Special consideration for opinion derived from religious conviction?

[sh3rb3t]

The way I read the OP he said exactly the opposite of what you claim.

 

I may indeed have misread it.

 

I took it to mean that he doesn't have a problem with people following the rules laid out by faith/gods if they choose to believe, but they will probably be disappointed by the lack of rewards later. Which I interpret as "if god told you to do it, then that's ok, but you might not get what you were promised in return".

[Vague_Boy]

I'm not a believer myself, but I do think it important to defend religious freedom.

 

Freedom of religious worship is essential in a democratic society. Attacking religion certainly didn't achieve anything in Stalinist Russia:

 

The main target of the anti-religious campaign in the 1920s and 1930s was the Russian Orthodox Church, which had the largest number of faithful. Nearly all of its clergy, and many of its believers, were shot or sent to labour camps. Theological schools were closed, and church publications were prohibited. More than 85,000 Orthodox priests were shot in 1937 alone. Only a twelfth of the Russian Orthodox Church's priests were left functioning in their parishes by 1941.

 

LINK

 

 

The opinions of the religious should not be given special consideration over any other group however, nor should churches enjoy tax exempt status (the Church of England has assets of £4.4 billion, maybe they should pay a bit more tax?).

 

In a recent documentary Anne Wiidcombe constantly made the argument that people couldn't say this and couldn't say that, because it was about things she considered "sacred".

 

Too bad Anne, this is (supposedly) a democratic society. I don't want my freedom of expression curtailed because a group of mental inadequates can't take it when one of their fairy tale delusions is held up to ridicule.

[tinfoilhat]

Freedom of religious worship is essential in a democratic society. Attacking religion certainly didn't achieve anything in Stalinist Russia:

 

 

 

LINK

 

 

The opinions of the religious should not be given special consideration over any other group however, nor should churches enjoy tax exempt status (the Church of England has assets of £4.4 billion, maybe they should pay a bit more tax?).

 

In a recent documentary Anne Wiidcombe constantly made the argument that people couldn't say this and couldn't say that, because it was about things she considered "sacred".

 

Too bad Anne, this is (supposedly) a democratic society. I don't want my freedom of expression curtailed because a group of mental inadequates can't take it when one of their fairy tale delusions is held up to ridicule.

 

And there we have it. Religious people are mentally ill (you get one bonus point for fairy tale but didn't get the sky pixie bonus point) Not much more than half way down page one. Well played.

[Ryedo40]

Freedom of religious worship is essential in a democratic society. Attacking religion certainly didn't achieve anything in Stalinist Russia:

 

It wasn't entirely anti-religious sentiments that led to the revolution or the oppression of the ROC; it was the hierarchical system created by the privileged ROC and corrupt Christian elite that people - mostly Russian Orthadox Christian peasants(or Serfs) - rebelled against.

 

But I agree, freedom of religious worship is essential in any society.

 

---------- Post added 06-09-2013 at 13:56 ----------

 

And there we have it. Religious people are mentally ill (you get one bonus point for fairy tale but didn't get the sky pixie bonus point) Not much more than half way down page one. Well played.

 

I think most of us, religious or non-religious, are mentally-ill to some extent.

 

Isn't there a difference between mentally-ill and mentally inadequate?

[Chris_Sleeps]

Freedom of religious worship is essential in a democratic society.

Completely. The freedom to ignore it, joke about it, satirise it, and tell it to p*ss off is essential too.

[Anna Glypta]

Completely. The freedom to ignore it, joke about it, satirise it, and tell it to p*ss off is essential too.

 

Exactly. Some folk use religion as a weapon. If someone is stupid enough to believe in a sky pilot, we should be free to laugh at them, and of course they should be free to ask their chosen god to send a bolt of lightning to sort us out. :hihi:

[jfish1936]

they should be free to ask their chosen god to send a bolt of lightning to sort us out. :hihi:

 

Funny how "Almighty God" usually needs his human dupes/ servants to kill the infidel. Apparently "He" can't do it himself.

[Zamo]

I smell a slight smell of islamaphobia in this thread Oo

 

I think this is the sort of thing the OP is referring to. If you criticise religion (especially Islam) then people try to dismiss you by saying it is down to a phobia i.e. irrational fear. I don't know how anyone could look at life in the vast majority of Muslim countries and say that it is irrational to fear the growth of Islam and Islamic culture here.

 

Criticism of other religions is also discouraged but not to the same extent. The Catholics are almost fair game even with the left. Of course, it would be different if the majority of Catholics in this country had brownish skin because of the irrational fear the r-word... what sort of phobia is that?

[unbeliever]

I think this is the sort of thing the OP is referring to. If you criticise religion (especially Islam) then people try to dismiss you by saying it is down to a phobia i.e. irrational fear. I don't know how anyone could look at life in the vast majority of Muslim countries and say that it is irrational to fear the growth of Islam and Islamic culture here.

 

Criticism of other religions is also discouraged but not to the same extent. The Catholics are almost fair game even with the left. Of course, it would be different if the majority of Catholics in this country had brownish skin because of the irrational fear the r-word... what sort of phobia is that?

 

Islam certainly seems to suffer from this problem at least as much as other faiths. My own experience of having my freedom of speech oppressed comes more from Christians of one flavour or another than Muslims, but that may just be the circles I move in.

I've known several Muslims well throughout my life and honestly never felt that I couldn't speak openly to them on any subject. I can't say that for every Christian I've known, but they've outnumbered the Muslims so maybe that's biased.

 

On Islamophobia, looking at the world as a whole it is my impression that intolerance shown by some Muslims to the ways of others is more of a problem than intolerance shown to Muslims, but I am by no means an expert on such matters.

 

Personally, I think it is disingenuous to compare dislike of a religion to that of a race. A religion is after all an ethical system that a person has chosen to adopt. A persons ethical system surely says a lot about them personally, whereas their race clearly doesn't.

 

The mistreatment of a person on the grounds of their religion is profoundly wrong, but so is expecting those who are not of your faith to follow its rules. Your god may be the boss of you, but he/she is most definitely not the boss of me.

[XXTickerXX]

If someone told you they believed a women got pregnant on her own with no help whatsoever and was having the son of god most would treat them with ridicule.

 

Similarly if someone believes a man ascended to heaven on the back of a winged horse most would not believe them.

 

Religion has had it`s time and now has only the stupid who cannot think rationally and for themselves believing in it.

 

Both main religions believe I will burn in hell when I die for not believing their particular brand of stupidity. I believe when they die tiny little animals and insects will have a feast.