We must respect the other fellow's religion,

[NeoGreen]

Eskimo: "If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?" Priest: "No, not if you did not know." Eskimo: "Then why did you tell me?"
Annie Dillard, 'Pilgrim at Tinker Creek'

Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer.
Unknown

Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned.
Unknown

A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.
Albert Einstein

So far as I can remember, there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence.
Bertrand Russell

I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world.
Richard Dawkins

[rurallib]

1. Wish I had more Tham one rec to give this

[RandomAccess]

2. Ya'll out to change the name of this group

to the Religion Bashing group

[trotsky]

3. "When You're Accustomed to Privilege, Equality Feels Like Oppression"

Welcome to the free exchange of ideas. People are allowed to say they don't like religion.

[RandomAccess]

11. There's a huge difference between saying, "I don't like religion, or this or that religion"

and "Your personal beliefs stink."

One is respectful; the other is not. That's NOT an issue of privilege.

[trotsky]

13. "Your personal beliefs stink."

Can you link to the post where someone said those exact words, please?

[RandomAccess]

17. Oh, you're the only one who has permission

to characterize and paraphrase?? https://www.democraticunderground.com/1218286072#post3

[trotsky]

18. You used quotation marks.

That indicates a direct quote. What I put in quotation marks has appeared in a number of articles - here's one: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-boeskool/when-youre-accustomed-to-privilege_b_9460662.html

So again I ask, who said "Your personal beliefs stink."??

Please link to the post. Thanks.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

16. Do you lecture people in GD who say that about the beliefs of Republicans?

Or is it just liberal religious beliefs that get that protection?

[RandomAccess]

19. I don't LECTURE anyone.

If political beliefs were religious beliefs, I probably would take exception, but they're not. However, were the political beliefs of most Republicans not so extreme as to imperil the republic, I probably would.

[trotsky]

22. Why should religious beliefs enjoy the privilege of protection from dissent? n/t

[Voltaire2]

33. Actually that's correct. You lectured everyone.

Ya'll out to change the name of this group
to the Religion Bashing group

Although I suspect you really didn’t mean *everyone*.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

37. You might want to reflect on what you wrote, because

you very clearly did lecture the people responding to this post. Hence the reaction you got.

And many conservative Republicans use religion as the basis for a lot of their social positions. So hop on over to GD and demand that people respect the religious beliefs of Republicans that want to stop abortion, limit women's rights, stop rights for gays, and a lot of other positions. It would be awesome if you would give me the link so that I know you are consistent in protecting religion.

[Fix The Stupid]

38. Can't rec this post enough.

Why, why, why, why, do we never get an answer to this query from the strident believers here????

Now is the chance - let's hear it.

[trotsky]

39. It's because, as we know, when someone says "you need to respect religious beliefs"...

what they really mean is, "You have to respect MY religious beliefs."

[Mariana]

42. Funny how lectures like this don't appear

when some believer is asserting that, say, there are no Greek gods, and that no one believes they are real - although, clearly, many people did believe in them and some still worship them today. I guess it's acceptable when it's a religious person who trashes another religious person's sincerely held beliefs.

[Major Nikon]

30. Some people use religion as justification for intolerance

I'm not afraid to say those beliefs stink. YMMV.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

4. There are more than a handful of protected religious groups.

If you can't handle people saying things that aren't glowing and rosy about religion, perhaps check out one of those where the nasty atheists won't bother you.

[Mariana]

7. It's never enough.

The existence of even one group like this one, in which people may point out inconvenient facts, ask awkward questions, and express criticism, is just too much for some people to handle.

[tkmorris]

5. We discuss religion here

Not everyone's view of it is positive. That OK with you?

[Mariana]

6. That wouldn't be accurate at all.

There are several regular participants in this group who are religious and who frequently sing the praises of one religion or another, or of all of them. It's a shame you've decided to ignore their contributions here.

[RandomAccess]

8. I'd ignore EVERYONE's "contributions" here and will certainly

do better at checking the Greatest Page listing for the originating forum here on out.

I have no problem with atheists -- except when they're busy bashing religious people. And I'm not even religious! I feel equally disdainful of religious people bashing atheists and agnostics. And don't even get me started on Evangelical Christians ...

I just think it's an issue of basic respect. But if people here don't mind the disrespect, who am I to mind? I just don't want to be subjected to it. Which reminds me: Didn't I hear there's some way to trash an entire forum? I'll have to explore that.

Oh, and it's a shame you decided to lecture me.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

10. "Oh, and it's a shame you decided to lecture me."

But your lecturing of everyone else was just fine? Interesting viewpoint.

[Mariana]

12. Oh, that's completely different, somehow.

I can't help but be impressed. Few people will so boldly display such a high level of hypocrisy.

[trotsky]

14. Here is the link to trash this forum:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=myaccount&sub=trash&trashforum=1218

Thanks for lecturing everyone.

[RandomAccess]

20. I got it, I trashed it, and it's not working.

But I know what will. Whole fuckin' BUNCH of people getting that special treatment.

[trotsky]

21. Yay! Congrats on figuring out how to use the tools DU provides to customize your experience.

Bye!

[Iggo]

23. Ridiculing the ridiculous is not bashing.

[Iggo]

34. I have no problem with atheists, except when I do.

Thanks for that.

[guillaumeb]

9. You noticed?

We are supposed to ignore that.

[trotsky]

15. You respect atheism so little you'll define it for atheists.

So I question your perspective here.

[guillaumeb]

24. We can certainly see the 11th Commandment at play in this thread.

More proof, if it were needed.

[trotsky]

36. I'm criticizing you for defining atheism for atheists.

You're wielding your 11th as a weapon to silence dissent. You are revealing exactly why you made it up.

[guillaumeb]

40. A weapon to silence dissent.

Another misstatement.

[trotsky]

41. Then tell me how I'm wrong.

You won't, which means I'm right.

[Voltaire2]

25. I've heard it said that some people think that

only protheism posts are acceptable. Why is that? Why is religion considered to be protected from criticism?

[Mariana]

29. Especially where there are so many groups set aside

especially for those people who are intolerant of differing opinions about religion.

[HopeAgain]

27. Been done already for all intents and purposes

I see something here on this forum and I can safely assume that's where it is going regardless of the OP. And if you reply to them, they then believe it is their right to try and make you defend everything about religion no matter what your post says. I am not religious either, but appreciate the lesson I got here that not only right wingers have prejudices and bias.

[RandomAccess]

31. Yes, this was quite instructive

Several people showed some rather unflattering aspects of themselves, which helped me realize I don't want to engage with them further, in this forum or elsewhere, and their "debating" style, which you note, is certainly part of that.

Thanks for your comment.

[Voltaire2]

32. Yeah like wtf is up with discussion here?

Can’t we just praise each other’s posts and congratulate everyone for pushing the post button?

[Major Nikon]

35. Nobody is making you do anything

It's ridiculous to assert otherwise. It's also ridiculous to assume this entire site isn't biased. That's kind of the whole point what's well covered in the mission statement.

Meanwhile if you'd bothered to actually test the waters of this group before you started your own prejudicial statement, you might know who the actual disruptors in this group are, many of which have been booted off of DU only to resurrect themselves as another sock puppet. One of the repeat offenders just got the boot again today and there's an excellent chance one or more others are still around.

[trotsky]

43. Who got booted today? n/t

[Major Nikon]

44. ...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=348003

[trotsky]

45. Oh, rug.

Thought there was another one!

[TlalocW]

28. "I have an uncle who claims he saw Sasquatch! We neither believe nor respect him!" - Patton Oswalt

&t=108s

TlalocW