Better Than You

[JustGeorge]

I had to deal with a very unpleasant person today.

Its a long story, but what I walked away from in my interaction with them was that they had the belief that anyone who didn't subscribe to one of the world's 'great faiths' was a deplorable individual, without any worth to society as a whole.

(In response, I went out and bought a litter box with room for ten litter boxes.... been getting that loaded up this evening.)

I might be okay, in their book, but any religious minorities, not so much. I didn't care she'd okayed me, the way she spoke about others(which includes people close to me) was unacceptable. Luckily, I will likely never be in contact with them again, but, it raises another question for me.

Many people feel their faith/nonfaith is superior. I get why those thoughts may come up. But thinking you, as a person, are better than people in other or specific faiths... that seems, well, yucky.

What do you think? Regardless of what your religious(or nonreligious belief) is, do you feel you're better than people in other worldviews? If so, is it people in specific faiths that you feel superior to, or anyone in any other faith?

 

[Spirit of Light]

I had to deal with a very unpleasant person today.

Its a long story, but what I walked away from in my interaction with them was that they had the belief that anyone who didn't subscribe to one of the world's 'great faiths' was a deplorable individual, without any worth to society as a whole.

(In response, I went out and bought a litter box with room for ten litter boxes.... been getting that loaded up this evening.)

I might be okay, in their book, but any religious minorities, not so much. I didn't care she'd okayed me, the way she spoke about others(which includes people close to me) was unacceptable. Luckily, I will likely never be in contact with them again, but, it raises another question for me.

Many people feel their faith/nonfaith is superior. I get why those thoughts may come up. But thinking you, as a person, are better than people in other or specific faiths... that seems, well, yucky.

What do you think? Regardless of what your religious(or nonreligious belief) is, do you feel you're better than people in other worldviews? If so, is it people in specific faiths that you feel superior to, or anyone in any other faith?

No. My worldview and spiritual belief is not better than others, they are what i found works for me as a person.

Other people may disagree with my belief and worldview, strange if they did'nt actually

 

[RestlessSoul]

Well I’m no psychologist, but I don’t think you have to be, to observe that the impulse to look down on others comes from a deep seated insecurity

 

[DharmaCatLamp]

I had to deal with a very unpleasant person today.

Its a long story, but what I walked away from in my interaction with them was that they had the belief that anyone who didn't subscribe to one of the world's 'great faiths' was a deplorable individual, without any worth to society as a whole.

(In response, I went out and bought a litter box with room for ten litter boxes.... been getting that loaded up this evening.)

I might be okay, in their book, but any religious minorities, not so much. I didn't care she'd okayed me, the way she spoke about others(which includes people close to me) was unacceptable. Luckily, I will likely never be in contact with them again, but, it raises another question for me.

Many people feel their faith/nonfaith is superior. I get why those thoughts may come up. But thinking you, as a person, are better than people in other or specific faiths... that seems, well, yucky.

What do you think? Regardless of what your religious(or nonreligious belief) is, do you feel you're better than people in other worldviews? If so, is it people in specific faiths that you feel superior to, or anyone in any other faith?

I think it's important that everyone is kind of in their own head. We must understand that what someone says might make us feel a way that they did not intend, Other times they do legit feel like they are better than you and you can let them feel that way.

I think two lines from Marcus Aurelius are always helpful for me when I deal with these kind of people. " No matter what anyone says or does, my task is to be good." Remember that and remember that they may well just be wrong.

People go through their entire life spreading misery for themselves and others but often don't realize it. People want to be safe they want their group to be on top etc. What we should do is try to notice when we are getting frustrated and try to understand it. We can ask ourselves little questions like " Is this worth being upset over?" and various others.

There are evil people in the world, misguided people, hateful people, arrogant people the list goes on. To expect not to encounter them is not likely to be met with success. Instead what we should strive to do is allow for growth and to foster truth. We should foster peace not harm.

When I was a young man and a Muslim I seethed with contempt for most other religions. I couldn't stand polytheists and would constantly enter into debates with them. I hated idols, I hated anyone who wasn't abrahamic and i really hated anyone who rejected Islam.

