I agree that there should be respect in this world for varying viewpoints and lifestyles. Unfortunately, the vast majority of wars have come due to religious reasons or radical doctrine that truly resembles religious blind faith. Additionally, I believe that all too often people get an easy pass for what they say and do because they can fall back on "religious respect."
Why do we have to respect religion so much when so much about religion makes so little sense?
Rather than answer questions I post about religious beliefs (i.e. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Why on passover did god require sheep's blood on the door in order to know which first born sons to kill?) people on here say I should UNDERSTAAAND and respect it. Additionally, why is this all-powerful and great being in need of sacrifices?
An example of people getting a ridiculous religious easy pass:
"In 2004 James Nixon, a twelve-year-old boy in Ohio, won the right in court to wear a T-shirt to school bearing the words 'Homosexuality is a sin, Islam is a lie, abortion is murder. Some issues are just black and white!' The school told him not to wear the T-shirt, so his parents sued the school.
The parents may have had a conscionable case if they had based it on the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of speech. But they didn't: indeed, they couldn't, because free speech is deemed not to include 'hate speech'. But hate only has to prove it is RELIGIOUS, and it no longer counts as hate. So instead of freedom of speech, the Nixons' lawyers appealed to the constitutional right to freedom of RELIGION.
The Reverend Rick Scarborough, supporting the wave of similar Christian lawsuits brought to establish religion as a legal justification for discrimination against homosexuals and other groups, has named it the civil rights struggle of the twenty-first century:
' Christians are going to have to take a stand for the right to be Christian.' Once again, if such people took their stand on the right to free speech, one might reluctantly sympathize. But that isn't what it is about. The legal case in favour of dicrimination against homosexuals is being mounted as a counter-suit against alleged religious discrimination! And the law seems to respect this.
You can't get away with saying, 'If you try to stop me from insulting homosexuals it violates my freedom of prejudice.' But you can get away with saying, ' It violates my freedom of religion.'
WHAT, when you think about it, is the difference? Yet again, religion trumps all."
(Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion, p. 23-24)
God needs nothing. For those of us who believe in God, it is us who need God. God knows what we need. At certain times with certain people, there are certain things which we need to do to reaffirm our belief in God. God does know all, but God rejoices in our obedience. How are we to obey if we are not told what to do? Therefore, it isn't that a type of people needs to carry out an act to prove to God that they are who they say they are. It is that God is giving a command to test one's faith so that that person's faith is reinforced. For those that disobey the command, God knew it was going to happen, and perhaps the person knew he/she was going to disobey, this serves as evidence of free will. Any punishment (remember this is old testament) handed out by God serves/served as evidence of God's reign over us. Thank God for Jesus. Now we can be forgiven for our disobedience.
The Flying Spaghetti Monster needs nothing. For those of us who believe in The Flying Spaghetti Monster, it is us who need The Flying Spaghetti Monster. The Flying Spaghetti Monster knows what we need. At certain times with certain people, there are certain things which we need to do to reaffirm our belief in The Flying Spaghetti Monster. The Flying Spaghetti Monster does know all, but The Flying Spaghetti Monster rejoices in our obedience. How are we to obey if we are not told what to do? Therefore, it isn't that a type of people needs to carry out an act to prove to The Flying Spaghetti Monster that they are who they say they are. It is that The Flying Spaghetti Monster is giving a command to test one's faith so that that person's faith is reinforced. For those that disobey the command, The Flying Spaghetti Monster knew it was going to happen, and perhaps the person knew he/she was going to disobey, this serves as evidence of free will. Any punishment (remember this is old testament) handed out by The Flying Spaghetti Monster serves/served as evidence of The Flying Spaghetti Monster's reign over us. Thank The Flying Spaghetti Monster for his noodley appendage. Now we can be forgiven for our disobedience.
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." -F.N.
The Flying Spaghetti Monster is my hero!
And if you believed in the Flying Spaghetti monster, that would be a valid argument. But I sort of doubt you do. If you do, then that is your right.
Like what you've read? Well, then here's more:
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tricia0711
"the vast majority of wars have come due to religious reasons or radical doctrine that truly resembles religious blind faith."
Actually economic reasons are the prevailing force behind most wars. Consider why we are in Iraq rather than Darfur. Hint: OIL! not Islam.
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"So instead of freedom of speech, the Nixons' lawyers appealed to the constitutional right to freedom of RELIGION."
Can you see that the same freedom protects your own right to the "hate speech" against religion you spout so regularly? I can quote things you have said that are equal or greater than the boys' shirt for ignorance, offensiveness, and hate if you are unaware of what you are doing. Since you are doing it on purpose I doubt that is necessary.
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"freedom of prejudice"
Freedom of OPINION? Or do you favor you some THOUGHT CRIME? It is sickeningly pathetic that you DEMAND the right to do as you wish (justifiably IMHO) yet are such a provincial bigot that you find it problematic that others are allowed to think what they wish.
