Do you ever defend faiths other than your own from bigotry or ignorance?

Question

When's the last time you stuck up for a religion that wasn't yours?

Answer 1

It's not just religion, I hate to see the little guy kicked around. I'll stick up for anything if I feel it's right.

Answer 2

Asatru/Forn Sidr (Norse Heathen) here: I often defend other faiths, especially Catholics, Jewish, Mormons or other Christians. It's wrong when people make false accusations, stereotyping, or just plain hateful rants and insults against these people. I hate lies and injustice in any form.

It's funny that I would find myself defending Christians, since there were a lot of forced conversions to Christianity in northern Europe, but that was a long time ago, and I can let bygones be bygones.

The most important thing is truth and justice. in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King: "Injustice against anyone is injustice against everyone."

Answer 3

I wish I had the time! Honestly, I defend everybody's right to believe what they want. But I'm not into "defending" faiths as much as teaching faith. So I rarely ever even defend my own... my God can do that for Himself! I just teach what I know and lead by example. Be blessed!

Answer 4

I do. The last time an issue came up was the last time I stuck up for the other religion. A JW in our office.

Answer 5

Yes, frequently. Most recently it is my "campaign" to acknowledge peaceful Muslims, assume they are in the majority, and try to discover what non-Muslims can do to help them rid themselves of the stigma of jihad. As has been said many times, the term "jihad" more properly refers to the struggle within the heart of the individual for control over his life, and turning it to the will of Allah. The military use of "jihad" is far more political than religious.

Moderate Muslims do not deny that the terrorists have professed to be Muslims, nor that they have done terrible things. They only deny that they support those terrorists in any way. Unfortunately, the vocal minority in Muslim countries make the moderates, especially those living in western countries, look bad because they make their entire religion look bad.

Not unlike fundamentalist Christians making moderate Christians look bad. And those who use Christianity as a political tool, to the extent there is any difference in those two sets.

But I am an atheist, a humanist, and a member of the Ethical Society. By most standards, I don't have a "faith" or a "religion" at all.

Answer 6

I defend their right to exist, but it's a mix of trying to be respectful and at the same time thinking that they would be better off not believing.

But I do occasionally stick up for various beliefs here.

Edit:
To be honest, I rarely if ever defend Islam and never will defend Scientology.

Answer 7

I am atheist but was raised Catholic and attended Catholic school until the age 13 so I feel like I am pretty knowledgeable about it. When I see or hear Protestants or any other group saying ignorantly negative things about Catholicism, I will defend them since I know the truth about their practices and beliefs.

I also tend to defend Pagans from ignorant accusations that I often see and hear.

I hate to see any group attacked based on false or ignorant accusations. If I know the truth, I try to speak out about it.

Answer 8

Actualy I tend to do so for most pagan beliefs. I have even been known to correct people with the wrong ideas about Shinto and Buddhism on occasion.

Answer 9

I know it's not a "faith," but I stick up for atheists once in awhile when the Christians post a blatantly ignorant attack. I usually get a violation notice as a reward.

Answer 10

I will defend anyone who's faith is being attacked. I have said it before and I'll say it again....tolerance and acceptance is the ony road to peace.

Answer 11

If somebody makes a statement that I know to be false, I'll correct it. I do it a lot with Islam on here, in spite of the fact that I find Islam just as nauseating as Christianity. But "Christians" are always making outrageously false statements about Muslims and their religion.

It's also true that "Protestant" brands of Christianity love to smear Catholicism by lying about it; and of course it goes without saying that they hate the Mormons. So even within Christianity, the competing cults can't leave each other alone. It's amusing to atheists like myself that "religious" people can always see the insanities in other religions (or if they can't, they'll just make stuff up), but they're incapable as a rule of criticizing their own beliefs.