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I'm troubled when I hear people say that we need to "respect" people's religious beliefs. Perhaps it would be better to use the word "tolerate" (with the proviso that those beliefs are not foisted on others or used politically).

"Respect" connotes admiration or agreement, and I certainly don't admire or agree with any adult believing in fairy tales--- unless that person is certifiably insane.

Rob48 7 Sep 12
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45 comments

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13

I may respect a person's right to have a religious belief but I don't respect the belief itself.

gearl Level 8 Sep 12, 2019
9

I respect the right of anyone to believe in anything as long as it does not infringe on my life.

White xian privilege is evidenced here by way too much tolerance for xian beliefs that exterminated 1300 tribes only 400 are left alive ..... RED LIVES MATTER but wasichu are just beginning to fell shame for raping black women to sell their babies... aboriginal women are brandes squawS daily traded for a tool or horse no matter how many children by the owner....my own dad called his grandmother A SQUAW.... I SHALL NOT die silent complacent to Vatican Admiralty law" of 1450 affirmed by dead cunt Rutj Bader Ginzburg 6 years ago aiding with Cuomo against Seneca Nation people who bought back stolen land next to their reservation forced to keep paying taxes unable to restore sovereignty

6

Respect is earned. Also, one should not tolerate idiocy and ignorance. Just use the golden rule, treat others how you would like to be treated.

6

Respect is a two way street. If someone shows me respect, I give it in return. Should that same person try to push their religious beliefs on me, it is my opinion that I am not required to show beliefs I do not believe in any respect or tolerance.

6

Definitely. Respect and tolerance are two entirely different things.

5

I like the word tolerate...I never feel comfortable saying that I respect someone’s beliefs. I think of respect as being earned...a religious belief is not something that one earns!

5

I have a serious problem "respecting" anyone who cries about "losing their freedoms" when what they're actually trying to do is take away freedoms from others. They think they will only be "free" when women can't make decisions about their own bodies and people can't get married to each other just because they're of the same sex.

Reproductive freedom means choice NOT MANDATORY PREGNANCY laws which are 100% incompetent and theocratic.... marriage equality is just one of many civil rights.... I have zero respect for tax exempt fraudulent businesses like religionS most threaten us Atheists with alleged hellfire DOUBLING down with heaven bribes so why pretend they deserve neighborliness??

5

Bad ideas should always be criticized! People should be given the benefit of the doubt. If they try to force their opinions then I lose respect for them. If they choose to believe and keep it to themselves I can still respect them but never their Bat Shit ideas.

5

It is not possible to make yourself respect, any more than you can force yourself to believe. Tolerance however is a gift we can choose to give or not.

4

Tolerate fits my belief on this totally. With reluctance I tolerate them.

4

I love this distinction and agree totally!

I no more respect or tolerate demonRATs/rethuglicans than I do muslims/xians .... the problem in USA is DUOPOLY and the world is besieged by VIOLENT faiths/theocracies .... Greens & Atheists need to condemn corrupt genocidal USA crimes while defeating the insane foundations of harmful religions intellectually wherever we can without provoking the believer then&there

4

I'm not even willing to "tolerate" religions that cause harm to people.

4

I cannot respect the religion(s), but I try to respect - or tolerate is a good word choice - people's choices.

Too many criminals choose religion to forgive their crimes

4

Should we tolerate it when they force religion into our schools?

Should we tolerate it when they cut the clitorises off of young girls?

Should we tolerate it when they as a group support the continual harming of the air we breath?

Should we tolerate their attacks on science?

Should we tolerate their oppression of the gays?

Should we tolerate their endless wars?

Just curious.

@Winkiedink54

But, that is the point. It is all part of the same package.

Of course you wouldn't tolerate those things. This in the same way you wouldn't tolerate Nazis, even if some Nazis didn't murder or harm anyone.

I read your post. I got the jist. Don't agree with it. The examples listed above don't go far enough.

Let's look at how they have hurt you. Would you have aged the way have, if religions hadn't and still continually block medical research?

If more than half the world's population stops believing in some fairytale afterlife, will a quarter of the world stand to fight mother nature? Will they become just slightly more concerned about human health?

What would your aging and longevity be if religions ended 100 years ago?

How many of the people you love will die because of these archaic beliefs? Just in case you don't know, it is all of them. Still going to tolerate the organizations which kill your offspring?

How many more will die because people are to PC to stand against the harm of religion?

I get I am a dick on this one, but I offer no appology.

I won't fight to take their freedoms, but a passive pc bs stance is harmful to everyone. I won't be part of it.

I ask you reconsider the cost of your tolerance. Is it more important than your children's future? Is it more important than you?

@Heaathenman I agree our secular (public) schools should allow religion only as a historical reference used in teaching history, but not taught as a practice.
But clitoridectomies and circumcisions are not unique to religion and are practiced by many cultures.
Air pollution and war are hardly religious issues. Air pollution continues because curtailing pollution eats into profits. Modern day endless wars are being waged by the United States—and not about religion but about greed.
If religion ended 100 years ago or a 1000 years ago, there would still be clitoridectomies and circumcisions, air pollution and wars and the plundering of natural resources.

