• 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!

Does Religion Deserve Respect by Default?

Skwim

Veteran Member
The question is prompted by a remark atheist David Silverman made in an article on his book Fighting God. The article quotes him as saying:

“Some … people call me a (jerk) because I challenge the absurd notion that religion deserves respect by default. But religion is wrong for demanding respect simply for being, and even more wrong for demanding never to be questioned."
source

What do you think? Think he has a reasonable point? ,,,,Why, why not?


.
 

psychoslice

Veteran Member
No religion should not have respect, we should earn respect and most religions hasn't earned respect at all.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
I'm in favor of giving people a measure of respect by default. I don't see how you have a civil society without that. But religions are not people, and I'm kind of uncomfortable with the notion of giving them a measure of respect by default. I'm uncomfortable with it, but still open to reasoned argument about it.
 

Terese

Mangalam Pundarikakshah
Staff member
Premium Member
'' But religion is wrong for demanding respect simply for being, and even more wrong for demanding never to be questioned."
This i agree with. But we should respect things despite how negative it is or whatever. Be civilised. Fighting hate with hate ain't good.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
The notion that religion should never be questioned -- which I've run across from time to time -- is both ridiculous and dangerous at the same time. If religions deserve any measure of default respect, it should not be extended to never questioning them. One doesn't even do that with people -- at least not usually.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
The question might in the end come down to: "respect for what, and then how much of it?" For instance, should we lend religions and religious people a measure of default respect if they are promoting some humanitarian cause?

A few days ago, someone posted on this forum that 1000 rabbis had signed a petition to admit Syrian refugees into the US. Should the rabbis be given greater or added respect because they are rabbis? Or should we respect their petition as much as we might if 1000 people of various backgrounds had signed it?
 

Thana

Lady
The question is prompted by a remark atheist David Silverman made in an article on his book Fighting God. The article quotes him as saying:

“Some … people call me a (jerk) because I challenge the absurd notion that religion deserves respect by default. But religion is wrong for demanding respect simply for being, and even more wrong for demanding never to be questioned."
source

What do you think? Think he has a reasonable point? ,,,,Why, why not?


.

I don't recall any religion asking for respect from anyone but it's adherent's?
Nor have I heard about the no question rule?
 

psychoslice

Veteran Member
I myself don't expect people to respect me, so why would I respect the religious just because of their religion, sounds silly doesn't it ?.
 

Skwim

Veteran Member
I tend to respect just about everything until given reason not to, which can happen quite quickly. I also agree Silvermans opinion "religion is wrong for demanding respect simply for being, and even more wrong for demanding never to be questioned." Although I haven't come across anyone who's said religion should never to be questioned, I know quite a few who expect it shouldn't, and even get teed off when it is.
 
Last edited:

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
I myself don't expect people to respect me, so why would I respect the religious just because of their religion, sounds silly doesn't it ?.

If no one respected you at all, everyday you would be shoved, pushed, and thrust aside like a crowd of shoppers on Black Friday do to each other. That's where you really see no respect for other people!

We should call Black Friday, "No Respect Day".
 

atanu

Member
Premium Member
The question is prompted by a remark atheist David Silverman made in an article on his book Fighting God. The article quotes him as saying:

“Some … people call me a (jerk) because I challenge the absurd notion that religion deserves respect by default. But religion is wrong for demanding respect simply for being, and even more wrong for demanding never to be questioned."
source

What do you think? Think he has a reasonable point? ,,,,Why, why not?
.

I have not read the source. May I ask whether the author has mentioned as to who claim that religion deserves respect by default? Is it some person or some group? Or is it hearsay?
 

psychoslice

Veteran Member
If no one respected you at all, everyday you would be shoved, pushed, and thrust aside like a crowd of shoppers on Black Friday do to each other. That's where you really see no respect for other people!

We should call Black Friday, "No Respect Day".
No, I don't go around with a sign hanging on me saying, respect me, I am just there.
 

Skwim

Veteran Member
I have not read the source. May I ask whether the author has mentioned as to who claim that religion deserves respect by default? Is it some person or some group? Or is it hearsay?
Read the source. Just click on the "source" link and it will pop up.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
I have not read the source. May I ask whether the author has mentioned as to who claim that religion deserves respect by default? Is it some person or some group? Or is it hearsay?

It's sometimes an almost unspoken understanding that one is not to criticize religion, but rather to lend it a measure of respect that one might not accord other institutions. In the small town I grew up in, it was an assumption that was thick in the air. Everyone seemed to bow to it. Also, in the god-intoxicated city I currently live in, you can find enough people who subscribe to it, if you go looking for them.
 
Top