Its perfectly acceptable to be rude to religous people...

[startrek90]

Definately going to get flamed here but oh well.

I get the feeling that this is perfectly acceptable to be rude about religous people. From reading the threads on this forum, and my experiences in RL, the amount of rudeness and sometimes plain nastiness is awful.

I am religous. I don't care if people are not, if they go to church or how they live their own lives or raise their children. As far as I am concerned as long as you obey the law, do what you want.

So far I have seen people imply that all religous people are closing their childrens mind, are ignorant, bigots.... its horrible!

I don't deny that there are people who are that way and use religion as an excuse.... but quite frankly you can be ignorant and rude without religion.

I am being unreasonable to be offended, but it really bothers me that its culturally acceptable to be rude to and about people of faith. You wouldn't do it to someone from a different culture or race would you? I have never bothered anyone with my faith so please stop taking it as an insult!

(Just venting, been lambasted in RL for daring to buy my son a Noahs ark toy. I thought it was cute with all the animals etc... but apparently I am raising him to be ignorant, bigoted and stupid. He will hate gay people and women and generally be a horrible person.....apparently grrr )

I don't think it's acceptable at all. I am agnostic myself, but I have good friends with different religions and I wouldn't dream of criticising. Each to their own, as long as no one hurts anyone, I say.

I'm sorry you feel like you are victimised. A Noah's ark is a lovely toy, I don't care what religion you are/aren't.

I don't understand why you would start this thread op, and especially in IABU. What outcome are you hoping for?

No it's not acceptable to be rude but it is acceptable to close the door if they call at your house (or don't answer)

I remember one patient who used to say "What did you do yesterday" (Sunday) and then berate me for 20+ minutes that I didn't go to church. (None of her business what I did on a Sunday and after several weeks of this, I said "What I do is up to me"

I am a captive audience at work and have to listem (while trying to veer off topic) though I am interested in other peoples religions I don't want to be told how bad I am for not believing what they do.
I'm a vegetarian. I don't berate everyone who isn't.

Ignore the people who say things, you probably won't change them.

Noahs Ark sounds lovely BTW

Well, religions have done an awful lot of damage and people have strong feelings about them.
In my experience religious people can be quick to take offense and complain about rudeness, while being completely unable to see when they give offense and are rude.

That said, unwarranted rudeness is always to be frowned upon, if only out of politeness.

To be honest OP religion has all but ruined my country, Ireland so I feel pretty free to criticise it. My sister feels like you. Meh.

Do you really think that people wouldn’t be rude about other cultures and races? Of course they would. A bigot is a bigot.

Just because it happens doesn’t make it acceptable. I am firmly atheist but don’t find it acceptable to insult or ridicule others for their faith.

Its not acceptable to be rude to anyone because of their beliefs,cultural or religious imo.
It is acceptable to question and debate some of them,especially where they are at odds with beliefs of your own that you hold strongly.

Well it occasionally seems to be acceptable on MN!

I've actually only met a few people like this in RL and even then, not face to face, mostly through passive aggressive comments on Facebook.

Annoyingly there is a brand of evangelical atheism which seems to go hand in hand with a nasty pseudo-intellectualism.

In some cases the thinking seems to be, if you believe in God you must be stupid, I don't believe in God, therefore I'm brighter than you.

Some of the comments to this effect are hysterical.

In reality most people are pretty live and let live and we are extremely lucky in this country to have religious freedoms denied to others all over the world.

YANBU. I am an atheist, but I am very respectful to people that believe and do not let their faith go against the laws and mores of their country, or against human rights. Rabid atheists are like rabid vegetarians of vegans: pointless assholes that give the others a bad name.

Re- the horrible things religions have done: the past century has shown that you do not need religion to perpetuate genocides, war crimes and oppression, so I would use this argument carefully.