Any ACTION that those people take against your freedoms is a perfectly justifiable cause to fight, but when you object to their freedoms you are a fool if you think it advances your freedom one iota. Free speech is only important when it comes to speech which is objectionable to someone else.
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Re: FSM
I wonder what ever happened to Nicholas Aden.
"Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it."
--Andre Gide
If you ever figure out why religion is a hoax, you will understand the world a lot better.
Until you realize that religion is a hoax, you will live a sad and superstitious life.
You can only fake happiness for so long.
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Mr. Aden? Well, it looks like he's more well-known than you.
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." -F.N.
I disagree with your assertion of what was said on the t-shirt is hate speech. You say religion is stupid. Basically, that's the same type of speech as the words on the t-shirt. It's making a judgment, but not necessarily hateful. For examples, I too, believe that homosexuality is a sin and would wear a t-shirt that said as much if I had one. However, does that mean that I hate homosexuals? No. "Hate the sin, not the sinner." I, too, believe that Islam is false, however, does that mean I hate Muslims? No way! I believe (quite vehemently) that abortion is murder. However, does that mean that I hate those who have had abortions? No. Again, "Hate the sin, not the sinner." In fact, I feel compassion for the girls who have bought the abortion lies and hurt their lives with it.
Thus, wearing said t-shirt is not being hateful, rather it is making judgments and publicly sharing those judgments. If it said "Homosexuals are fags, Muslims are terrorists, and women who have had abortions are bitchy cowards," then I might agree with the whole hate speech thing. But it didn't.
RESPECT LIFE
http://progressiveu.org/blog/respectlife
"It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
~Mother Teresa
If you ever figure out why religion is a hoax, you will understand the world a lot better.
Until you realize that religion is a hoax, you will live a sad and superstitious life.
You can only fake happiness for so long.
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." -F.N.
I am overwhelmed by your intellectual response.
RESPECT LIFE
http://progressiveu.org/blog/respectlife
"It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
~Mother Teresa
At some point it is hard to try to continue to speak and debate LOGICALLY with people who only use wishful thinking, things they were told to believe since childhood, and emotion.
Blackout has already told you OVER AND OVER AND OVER how illogical you are.
If you can't see it, it gets tiring trying to show you it.
Take off the religions goggles.
It's hard to do, I had them on for nearly 19 years. Now I'm 23 and I live in the REAL WORLD, not the wishful thinking magical one.
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." -F.N.
At some point it is hard to try to continue to speak and debate LOGICALLY with people who only use wishful thinking,
Thus, you see my dilemma...
Now I'm 23 and I live in the REAL WORLD, not the wishful thinking magical one.
I pity you...the "real world" is full of violence, selfishness, hate, ugliness, emptiness, and everything else positively revolting. I live in it, too, but I don't have to be a part of it and I truly pity those who condemn themselves to a life of emptiness and an eternity of nothingness.
RESPECT LIFE
http://progressiveu.org/blog/respectlife
"It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
~Mother Teresa
It's very ironic that the same affinity for religion that you keep and which causes you comfort without evidence is what also causes hatred, discrimination, and wars.
Get rid of religion and then we will have less hatred, less discrimination, less violence, less wars, less irrational wishful thinking.
Religion is a problem, not an answer.
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." -F.N.
Get rid of religion and then we will have less hatred, less discrimination, less violence, less wars, less irrational wishful thinking.
Depends on the religion. In addition, war IS going to happen because of the imperfections in man's nature. So even if religion didn't exist, we'd still have war. The only reason you can associate wars with religion is because church and state ruled together.
In addition, consider all the good religion has done. Religiously sponsored institutions have been hospitals, orphanages, schools, nursing homes, day care centers, etc. They've provided for the poor when the government has failed. In addition, certain religions provide people with the importance of helping others. This attitude is undoubtedly important, especially when the country is going through hard times.
Thus, I must disagree with your statement...religion is not the problem, it IS an answer to try to assist man to overcome his imperfections and aspire to be greater.
RESPECT LIFE
SMILE EVERY DAY
"It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
~Mother Teresa
"The only reason you can associate wars with religion is because church and state ruled together. "
Ever hear of jihad? or The CRUSADES? How about What's taking place in Gaza, do you know the history of that?
"In addition, consider all the good religion has done. Religiously sponsored institutions have been hospitals, orphanages, schools, nursing homes, day care centers, etc. "
- Good things are done without religion being involved. Morals are not derived from religion. Also, many of these "good deeds" come with strings attached. Have you ever read about the church and sex education or the AIDS epidemic (especially in Africa). THEIR "morals" come before people lives or HONEST scientifically based educations.
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"Thus, I must disagree with your statement...religion is not the problem, it IS an answer to try to assist man to overcome his imperfections and aspire to be greater."
- What "answers" I mean ACTUAL answers has religion provided other than wishful thinking, unprovable answers, and unscientific views on sex and sexuality? To say the least...
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." -F.N.