Respecting Religion

spoondragon · 2 months

Let me just use a scribbley narrow font on this speckly background for maximum readability

GpGuy · 2 months

You realize that your poster's logic can be used to imply that verbal bullying of atheists and gays is okay, right?

just saying.

jdr4760 · 2 months

Telling someone their belief is bullshit isn't the best tactic IMO. Sweet picture though.

DesertTortoiseSex · 2 months

I think some of us tend to forget that just because it's okay to disrespect someone's beliefs doesn't mean it is okay to disrespect that person.

big_bad_brownie · 2 months

If your friend just got out of alcoholics anonymous and changed their life for the better, through a largely christian organization, you would have the "right" to tell them that Christianity is bullshit, but you would be an awful person for doing so.

That's why people tip toe around religion. Not because we might piss off some fundies, but because we don't want to insult and attack all the normal people in the world who need to believe in God to change their lives for the better or find comfort following their losses.

You guys aren't offering an alternative system. Science is not a support group or a life philosophy and r/ atheism is a message board where people post inflammatory memes. Neither are going to be of very much help to an addict or an orphan or a terminal cancer patient.

thiswhovian · 2 months

I agree with you quote, but I don't feel it is right to tell others that what they believe is bullshit. Sure it is within our rights, but just because we can do it does not mean we have to do it.

Lies_about_biscuits · 2 months

This made me believe that this was an interview with a galaxy and that was talking about religion...

boatplane · 2 months

Shhhhhh! Someone may get offended.

aDarkerKnight · 2 months

Thanks for sharing this .. This is exactly what I do when I'm accused of 'intolerance'

heidihannah · 2 months

You do not have to respect people's religion. It is the polite and friendly way of life. You do not have to be a decent human being.

I do not have to refrain from telling you that you are an ass

I do like the picture though. Also, why does it seem that atheist means a rejection of believers as well as the belief itself?

BristolBudgie · 2 months

Isn't this poster one big contradiction....to a lot of things? :s

Thelastunicorn1 · 2 months

I hate to be the one that says it, but really? Are we trying to show people the truth, or are we just having fun being dicks and feeling superior? Honestly? Please? For the love of all that is good and decent, what is it? I'm not religious, and I'm not atheist, but I've dealt with radicals on both sides and they are pretty much the same.

LuckyCharms307 · 2 months

Andromeda <3

fuckbeingorginal · 2 months

I posted this before, but it's even more relevant here.

I have noticed an underlying problem with the atheist movement in reddit stemming from orgins I'm not quite in touch with, but the problem is nevertheless evident. Many Atheists do not seem to understand what it means to be a theist, agnostic, anything but Atheist. Borderline presumtious, obvious, and slightly ironic statement.

I can't relate to someone being kicked out of their house for being Atheist...the bible belt, the GOP's sociatal policies, and just hatred in general mystifies and frightens me. Their ideas for conducting one's life and the vision that goes with it seem just flat out wrong in my eyes.

I cant imagine being surrounded with and having to intimately interact with people of such nature. But it's these very people as to why I think that Atheists coming to reddit as a safehaven would naturaly lean towards disrespecting any espoused theist knowledge/mindset.

I grew up outside philadelphia, went to a very libral and highly-regarded private episcopalian school that had its share of athiests, christians, jews, muslims, and lbgt;and, with class sizes of no more than 110 you interacted with someone along those lines everyday. And I met some really fucking smart people. And some really fucking awesome, brilliant teachers/professors. And a lot of them called themselves religious.

I think it's important that the Athiest community respect religious philosophy. And that mean's knowing more than which retarded verses in the bible to quote to some narrow-minded fundamental christian.

I recomend looking into Origen/Clement who wrote durring the first through third centuries, the birth of christianity, and who are credited with combating the christian Gnostic movement by connecting and syncing Neo-Platonic thought and Christianity; and other inconsistencies throughout the bible -including many other beautiful philosophies of love, reasoning, and practice.

Ghandi's autobiography is a must read.

Being Agnostic is NOT the same thing as being Athiest. Far from it. Maybe a religious philosophy p.h.d could do an AmA about it.

I have recently done some digging into the Tao, excited to go deeper into that stuff.

And I'll end the rant with my theist outake. I believe Love, Energy, and God are all the same thing. I believe a thought is the most powerful thing, force, known to mankind. It can create a nuclear bomb, start a war, or feed billions and send us into space. I believe Good and Evil are very real foces in the world, there are good actions and bad actions -a good action, giving someone shelter, or a bad action, rape, forever alters a life and makes the abstracts Good and Bad very real forces.

Ghandi believes in searching for truth. I believe in searching for the truth of Eros, Philos, and Agape.

Search for the truth. Read, read, and read some more. And when you're not doing that, just be a good person; it's nice to be nice.

jbenedict17 · 2 months

Why such strong language? Just say "Im not religious" Its not that hard to be nice

deadsy18 · 2 months

I'm sure this is what the Phelps would say to you, you sound as idiotic as they do.