I'm a satanist (NOT a devil worshipper) and find it so much easier to just say im agnostic as opposed to admitting the truth.
solely because people always have something to say about it and most of the time its negative, CBA with it. its ridiculous, to each their own

The people who have been rudest to me about my religion have been other religious people.

He will hate gay people and women and generally be a horrible person

Someone actually said this to you?

If so then yes they were very rude, but I'm guessing someone like that would be rude to anyone for a variety of reasons...not just religious.

Strange thread title though. Quite inflammatory.

I think in the online world you either get a much wider range of views or people who are much more insistent that their view is the right one, or brave enough to stick with them behind a screen. I rarely come across it in RL to the extent it is seen here and other places.

Some people are certainly rude about people's faith though. Not questioning the faith but questioning the intellect of why someone would have faith which is what I find offensive.

Personally as long as they aren't forcing it down my neck I couldn't care what someone's faith is (unless they are someone who uses faith as an excuse to harm others of course)

Evangelical atheism is not possible. Evangelical means of or according to the teaching of the gospel or the Christian religion. If you are going to be rude about atheists a little accuracy is required.

There is nothing wrong with criticising anothers religion or beliefs, they are not protected or sacred. Religious people often criticise a lack of belief and they don't see themselves as rude.

I actually think people's reaction towards religion is a direct result of their experiences at the hands of religion/religious people. Whether it's memories of abusive priests in their childhood, public harssment from prosthelytising preachers (and anti-abortion protesters), or just judgmental lectures and disapproving looks from the 'faithful'. A lifetime of such experiences is enough to turn most of us against the idea of organised religion.

I do think there's a difference between being rude to someone and being rude about religion though. You may well choose to ridicule my socialism; that's fine by me. How else do ideas and ideologies evolve without challenge and satire? If you're rude to me personally, well that's just mean, yes.

Comparing your faith to race is utterly suprious. People literally do not choose or control the race their born into. The same cannot be said about religion (although some may choose to disagree on this point).

yanbu

Many religious people interpret any criticism or debate or questioning of their faith as rude or "persecution"

Religions, like any other belief system - are not entitled to a free pass on criticism.

What were the actual comments on the Noah's Ark? Because I am one of those angry secular skeptical atheists and my DC have one.

I am not rude to people who are religious, I am rude to people who tell me continually that I am wrong.

To have an intellectual argument about the possible existence of God - or not - is great, to be told that "because God made it possible" to EVERY argument is bloody wearing and I may be rude

No I think you are right, maybe some people just haven't been exposed to this attitude and don't realise.

I am an atheist, and I have heard other atheists being very rude about religious people assuming they are all idiots. It's almost always less intelligent atheists of the ones I know that I hear saying such things, ironically.

Isn't that the truth madreloco? I totally agree.
Organised religion is the most evil corrupt force on the planet. Things that have been done and continue to be done in the name of religion can never be made right.
I wouldn't be rude because I'm a polite person but honestly when I find out someone is religious they go way down in my estimation.

I have no problem with people being rude about 'religion' or specific churches/faiths including my own.

If it didn't stand up to criticism the way I practise it then it would be a shit religion.

Criticising me personally and making out I'm a bit thick isn't on really and says more about you than me.

Anyone who doesn't criticise the systemic abuse in the Catholic Church, the crazy right wingers of Westboro baptist and the very small number of violent jihadists is an idiot in my opinion.

But I would say those people have nothing to do with faith or belief and have everything to do with abuse of power, dreadful cultural practises and severe personality disorders.

In answer to your question , no its not acceptable to be rude , to anyone.

You can't change your culture or race and that's why it's never acceptable to be rude to someone because of theirs. However... Religion is a choice and if someone vehemently disagrees with that choice then they can IMHO be as rude and offensive as they like.
Disclaimer: I personally would never be rude to someone about their religion, but then I am very polite and hate confrontation

We are NOT lucky to live in a country governed by the head of the church with guaranteed seats in government for religious leaders and special privileges and protections for faith.