@LRobin

Yes, but would there be cancer?

Keep in mind, genital mutilation, religious wars and the other things I mentioned are minor, as compared to the retardation in growth of the natural sciences, caused by religious beliefs. You haven't touched on this.

Neither of is has touched on the wonderful way religion treats women.

I get I sound like a dick. Don't care. We shouldn't respect or tolerate religion. Telling a group of thousands, who are more likely to stand against religion to tolerate, verses respect, ruffles me. I am not saying go out and kill religious leaders. I am saying don't respect or tolerate their poison.

@LRobin the xian religionS were invented by Constantine THERE WAS NO VIRGIN BIRTH OR temporary crucifixion the calendar was invented after the Mohammedan calendar and is back dated 4 years wrong after real King Herod died 4 bce...all such facts should be taught in PUBLIC schools but the theocrats won't allow anything but the common religious LIES so keep all religionS out of schools to be fair to Atheist truth telling & all the fake faiths

4

Respect is something that is earned, otherwise we'd be respecting things like trump.

I tend to be on the other side of that fence: respect is a quality of the giver, not the receiver. Disrespect is earned. Strangers of all kinds deserve respect, until they don't.

In the case of D Trump. In this case, he's what I would call a "high earner".

4

Respect has to be earned. Religion hasn't earned my respect and I doubt it ever will. Tolerate is exactly how I deal with it.

3

It seems to me that the use of the word tolerate has a connotation which implies an endurance. Respect is something that we earn. We respect people for their knowledge and skills and ability to do something for us of a practical nature for which we are willing to pay.

Would I respect someone who claims to have knowledge of a kind or type for which there is no verifiable evidence other than the fact that many others agree with him or her? Certainly not! An unquestioning acceptance of whatever is said by whomever constitutes a belief and is not worthy of respect.

3

WHY should we respect the beliefs, etc, of those who persecuted us for centuries upon centuries?
In my opinion, Respect is a thing that NEEDS to earned, it is NOT a given right.

3

I agree. I don't generally "demonize" anybody for their sincerely-held world views or their beliefs, but that doesn't mean I respect their ideas or beliefs.

3

Tolerant. Yes. Only as much as I must.
I hate religion! I don't respect it. But people need to be treated with respect in any case.

3

How about treat the people with respect , even if you don't respect their choice of religion . I most certainly do not wish to be treated with disrespect because of my choice to be a non believer .

Notice how tolerance ASSUMES religions are not genocidal for the last 5000 years ???? How many slaves died building the pyramids all forced to worship the pharoah's??? Fucked up British still worship the royal families. Ask a Mohawk or Cherokee how good xians murdered their elders 1776 and 1830 ?? Fuck George Washington fuck Andy Jackson racist murderous bastards all USA PresidentS are guilty of genocide on this planet

3

I'll respect their right to believe in an imaginary friend along as they respect my non belief.

It's not about beliefs it is about genocidal rapist religionS that must be condemned like we shamed KKK cross burning terrorists and passed laws against their religious violence

3

I think the respect comes from understanding they are fellow humans with their own struggles to understand the truth. Not respect for their beliefs, but of a tolerance of their beliefs.

gater Level 7 Sep 12, 2019

well said ,gater.We have no reasons to look down our noses at any one or their beliefs.We get pissed if religious types do it to us but its ok for us? To me that spells hypocrites.thanx

@lookinhard Atheists arent the 1st group ridiculed for acknowledging the truth. Copernicus was jailed and nearly sentenced to death for claiming the Earth moves around the Sun, when the accepted belief at the time was the Sun moved around the Earth.
Some people get locked into their beliefs and don't want to hear the truth.

2

I will respect only their right to believe what ever they want, so long as it does not impact negatively on others
However I do not respect their beliefs when they are obviously idiotic and should have no impact on the legislature or governance of any body of people.
I do not tolerate nor respect the self proclaimed right of religious people to spread their lies as factual nor their foolishness as wisdom.

2

I think "tolerate" is a stagnant if not a negative stance. It may be the way to keep the peace for now, but still connotes a dislike or disrespect and does nothing to change minds or attitudes, or step forward toward a more positive harmony between religions or a better shared world view.

I prefer "coexist" only because of the slightly less negative connotation, but in order to have forward movement, that coexisting would need to be sprinkled with respectful dialog toward a better understanding all around, seeking more emphasis on the shared human values most religions have in common, while de-emphasizing the differences.

I can "respect" or "tolerate" a person, but not necessarily their beliefs. I think "respect" is thought to be a positive stance, but in the case of religious beliefs can be an enabling stance for perpetuating outdated beliefs, instead of moving forward.

Toleration is just keeping the status quo and not making waves. I guess I'm more in favor of making a few ripples now and then, by being an advocate for open dialog, finding common values, and elevating the human experience with voices that harmonize instead of keeping quiet despite disagreement. Some sort of forward motion, rather than stagnating in tolerance. That's my feeling.

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