philosophically minded people would say that blind faith is not respectable, but perhaps that is just optimism and I can say that my optimistic perspective has gotten me through a lot of bad situations. No, I think believing in a lot of things common religion teaches is silly but it makes people happy and, for the most part, the people I've met who genuinely believe in God or Jesus are good people who try to do good things for the world. However, just because millions of people have been convinced of a place called Heaven or that some dude from two thousand years ago is going to save them from being held accountable for their actions does not mean that their beliefs should be any more respected than another person's.

Answer 3

Respect is an emotional response to information. An act of giving particular attention : CONSIDERATION. There are plenty of folks out here in the World that "believe" in something based on faith alone. (They do not require any other "imput" to either increase or decrease their belief.) In which case I RESPECT their right to do as they please. However if your attempting to "convince" another person as to WHY you have that particular faith, or belief, most people want to know HOW you came to the conclusions you have reached. Therefore some sort of "proof" is required. In other words some kind of rational "reasoning". Otherwise you are attempting to ask someone else to just "believe" or "take your information on faith" that what you are saying is TRUTH.
Truth can always be verified by many means.

Answer 4

The evidence is up to each and every one of us to seek out. Not just because someone said that it is this way. Read the word of God. Pray with a seeker's heart. Expect an answer. There is a hurtle that you must get over. Once over it, sincerity will take you to the next level.

Matt. 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Answer 5

What kind of reason? What kind of proof? If you shut your eyes, I cannot force them open. Look at the various proofs around you...

Historically
Through the vehicle of prophecy, God throws down the gauntlet to all the other "holy books" and all the other "gods" that dare to claim the title. The God of the Bible challenged in Isaiah 41:22-23,

"Let them bring forth and show us what will happen; let them show the former things, what they were, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare to us things to come. Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; yes, do good or do evil, that we may be dismayed and see it together."

OK, there is the challenge from the God of the Bible. No other book contains prophecy that has been fulfilled with accuracy. Consider, just for now, re-establishment of the nation of Israel. See the list of prophecies at this link... http://www.konig.org/page3.htm So historically, we can conclude that God proves both His existence, His Word as well as His dwelling in the eternal realm.

Scientifically
When it comes to the origins of life there are only two possibilities: Creation or spontaneous generation. There is no third way. Spontaneous generation was disproved hundreds of years ago, but that leads us to only one other conclusion, that of supernatural creation. - Secular Scientist, George Wald, "The Origin of Life", Scientific American May 1954

The likelihood of the formation of life from inanimate matter is one to a number with 40 thousand [zeros] after it. It is enough to bury Darwin and the whole theory of evolution. There was no primordial soup, neither on this planet nor on any other, and if the beginnings of life were not random they must therefore have been the product of purposeful intelligence. - Secular Mathematician, Sir Fredrick Hoyle, Nature Nov. 1981

Physically Seen
Look in the mirror, and contemplate your eye. Imagine the complexity of color, shape, 3D rendering, lens focus, iris light adjustment, low light adaptation, then contemplating with a "soul?" the life that is staring back at you. That you are a living being that is worth so much to God, He would send His only Son to die so that you may live with Him forever.

I mean, really, do you know what it took to even ask this question? You have a physical machine called a body that is able to use its mind to ponder the question, relay visual information from a physical world of comparable low-tech computers through the optic nerve, into the brain, with the mind to comprehend the ramifications, then transfer that thought process to an incredibly complex systems of nerves, tendons, and touch to the fingers to type the letters. This then communicates a question of the soul. The soul is something that science cannot a.) explain and b.) create. It can only mimic with unsatisfactory results. That soul is concerned for the existence of an eternal destiny beyond time and space--that there is a world beyond the physical world we see in the here and now. You are an incredible creation who has been given the free will choice to believe, or not believe. A being that can love, write poetry, paint or play works of incredible complexity and beauty. To smell, and taste, enjoy. So, like you, I set out on a path to find my Creator. It is obvious that He exists, but is He personal or an impersonal force? My answer came through the study of prophecy in the Bible. Like the DNA strand and life itself, it was hard to dispute the evidence. Now with the realization of the truth of the Bible, God made it clear that He was not only a personal God, but One who wanted to know ME, and that He knew everything about me--even the number of every hair on my head.

Answer 6

Because everyone is allowed to have their own views- If people would simply remove the corks and calm down a bit, mabey they'd feel better. We are not all programmed to think the same. Respect or no respect-who cares? We should JUST LEAVE EACH OTHER ALONE.

Answer 7

People should be free to believe whatever they want as long as they're not hurting anyone. The beliefs of atheists do not hurt anyone. The beliefs of some theists do.

Answer 8

God respects it. THAT, is more than enough! so long as that belief is not in error. You see what He told Thomas, is ABOVE your respect

Answer 9

Maybe because it's widely held and therefore likely to possible be true or at least verified at one point.

But either one are as likely to be completely false.

Answer 10

Respected? Nope, no need, just humor them though.....Let them eat cake...