We’re in the 21st century, and the vast majority of us still believe in an utterly and obviously fictional creator deity. Plenty of people, even in developed countries with decent educational systems, still believe in ghosts or magic (e.g. voodoo). And I–an atheist and a skeptic–am told I need to respect these patently false beliefs as cultural traditions.
Fuck that. They’re bad cultural traditions, undeserving of respect. Child-proofing society for these intellectually stunted people doesn’t help them; it is in fact a disservice to them to pretend it’s okay to go through life believing these things. We should demand that people contend with reality on a factual basis by the time they reach adulthood (even earlier, if I’m being completely honest). We shouldn’t be coddling people who profess beliefs that are demonstrably false, simply because their feelings might get hurt.
Respect is for people, not ideas or beliefs.
This is great in theory. But I doubt many religious would accept the idea that you respect them as a person but don’t respect their religious ideas. It’s a big part of personal identity.
And it’s worth asking: if I don’t respect the ideas that shape your entire world view, what does it mean to respect you as a person? Just that you deserve fundamental human rights? That’s a kind of low bar.
If they can accept “love the sinner, hate the sin”, they can accept “respect the religious, hate the religion.”
So…. They can’t accept this
They could if they wanted to.
If there is a bare minimum standard that you wish people to be treated, then aren’t these “fundamental human rights”?
In other words your comment is vacuous and means nothing without defining what “fundamental human rights” are and what “respecting a person” is.
Until you realise ideas and beliefs are a part of people.
What are you trying to say here? That challenging someone’s beliefs equates to an attack on the person?
That people have a right to their beliefs that don’t affect anyone else
But they don’t have a right to have those beliefs politely accepted by the rest of us. That’s my point: I don’t think they should be. I’m not advocating for secularists to actively ridicule believers; I’m saying I don’t think the societal expectation should be that we just smile and nod when someone professes a belief that is patently untrue. There should be perhaps some eyerolling and gentle correction, but not bullying.
What about the belief that a male can become a woman (which is defined as an adult human female)? It seems that belief is being pushed onto the rest of us. It seems people only hold this true when its beliefs they disagree with.
What does the womb have to do with that?
(Edit: Please disregard that part. I thought I was replying to a different comment.)
Also, I WISH people’s beliefs didn’t affect anybody else!
Sorry, lost me. Never said womb.
I also wish they didn’t- one of my other posts discusses this - ill paste it here:
I think you have hit on a good point here, and an area society still needs to mature in.
For years we hated the gays, different skin colors, different cultures. We grew past it and came to the (general) agreement of “you do you” as it doesn’t affect me and its not my right to dictate what you feel or who you are. Religion is a significant steeping stone as it does actually affect others and is deeply woven into society and government, but needs to be the same. Your religion is your religion, and you should be free to practice it bound by societys laws and ethics - but it should not affect those who choose the atheist path.
Sorry, someone else in this thread made a weird comment about the womb, I got you two confused.
Also, I don’t think people are saying nobody has a right to their beliefs. What’s being said is that, even if we respect the person, there is no need to respect their beliefs. Your comment, saying that beliefs a part of a person, seems to suggest that you believe that attacking someone’s beliefs is attacking that person. Since you claim that isn’t what you intended to say, you should probably reword your comment so it is less ambiguous.
So you wish communication of ideas was impossible?
What exactly do you think the words you say mean?
Unfortunately we don’t live in your utopia, where one’s beliefs in the on the meanings of words doesn’t effect others.
So fuck everybody? Like what dude
Opposite- fuck nobody