Whilst exuberantly propounding my atheist position and my extreme frustration with how easily otherwise intelligent people accept faith as a substitute for knowledge, one of my close friends asked me "Do you respect my beliefs?". I said no, as he is Irish catholic and I cannot respect the theological framework associated with that or any other christian sect. He was perhaps insulted, taken aback; but what does it mean to respect someone's beliefs? I certainly respect him as a person, and I hold him in high regard. Does that mean I have to respect his beliefs? Should I respect the beliefs of jihadists? Can you justify "respecting" one set of illogical beliefs over another?
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I respect a person’s right to hold beliefs. However, there are a ton of beliefs that absolutely should NOT be respected.
People can believe whatever they wish, and they have that right. And I have the right to ridicule their beliefs as much as I want. But I respect their right to hold them. I just don't respect beliefs. Ideas and beliefs deserve no respect, and neither do people, in my opinion. Respect is earned, and most people don't earn it. But was does deserve respect is the law in place that allows people to believe in bullshit, and I will give it the respect it deserves.
This is a very important question. How do you respect someone and not respect their beliefs?
First point: in this context, beliefs, views and opinions are interchangeable terms, or should be. However, some people think that while you might not respect an opinion, a belief should be respected. This is linked to the notions that (1) some beliefs are sacred, unlike opinions and (2) beliefs are sometimes a private matter (unlike opinions which, by definition are expressed).
I am from a generation that remembers the PIE...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paedophile_Information_Exchange
The group's stated aim was "to alleviate [the] suffering of many adults and children" by campaigning to abolish the age of consent thus legalising sex between adults and children. Unquote.
Religionist is one example. Another example is: can you respect a paedophile? How about a rapist?
The right to hold extreme or harmful views can be respected. The boundaries (lawful, moral or agreed upon) within which they are free to express and act on those views may be respected. The fact that they hold those views honestly and any efforts they make to stay within the law can be respected. Their right to be seen and addressed as a human and not some monster can be respected. In fact, there is much about a person and their humanity that can be fully respected whilst opinions, views and beliefs are concurrently regarded with contempt or disgust.
It is a matter of looking at the big picture and observing that all beliefs must be open to challenge. None are sacred, whether someone views a belief as sacred and inviolable or not.
[Edit added] It should also be respected that a someone who is superstitious, a paedophile or a rapist may honestly be unable to change their motivation. A rapist may be sexually driven to rape. Similarly a paedophile to molest a child. And a religionist may not be able to 'stop believing' any more than a non-believer can just decide to believe.
All these considerations must be thought through.
If a person holds a belief, opinion or idea that I hold to be abhorrent, then I need not respect that person. Of course, IMO, I need to check my reasoning and motives for deciding that the beliefs are abhorrent. An unrepentant, recalcitrant mass murderer does not deserve my respect, even though it may be their opinion that they are doing nothing wrong, or are evening up the score on some wrong done to them. Two wrongs don't make a right.
A rider to that is that I acknowledge that people come to be the way they are as a consequence of their biology, psychology and all of their experiences. It may be that the person cannot help being the away that they are. No matter how it got to be that way, something foul is something foul, and I cannot give it respect.
So the unrepentant, recalcitrant mass murderer needs to be caught, kept away from potential victims, and treated in some way. By treated, I mean either punished, or rehabilitated. If rehabilitation is impossible, or the perpetrator is recalcitrant, then they remain as something foul; unworthy of respect, and of continued efforts at punishment, or rehabilitation. The punishment may simply be incarceration; loss of liberty. In that case, there is the risk of escape and further offending.
After rehabilitation, there is the question of parole, and how we can be sure that the rehabilitation has been successful.
Something which I think I ought to respect is a person's humanity. So even the mass murderer should be house in humane conditions. After all, inhumane conditions are likely to be counter-productive to rehabilitation or change.
Cheers, Mu.
Opinions are a right that doesn't make them right. You can respect some's right to have an opinion, you don't have to respect the opinion they have.
That's the religious and theistic people's big weapon to protect their Stupid beliefs they don't like when someone shows them their beliefs are pathetic. If I don't like someone's beliefs I don't respect them and I don't mind if they do same with me.
its ok, let them be, if it warn't for them we cannot be called atheist...
i understand their belief...if they don't they'll be shunned..
no one wants to be shunned right???good thing for me, i grew up with some very open minded family..
they never care less of what and how i think....
i ask a priest about what i think of religion. and even the priest agreed on what i pointed out...
he said "you gave me a good stuff to think about" ...i just grinned politely...
