General Chat

This is not related to geneology but I was just reading a blog where the person whose blog it is seemed to think it perfectly acceptable to mock those who have religious beliefs............whether they be Christians, Spiritalists or other.

I'm just posting this because I was quite gobsmacked that the individual displayed such a superiority complex.

I was raised with church going as part of my early life but I am now an atheist. I reached that decision because it was right for me.........I was given the options and knowledge by my parents and then opted for my path.

People who mock others beliefs, in my opinion, speak from a lack of knowledge. BUT whatever viewpoint they have it surely can't be right to mock the beliefs of others. Isn't this how a number of wars were started ?

Sorry I'm just having a rant.

Have a nice day you all - whatever you believe in, or not.

TOR x

I fully agree with you.
Several phrases come to mind:
Each to their own
Live & let live
One man’s bread, is another man’s poison
All are very old phrases, but mean the same thing, just because someone is an atheist or an agnostic, does not give them the right to ridicule those that have strong beliefs.

Are we supposed to respect things
that we believe are utter nonsense?

xxxxx mick

When being admitted to hospital recently, a nurse filling out the necessary forms asked me my religion. I answered Protestant. Oh she said, that's a new one. I was quite flabbergasted, but did not pick her up on this. I was more interested in getting hooked up to the morphine drip.
But, If you are Catholic,Methodist,Baptist,Jewish etc. you say so. I found nothing wrong in saying this, but did wonder what they teach them in schools these days
Julia in Derbyshire

Hayley - you are far from a dumb blonde - even if you did get my name wrong. lol

Mick - Einstein was thought to have been spouting 'utter nonsense'. But whether an individual believes in such such things or not shouldn't mean you respect the individual less.

Most people have friends or acquaintances that they don't agree with 100% but agree to repect each others differences. Isn't that part of what goes to making us civilised ?

TOR ;o))

Mick

Should I now be growing a persecution complex ?

PMSL

Julia

did you check she hadn't misheard and thought you said prostitute. pmsl

No offence but those are 2 words my baby sister used to mix up when she was little.

TOR x

We don't have to respect the THINGS others believe in, but we don't have to stoop to the level of ridiculing the PERSON for believing them.

Very funny TOR, but I can see where you are coming from on the two words
Made me laugh
Julia in Derbyshire

Hi Mick
No you don't have to respect something you think is utter nonsense
But I respect the person who believes the utter nonsense
Jenxx

When I am asked my religion, such as in hospital etc. I always say Christian.

I respect other peoples beliefs, whether they are atheists, jews, muslims or whatever.

But- in turn I expect them to accept my faith.

OH and I have lots of friends of different faiths, and as we respect them, they respect us.


Mo

How far do you go with that respect though? Is it limited to religious beliefs or all belief systems?

For example - David Icke believes that alien reptiles have infiltrated government and the royal family.
Do you respect his beliefs? Can you respect as a person, someone whose belief system is quite obviously a load of old mince?
xx

Unsub522

Who says his belief system is a load of 'old mince' (love that btw)

Alien infiltration of the government would explain a lot of the policies they come out with.

TOR x

Agree with you TOR regarding the government.

As for David Icke, who knows if he is right or wrong.
I am not clever enough to know.


Mo

Well, fair point about the government but the point i was making is would you be able to respect someone if you totally disagreed with their belief system?

My friend works in a prison in Wales working with paedophiles. Now some of the men she works with truly believe they have the right to sexual contact with young children.
It's not that they know it's wrong but do it anyway, they simply believe that their human rights are being infringed by society's repulsion of their actions.

Now...do you respect their right to believe that? And can you respect them as people?
xx

This is an emotive subject and we did have a very heated thread on here recently. It would not achieve anything to drag all the old nastiness up again.

This is how I see it.

I like and respect people from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures. I have friends who are Sikh, Hindu, Jain and various varieties of Christian (including Creationist). We live and let live perfectly happily.

However, if someone starts preaching at me and declaring what I should believe, then I feel perfectly at liberty to state my own beliefs and my reasoning behind them. If someone has ideas and beliefs I feel are ill-informed or even ridiculous and spouts them at me then I have every right to state what I feel are better reasoned ideas.
If evidence and facts disagree with someone's beliefs and the believer is trying to convert others then anyone has a right to disagree. Debates are often heated on such subjects and that is fine.

We can respect people but there is no reason on earth why anyone should respect a belief.

I'll fight tooth and nail for anyone's right to free speech and everyone's right to hold a belief but put it forward on an open forum and I have every right to disagree (even forcefully).

Sue
x

Well, If there was one god, that would be fine by me.But there are so many out there,who's to say who is right in what they believe?

Too many wars/troubles being caused by it all.



Marion

Thinking about it I suppose if I feel someone's beliefs are totally ridiculous or just do not fit known facts so are simply wrong, then I would find it very hard to really fully respect that person but that doesn't mean I'd want to be nasty.

I might still like them as people while not being able to understand how on earth an intelligent person has come to the conclusions they have. I'm really not sure David Icke is intelligent though!

In the case of people I know I would then avoid all possible subjects which might lead to upsets when I meet them because I still value their friendship.

I can think of an example.........we have old and very good friends who are Creationists. We meet for meals and have fun together. They are a very nice couple and we've known them for years. I have no intention of upsetting them and my paleoanthropologist daughter would not dream of wearing her t-shirt which states "I give evolution the opposable thumbs up" when they are here!
If they were to come here and try to convert me then I would counter with arguments. But they don't and so we get along just fine.

Sue
x

I don't think we should ever mock a person's beliefs, we all have life experiences and upbringings that shape the way we are.

What I do object strongly too is anyone pushing their beliefs onto others ...............that is the cause of a lot of problems.

Mocking anyone because they believe something we don't is pointless and totally unnecessary.

I honestly don't care what anyone's beliefs are as long as they do not try to preach AT me.

As for taking the stance that only they have the right to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (if that exists) and the rest of us are condemned to Hell....well!

Sue x