But that was a cancerous growth within me. I let hatred fester for quite awhile before I was fortunate enough to have it cut out. I think these days if you sit around thinking your religion is better than everyone else and that everyone else isn't as good as you then you deserve only pity.

I've been down that hole and it's not a fun place to be. I can't hate them I can only hope they can find their way out of hatred.

 

[Mock Turtle]

I had to deal with a very unpleasant person today.

Its a long story, but what I walked away from in my interaction with them was that they had the belief that anyone who didn't subscribe to one of the world's 'great faiths' was a deplorable individual, without any worth to society as a whole.

(In response, I went out and bought a litter box with room for ten litter boxes.... been getting that loaded up this evening.)

I might be okay, in their book, but any religious minorities, not so much. I didn't care she'd okayed me, the way she spoke about others(which includes people close to me) was unacceptable. Luckily, I will likely never be in contact with them again, but, it raises another question for me.

Many people feel their faith/nonfaith is superior. I get why those thoughts may come up. But thinking you, as a person, are better than people in other or specific faiths... that seems, well, yucky.

What do you think? Regardless of what your religious(or nonreligious belief) is, do you feel you're better than people in other worldviews? If so, is it people in specific faiths that you feel superior to, or anyone in any other faith?

I think it is unfortunate but religious beliefs do tend towards arrogance in so many cases, when people often seem to believe they have to accept some particular belief system wholesale and hence which must necessarily exclude all other similar beliefs perhaps, and especially all those with no such beliefs. Many examples of those on RF who just know they are right - even though they are of different religions to those others who know they are right too.

I've never felt better than others and it's more about the results that any belief might produce for me as to how I view them, but I probably do feel I have better knowledge than many or I am capable of better reasoning than so many, but that often just comes from being more intelligent and/or better educated than most, and is understandable. Where such is true or not. No doubt many would point out their better knowledge as to their religions but might not see this as a deficit too - as to perhaps being a bias. How does one weigh up, as to value, all that eventually produces a belief?

 

[Heyo]

What do you think? Regardless of what your religious(or nonreligious belief) is, do you feel you're better than people in other worldviews? If so, is it people in specific faiths that you feel superior to, or anyone in any other faith?

I may be better at something but that doesn't mean I have more value.

And for my non-religion: of course my Agnosticism is "better" than mere atheism because it is a strong philosophical position and not just the description of an inner state of disbelieve. But that only counts if you value having a position.

 

[exchemist]

I had to deal with a very unpleasant person today.

Its a long story, but what I walked away from in my interaction with them was that they had the belief that anyone who didn't subscribe to one of the world's 'great faiths' was a deplorable individual, without any worth to society as a whole.

(In response, I went out and bought a litter box with room for ten litter boxes.... been getting that loaded up this evening.)

I might be okay, in their book, but any religious minorities, not so much. I didn't care she'd okayed me, the way she spoke about others(which includes people close to me) was unacceptable. Luckily, I will likely never be in contact with them again, but, it raises another question for me.

Many people feel their faith/nonfaith is superior. I get why those thoughts may come up. But thinking you, as a person, are better than people in other or specific faiths... that seems, well, yucky.

What do you think? Regardless of what your religious(or nonreligious belief) is, do you feel you're better than people in other worldviews? If so, is it people in specific faiths that you feel superior to, or anyone in any other faith?

Generally not, unless the person in question goes in for a form of religion I cannot respect, such as Scientology, New Age crystals-and-**** ,or the Jehovah's Witnesses. Usually I can view the person as an individual, irrespective of what faith they follow, but there are a few that seem to me so silly that a person that follows them inevitably loses my respect.

 

[ChristineM]

I had to deal with a very unpleasant person today.

Its a long story, but what I walked away from in my interaction with them was that they had the belief that anyone who didn't subscribe to one of the world's 'great faiths' was a deplorable individual, without any worth to society as a whole.

(In response, I went out and bought a litter box with room for ten litter boxes.... been getting that loaded up this evening.)