Absolutely not! Idiot beliefs should be uprooted and exposed for what they are. You are 100% correct in asserting that the person can be respected.
I work in a university and some of my co-teachers happen to be Christian. Religion does come up now and again. No one has ever been able to escape basic logic in a discussion of religion or of God or gods.
Not one of them!
Many are very good teachers and respected colleges. They just believe in magic.
1. I respect you.
2. I respect your right to your belief/opinion and to express it.
3. Asking me to respect your belief is like asking me to respect your shoe.
I skipped reading the other posts to give my answer.
I respect every person's RIGHT to have whatsoever beliefs they wish to have.
I do NOT have to respect those beliefs.
Part of My Philosophy of Life states:
Respect the right of all persons to have whatsoever beliefs they wish to have, even if contradictory to my beliefs. We can discuss beliefs, but to force one's beliefs onto another is condemnable.
In other words, as I said above.
rmfr
I think everyone is confusing "being polite about" with "respect".
I do not 'respect' any theist. They are basing their life on man made nonsense. I can't respect that.
I can be polite and murmur 'namaste" "shalom", "alaikum salaam", "anjali mudra", but that is not respect. That is acknowledging and being polite to another human who has no malice toward me. It is the oil of social contact.
Should those same people, with whom I have exchanged greetings, then start to insist I join the worship of their god(s) then my politeness will soon depart.
I think you were right in being honest with your friend about not respecting his Catholicism. It is an increasingly complicated thing, being honest, in our society. No idea is above criticism or even ridicule. People may not like it, feelings may get hurt, but sometimes you need to get punched in the mouth to realize that you're not made of glass and that life, indeed, does go on.
How a person responds to your honesty is not really your problem. It is my opinion that a true friend would come to appreciate the candor. Now that's not to say that you need to be a dick about it. There is a useful tool called tact and it's a skill honed over the years. Like a muscle, it won't grow unless you use it. I find that a combination of frankness and tact leads to stronger relationships and more interesting conversations.
Sometimes, though, it is perfectly okay to be a dick. Learning when to be one also comes with time and... practice.
" I respect all beliefs." The last whimpering cry of a Christian, as he falls to his knees in defeat.
Cognostic,
" I respect all beliefs." The last whimpering cry of a Christian, as he falls to his knees in defeat."
The Bible plainly says that a believer should never compromise so why do they?
I don't want to attack or defeat anyone but I think exchange of ideas always helps and is interesting.
This topic is about what is appropriate respect for someone with whom there is profound disagreement. What is respect and what is only politeness? What are people really thinking of a person's views and how closely do they identify the person with their beliefs and opinions? Can we find a person's views harmful and still respect their humanity?
I think it is about how closely one should associate a person's opinions with their person. It raises the issue of whether we are our opinions and how much we matter whatever our opinions.
Stupid ideas deserve no respect what so ever. Stupid people need to be tolerated in social environments for the simple reason of avoiding conflict. When a stupid person crosses the line and insists on conflict, grant them their wish.
I think its important to acknowledge the difference between AGREEING with a belief and RESPECTING a belief. For example, I respect your ability to believe, however I do not agree with it.
I actually had this come up in a work situation, years ago. I used to support a lady with an intellectual disability to attend Catholic mass every Sunday. My colleagues knew I was an atheist and one asked what I did while I was sitting in church. I told him I took a book and caught up on some reading. Another colleague overheard me and said " You shouldn't do that, you have to respect her beliefs". It troubled me, so I took it to the boss who said no, I didn't have to respect her beliefs, I just had to support the lady to practise them- not the same thing at all: read away. The boss did laugh when she learned I read Dawkin's The God Delusion sitting in Catholic mass.
it seems like you got a lot of catching up to do with the threads sushi...hahah
good to see you around again bruh...i see you gone frustrated by the newbie(brad) sush..hahah
Thanks Quasi, and yeah- the idea that we choose our beliefs is one of my button pushers. The believers I'm close to believe in a gentle, moderate faith- no biblical literacy, no hellfire and damnation, no dispute with the theory of evolution or the science on animal morality and social reciprocity, no hatred of other faiths or different gender preferences or identifications - their faith is inclusive, a belief in eternal benevolence and life for all. I really wish they were right, but I don’t believe they are.