• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Do people often turn discussions that you’re in into debates about your religion?

Jim

Nets of Wonder
Do people often turn discussions that you’re in into debates about your religion, no matter what topic you’re discussing? I see that happening to Baha’is a lot, and I’m wondering if it happens to other people too.
 

Jim

Nets of Wonder
No.

In my experience, this happens more with religions whose adherents tell others what they should believe or do, or religions whose views stand in opposition to or conflict with science.
I was thinking the same thing, only not exactly in the same words. :smiley:
 

Jim

Nets of Wonder
No.

In my experience, this happens more with religions whose adherents tell others what they should believe or do, or religions whose views stand in opposition to or conflict with science.
Do you think that makes it okay to drag discussions off topic, to retaliate against those people for doing that, or try to discredit them, or whatever the reason might be?
 
Last edited:

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
Do you think that makes it okay to drag discussions off topic, to retaliate against those people for doing that?

I think "retaliate" is a bit strong, but if someone tells me what to believe or do in the name of their religion, I will most certainly point out their error.

OTOH, if their view conflicts with science, so long as it doesn't affect me or others, I will let them believe what they will. I have yet to see someone say when their view is challenged, "Hey, you're right! That does make more sense!"
 

Jim

Nets of Wonder
The way I would say is that it happens more with religions that are safe targets for abusive behavior.
 

Jim

Nets of Wonder
I think "retaliate" is a bit strong, but if someone tells me what to believe or do in the name of their religion, I will most certainly point out their error.

OTOH, if their view conflicts with science, so long as it doesn't affect me or others, I will let them believe what they will. I have yet to see someone say when their view is challenged, "Hey, you're right! That does make more sense!"
That doesn’t answer my question. Do you think it’s okay to drag discussions off topic, to criticize a person’s religion in every thread where they post, regardless of the topic?
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
That doesn’t answer my question. Do you think it’s okay to drag discussions off topic, to criticize a person’s religion in every thread where they post, regardless of the topic?

No. Nor do I think that is happening anywhere on the forum.
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
How is that relevant to the question of whether it’s okay to call attention to their religion and criticize it in every discussion where they are posting, regardless of the topic?

I answered your question. I have not seen this to be the case, and if it is, then shame on you for creating a thread to whine about it instead of reporting it.

You clearly created this thread to promote your agenda, propagandize, and ignore relevant questions.

I'm out.

Good talk.
 

Jim

Nets of Wonder
To most people it would be outrageous for someone to continually call attention to another person’s race and make defamatory remarks about it, in discussions where their race is not the topic. Yet that happens routinely with some groups and categories defined by beliefs, without anyone even noticing. Some examples are “Abrahamics,” “fundies,” and “creationists.”
 

Jim

Nets of Wonder
I answered your question. I have not seen this to be the case, and if it is, then shame on you for creating a thread to whine about it instead of reporting it.
Then you think that would be a reportable offense. That answers my question. Thank you. From now on I will report it when I see it.
 

Jim

Nets of Wonder
My topic in this thread is people continually calling attention to a person’s belief category and making defamatory remarks about it, in threads where that is not the topic of discussion. I’m wondering if other people have seen that happening. For example, I’ve seen it happening to people that are sometimes called “Abrahamics,” “fundies” or “creationists.” I think it’s because that kind of bigotry has not been recognized as bigotry in popular thinking.
 

whirlingmerc

Well-Known Member
My topic in this thread is people continually calling attention to a person’s belief category and making defamatory remarks about it, in threads where that is not the topic of discussion. I’m wondering if other people have seen that happening. For example, I’ve seen it happening to people that are sometimes called “Abrahamics,” “fundies” or “creationists.” I think it’s because that kind of bigotry has not been recognized as bigotry in popular thinking.

Of course scientism is a religion. That is when the a priori assumptions taken before looking at the data not inherent to the scientific method but inherent to humanism are taken by faith. In that case it probably has more to do with atheists and scientism adherents don't realize they are 'waking by faith'

As far as putting down other views? Often it happens. Shallowness of the internet? Demonizing other views? Respect does not require agreement.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
Some folks come here to "fight" with religion. And they also very often confuse and conflate religion with theism. These are not the same things, but the folks I'm referring to are not aware of nor interested in becoming aware of the difference. I am a theist, but I am not religious. And this therefor tends to confuse them, or more likely just does not register with them in their heated quest to fight with what they think is religion. These folks tend to turn every discussion into a fight with religion because that's what they came here to do. And they try to fight with me about what they think are religious concepts because they think that I, as a theist, must defend religion. But my defense is of religion as a tool that people can use or not use as they see fit, rather than an ideology, because I am not religious, myself. I don't practice or espouse any organized religious ideologies. And as a result, the conversations usually go nowhere. Because they aren't interested in discussing theism. That's not why they've come here.
 
Last edited:

Jim

Nets of Wonder
Sometimes people who pride themselves on their progressiveness and tolerance will deny or excuse any amount of hatefulness towards people they call “fundies” or “creationists.”
 

HonestJoe

Well-Known Member
Do people often turn discussions that you’re in into debates about your religion, no matter what topic you’re discussing? I see that happening to Baha’is a lot, and I’m wondering if it happens to other people too.
I suspect it's more a case of people attacking the speaker because they can't or don't want to address the question. Religion obviously isn't the only route for that kind of attack but if you make your religion a key visible element of who you are, it will be one obvious target. You can see the same kind of thing focused on political labels or party, nationality or more specific aspects of the individual, such as stated position on unrelated issues.
 

Jim

Nets of Wonder
I suspect it's more a case of people attacking the speaker because they can't or don't want to address the question. Religion obviously isn't the only route for that kind of attack but if you make your religion a key visible element of who you are, it will be one obvious target. You can see the same kind of thing focused on political labels or party, nationality or more specific aspects of the individual, such as stated position on unrelated issues.
Thank you. That’s very helpful.
 
Top