I might be okay, in their book, but any religious minorities, not so much. I didn't care she'd okayed me, the way she spoke about others(which includes people close to me) was unacceptable. Luckily, I will likely never be in contact with them again, but, it raises another question for me.

Many people feel their faith/nonfaith is superior. I get why those thoughts may come up. But thinking you, as a person, are better than people in other or specific faiths... that seems, well, yucky.

What do you think? Regardless of what your religious(or nonreligious belief) is, do you feel you're better than people in other worldviews? If so, is it people in specific faiths that you feel superior to, or anyone in any other faith?

I find the opposite, i have found some people of christianity (most versions, some more than others), muslims in general, and some baha'i, basically the Abrahamic religions look down on atheism, often with ignorance or misrepresentation to discredit it. This includes several posters here on RF.

 

[Audie]

I had to deal with a very unpleasant person today.

Its a long story, but what I walked away from in my interaction with them was that they had the belief that anyone who didn't subscribe to one of the world's 'great faiths' was a deplorable individual, without any worth to society as a whole.

(In response, I went out and bought a litter box with room for ten litter boxes.... been getting that loaded up this evening.)

I might be okay, in their book, but any religious minorities, not so much. I didn't care she'd okayed me, the way she spoke about others(which includes people close to me) was unacceptable. Luckily, I will likely never be in contact with them again, but, it raises another question for me.

Many people feel their faith/nonfaith is superior. I get why those thoughts may come up. But thinking you, as a person, are better than people in other or specific faiths... that seems, well, yucky.

What do you think? Regardless of what your religious(or nonreligious belief) is, do you feel you're better than people in other worldviews? If so, is it people in specific faiths that you feel superior to, or anyone in any other faith?

Being "better" than some people aint that hard

 

[Heyo]

I find the opposite, i have found some people of christianity (most versions, some more than others), muslims in general, and some baha'i, basically the Abrahamic religions look down on atheism, often with ignorance or misrepresentation to discredit it. This includes several posters here on RF.

You can look down on someone with ignorance but you can't with misrepresentation. The later requires that you know you have to lie to win.

 

[Heyo]

Being "better" than some people aint that hard

Sometimes it is astounding from which position some people are able to look down on others.

 

[Audie]

Sometimes it is astounding from which position some people are able to look down on others.

And how accepting some otherwise sane
people are.

 

[ChristineM]

You can look down on someone with ignorance but you can't with misrepresentation. The later requires that you know you have to lie to win.

Lying happens a lot, sometimes lying around n ignorance, other times it just makes some people feel better.

 

[Audie]

You can look down on someone with ignorance but you can't with misrepresentation. The later requires that you know you have to lie to win.

Interesting.
That means that every single creationist trying
to disprove evolution is lying about science, and
possibly about God too.
Here I thought it was just ignorance aggravated
by intellectual dishonesty.

 

[Heyo]

Lying happens a lot, sometimes lying around n ignorance, other times it just makes some people feel better.

True. I have never understood that. But then, getting away with a lie increases ones biological fitness, so I see the advantage.

 

[ChristineM]

True. I have never understood that. But then, getting away with a lie increases ones biological fitness, so I see the advantage.

It does? Damn, I'll have to try lying.

On second thoughts, perhaps not

 

[Revoltingest]

We, the ones who really are superior,
do not lord it over others. We care.

 

[Heyo]

Interesting.
That means that every single creationist trying
to disprove evolution is lying about science, and
possibly about God too.
Here I thought it was just ignorance aggravated
by intellectual dishonesty.

"There are two kinds of creationists, the mislead and the misleading." - AronRa (from memory)

At least the professional apologists must be of the later kind. They have been informed about what the ToE really says multiple times but they still use their lies.
The others may not understand the ToE (or in most cases, not understand science or even logic).

 

[Heyo]

It does? Damn, I'll have to try lying.

Guess which men sire more offspring, those who say they are true or those who are?

On second thoughts, perhaps not

Don't go into politics or advertising.

 

[ChristineM]

Guess which men sire more offspring, those who say they are true or those who are?

Hmm.

Don't go into politics or advertising.

I wouldn't dream of it