So, I know many atheists and none of whom post anything on social media platforms in regards to their non beliefs or even anything anti-theistic.
Yet, the ones I know, that are of a bible thumping disposition, appear to have no issue with posting tripe such as the following…
Now don’t get me wrong, I have absolutely no issue with what people want to wear, what they want to do and how they want to do it (providing it doesn’t directly harm others)… however, I feel there is an issue with demanding that people’s religion is respected.
There seems to be an upward trend, especially on social media in regards to demanding people respect religion.
Yeah. They can demand all they want. I respect the person but not their idiotic personal superstitions.
Nuns and Muslim women:
Nuns’ habits were based on the dress of medieval women and was usually a choice . I say ‘were’ because few order still insist on the habit. Nuns are free to wear it if they wish. Most wear normal modern clothing.
The Q’uran does not require women to wear hijba, burqa or niqab. It states only that women and men should dress modestly. The tradition of women’s covering is tribal, and practiced among semitic people(including Jews) centuries before Islam. I think its origin could be Persian. It has always been mandatory and has marked women as the property of some male; father or other male relative, then husband or other male relative.
Such Islamic tradition does not now and has never been a sign of respect to women. It shows a fear and contempt of women as the eternal temptress. It is also deeply insulting to men, because it is saying that men cannot control their sexual feelings around uncovered women.
Worth remembering that a woman was considered chattel in European society until the nineteenth century.
And here is where the argument falls apart. “Want To.” When the Islamic police are beating women on the streets for showing an ankle or not having a veil dark enough to hide their face, this is not a “want to.”
No one cares that a nun covers herself in public. It is a complete non-issue. I take my Kids to the mall and tell them I will sit on the bench outside the store and feed the penguins when they come buy. Penguins are nuns in habits, I throw popcorn at their feet… Ha ha ha ha ha … Okay, not really, but I tell the kids that is what I do. And I am always on the lookout for penguins when I go to the mall. The kids have a horrible time keeping me in line.
(The kids are my ex-girlfriends teenage girls. 13 and 15. When I visit we will usually take a trip to the mall, get hair cuts, polish our fingernails, go to a movie, and feed the penguins.) You know, girl stuff,…
I won’t apologize for something I haven’t done ( it makes no sense). But I am prepared to apologize for those transgressions I have made (and the list is long).
If you haven’t indulged the bigotry and prejudice David cited as typifying the doctrine and dogma of many established religions, then clearly his remarks weren’t aimed at you.
A better post might explain why a perfectly merciful deity has allowed such pernicious bigotry to be included in its purportedly infallible message.
As David rightly points out, I cannot respect any belief or teaching that includes, endorses or encourages any such pernicious ideas, as homophobia, sexism, racism, slavery, murder, rape, ethnic cleansing, sex trafficking prisoners of conflicts, genocide, infanticide, to name a few.
A theist adheres to a certain religion and god. They follow the theology practices of that religion. Thus they are willing participants in that religious sect and responsible for any actions done by the organization.
When you give time or send money to an organization, you are a financial contributor to their actions. You give money to a terrorist organization, you are accountable for their actions.
If I send a large amount of money to Al-Qa’ida and they bomb a church, I am liable for their actions.
Religion is the greasiest con-jobs of all time. It also teaches people to avoid responsibility for their actions.
Stupid ideas do not need to be respected. Stupid people who do stupid things do not need to be respected. People need to be respected until they demonstrate they are too stupid to be respected.
Amen. I am a fucked up human being with no answers. There may well be a god who is going to screw with us, I can’t change that. The only thing I can do is to try and not fuck up other people’s day, but I probably will. I see the bible, koran, book of morman, bhagavad gita and a multitude of other beliefs as “we have the truth, you don’t, so fuck you”. I also see this from time to time on the atheist forums that I participate in. What is the answer? I have no idea, perhaps you are the one who does have the answers, and we may well end up calling you Jesus (even though his answers just fucked us all up too).
I had to deal with that dilemna too. But as I worked through my options, that apart from being ordered to worship specifically just one god (for each religion) the overall guiding message is “be a good person”.
So out of so many gods, I have no way in determining which one. So I can’t. But I figure that if I try to live my live as a moral person, no matter what god, I will not be punished.
Because mankind has so many conflicting and competing religions, god must have been very lenient, incompetent, or malicious. I have covered my bases for the first two. But if there really is a malicious god, then no matter how I live my life, no matter what I worship, we will be royally screwed.
So even if there is a god, I am comfortable knowing that I am making a sincere effort to be a nice and moral person.
That’s all I can do until some theist proves a god.
Not able to agree with you on this one. Stupidity is not a matter of choice and cannot be change. To quote that famous village idiot Forest Gump; “Stupid is as stupid does”. Such people can only do what they have been taught and so are worthy of respect.
BUT the wilfully ignorant are another matter entirely. Ignorance can be remedied. People who are too arrogant want to learn earn only my contempt. For the ignorant, for dogma they have learned by rote and the hubris which causes them to think they possess some exclusive, absolute truth.
As I avoid the ignorant ,so too do I avoid the stupid. The difference is that I am seldom unkind to a stupid person, but can get quite snarky with the ignorant. As it turns out, it is the dogmatic apologist who most regularly receives my ire.
It occurs to me that my position is pretty judgemental. However, it’s one of those faults for which I refuse to apologise in such instances.
Can’t get there. They are dangerous. I agree with Forest and avoid stupid people as best I can.
I was shooting darts one night. I had a nose cold and was sniffling and rubbing my nose. A player came up to me and asked me if I had any cocaine. He thought I was sniffling because I was using. NOTE TO SELF: Never give this guy a ride in the car, he could be holding.
I have been to the gun range on several occasions and seen people too stupid to follow the rules get themselves ejected. They will be the ones most likely to accidentally shoot a neighbor with an accidental discharge.
Stupid is as stupid does, absolutely. No respect needed here at all. Stay away from these people. Don’t give them rides in your car. Don’t go hunting with them. Don’t go out for a beer with them. Choose your friends wisely. “Respect is earned.” I have pity for the fools.
It’s like the lottery winners that blow everything in a few short years. All you can do is shake your head in wonderment? How in the fuck to they manage to get out of bed in the morning?
Jung said*** that our most powerful beliefs are based on direct experience.
I had a cousin with Down Syndrome. Mental age of four. He died at 43 from an impacted bowel. I liked and respected him for the gentle and loving person he was. Saw him rarely. For the last 20 years, the only stupid person I know is a woman at supermarket check out.
I guess I’ll agree to differ with you, partly based on what seems to be an unfounded claim :
My response is ; bullshit. Some might be, but all? Nup, evidence on which you feel justifies such a sweeping generalisation please. The example you gave is interesting but not enough to form a generalisation of 100%, imo
*** "Memories, Dreams and Reflections: Auto biography of Carl Jung
I’ve always viewed “ignorance” as a “without knowledge”. I am ignorant of many things (or just have a surface knowledge) and willfully ignorant in some (I have no real interest in architecture)…so I will listen and nod politely but remain willfully ignorant.
I’ve done my best to make the best decisions possible for myself given any set of circumstances (the consequences of which may be favourable or not)… learn from the experience so the next “choice” may be even more favourable.
So, for myself, stupidity isn’t so much a knowledge or brain development issue BUT an attitude. It’s a repetition of self-defeating behaviours or a flagrant disregard for others in with their own risky decisions (ie drunk driving). It is a self satisfying, victimhood mentality that rarely allows the person engaged to see beyond themselves BUT blame everyone and everything BUT themselves.
