Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Philosophy/religion

Join our Philosophy forum to discuss religion and spirituality.

What does "respecting other people's beliefs" actually mean?

307 replies

Hakluyt · 10/06/2014 08:42

I am often told I should - and I have been told that I haven't. But I genuinely don't know what it means.

I am a great believer in good manners, and I would always be polite if I was attending some sort of faith based event. I never go on prayer threads. I do try never to be rude. But the threshold for "disrespect" seems extraordinarily low- sometimes mere disagreement seems unacceptable.

Also, what constitutes a "belief"? The major world religions- OK- I get that. But do I also have to respect "new" religions made up in the 1970s/80s? Kabbalah? Is homeopathy a belief? If I say, for example "homeopathy is discredited bollocks and this is why" is that a public service or disrespecting someone's beliefs? Is astrology a "belief"?

Atheism isn't a belief system, obviously, but am I entitled to be offended and report the post if someone says that atheists lead empty lives devoid of joy? Or if someone says that science is evil and devoted to hiding the evidence for the paranormal/ the cure for cancer/whatever for it's own selfish ends?

OP posts:
GotAnotherQuestion · 13/06/2014 14:37

Hak - tyre's ancient history won't have changed between 1913 and 2013! No need to exclude it on that basis!

Hakluyt · 13/06/2014 14:39

.... And the third one doesn't mention biblical prophesy at all.

OP posts:
Hakluyt · 13/06/2014 14:39

It is quite unusual to use 100 yeqr old evidence to back up any sort of academic discussion.

OP posts:
Maryz · 13/06/2014 14:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BackOnlyBriefly · 13/06/2014 14:44

I get what you're saying.

No, I don't think you do.

I'm pointing out that your bible says Jesus made it seem like a prophecy had come true by deliberately acting it out.

It undermines his own claim to be god (or even honest) and demonstrates that some (not all) prophecy's can be made to appear to come true when it's just someone acting it out deliberately with nothing miraculous about it.

DaVinciNight · 13/06/2014 18:47

I have to say, I love a discussion about beliefs, with people who only want to follow what 'real' science is saying but are very happy to link to blogs and different sites of the web. Knowing that a lot if the websites aren't reliable sources.

Hakluyt · 14/06/2014 09:14

daVinciNight- I don't understand your last post.......

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page