Normal-redditor · 2 months

lol there is no god PICTURE OF SPACE lol

hatebiscuit · 2 months

I reserve the right to tell my friends that their apartment is horribly decorated, the right to tell my aunt that she is a terrible cook, and the right to tell my dad that he's overweight. Let's just use our rights for the sake of using our rights, this world could use more jerks.

wm3166 · 2 months

[deleted]

Puck-Wild · 2 months

I'm a theist, and I agree. This is true tolerance--the old tolerance. The "new" tolerance that says "you must ascribe the same truth value to all viewpoints, and you better not criticize them" is a good recipe for the closing of the mind. Thanks for the post.

peoplemakereligions · 2 months

I feel like religious people push too many people to be religious, and atheists push too many people to be an atheist. live and let live. but i do like the picture. I think people believe to strongly with religions. at the very least it great for morals. your idea of people that are religious is not entirely true

sli8 · 2 months

This sounds almost exactly like a Patton Oswalt joke/quote.

Mrdudemanguy · 2 months

Relevant Stand-up Comedy!

amon41amarth · 2 months

We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.

-H.L. Mencken

picado · 2 months

"We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart." -- H. L. Mencken

gbot26 · 2 months

In response to this photo - Carl Sagan put into words how I feel far better than I could have!

"The chief deficiency I see in the skeptical movement is its polarization: Us vs. Them — the sense that we have a monopoly on the truth; that those other people who believe in all these stupid doctrines are morons; that if you're sensible, you'll listen to us; and if not, to hell with you. This is nonconstructive. It does not get our message across. It condemns us to permanent minority status.”

Basically - yes - you have every right to do this, however if your goal is for secular country/world, then it's probably not the best method to get there.

ParagonIHX · 2 months

Oops, never mind, thought this was a .gif I saw.

dbbo · 2 months

At first I thought this was full of comma splices, but then I realized it's just set in a terrible typeface.

Cyralea · 2 months

Absolutely. In academia, poor ideas are torn apart with no regards to the feelings of the presenter. What this leads to is good science. We should be openly critical of all bad ideas, to shame them into obscurity.

If I can paraphrase Sam Harris, consider how many people still openly proclaim that Elvis is still alive. Anyone who does so immediately pays a price.

ninjamuffin · 2 months

Its not illegal to be a douche, it's just frowned upon. Like masturbating on an airplane

MrMadcap · 2 months

The practice of religious tolerance / respect only exists to avoid mutually assured destruction.

Cilph · 2 months

Can we please stop taking unrelated pictures and slapping on a quote using a bad and hardly legible font?

Discord_agent · 2 months

Then call it a skeptics' society, or ____ Skeptics in the pub.

Ninjasantaclause · 2 months

I feel so sorry for athiests that are picked on in their day to day lives

Guitarsession100 · 2 months

Good job for not giving credit to Patton Oswalt who said this.

wez_511 · 2 months

believe what you like, but being a dick is always uncalled for.

Pancho15 · 2 months

This is were have an issue. You should also respect their beliefs if you want them to respect your own. Have a meaningful and productive debate but don't banter them with how you think their beliefs are stupid. Especially because there are people that need to believe in God, in miracles, and in heaven to get through the day (everyone is different) It all breaks down to the Golden Rule. Would you want someone coming to you and telling you your beliefs were stupid? Being an atheist does not make you a better person. Being respectful and understanding does.

toadguyx · 2 months

I like the Andromeda galaxy. I also kind of like your quote. ^upvote for you.

Anticipator1234 · 2 months

I respect that your are allowed to believe in bullshit, respect my my right to tell you it is. It's call the First Amendment Americans, live it, or STFU.

bradlums · 2 months

[deleted]

Sqeaky · 2 months

I agree wholeheartedly. Reserve the right to say 'Bullshit' but use it judiciously, doing this directs many of their negative emotions at you.

I think laughing right in their face, the first time they to explain the virgin mary, jesus's resurrection, or faith in general is better though. It generates more negative emotions like humiliation/doubt and less negative emotions are directly aimed at you. Of course you should politely apologize and try to play it off as their joking or something.

If they really believe in bullshit you are not going to convince them with words, logic and easily dismissible arguments (all arguments are easily dismissible). These people act on emotion before logic, so speak with emotion.

jturgeon228 · 2 months

So... Do atheists just come on reddit to circle jerk each other, or does it just turn out that way?

BabyGazelle · 2 months

Yeah, but following this logic, religious folks can debase your argument on the grounds that it's bullshit.

Atheris · 2 months

Yes.

fallens · 2 months

Wow, that picture of M31 really added to the words!!!


New posts:	New	Rising
Self posts:	New	Relevant
Non-image posts:	New	Relevant


GodlessWomen	YoungAtheists	AtheistParents
BlackAtheism	AtheistGems	DebateAnAtheist
skeptic	agnostic	freethought
antitheism	humanism	Hitchens
a6theism10	tfbd	AdviceAtheists

Events
10/5-6	NAPCON2012 - Boston
08/11	Regional Conference - St. Paul MN

Ex* Groups
ex-Muslim	ex-Catholic	ex-Mormon
ex-JW	ex-Jew	ex-SistersinZion
ex-Bahai	ex-Christian	ex-Adventist

atheism

Help Atheist Organizations!

MODERATORS

atheism

Help Atheist Organizations!

MODERATORS

you'll need to login or register to do that

create a new account

login