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)
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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!