[teejay]

Perhaps you have come across this phrase that is often used by people who are avoiding advances of another religious belief or better still the stand of other religious societies against beliefs of others.

"Respect other peoples faith"

What exactly does it mean and what sought of respect is the phrase inviting people to exercise?

I would first propose that we begin by profoundly exploring the definition of the words "faith" & “Respect,” and thereafter try and look at various faiths and why or whether or not they are spiritually edible or poisonous and whether speaking against some beliefs is an exhibition of disrespect towards another’s faith?

[Zelda]

@ teejay: the basic idea is that millions of different communities live in this world TOGETHER. we can't all be alike, therefore we don't have to push our views onto others.

does respect mean avoiding discussions of your differences?- no.
respect means eliminating the acidity and superiority in our tones and making an effort to see the other person as they actually are.

i'm not big on missionary activity, but if you are, think about this:
-how can you ask somebody to change their way of life to your own when you know nothing about their beliefs and about how they experience the world?

if you want to "reach out" to a hindu, shouldn't you first understand what the hindu's experience of life and religion is?
for all you know, your religion may be offering him/ her a very raw racist deal. just think about it.

http://www.othermalaysia.org/content/view/35/55/

why don't you start with your definitions of "faith" and "respect"?

[dadyamaru]

>Perhaps you have come across this phrase that is often used
>by people who are avoiding advances of another religious
>belief or better still the stand of other religious societies
>against beliefs of others.
>
>"Respect other peoples faith"
>
>What exactly does it mean and what sought of respect is the
>phrase inviting people to exercise?
>
>I would first propose that we begin by profoundly exploring
>the definition of the words "faith" & “Respect,” and
>thereafter try and look at various faiths and why or whether
>or not they are spiritually edible or poisonous and whether
>speaking against some beliefs is an exhibition of disrespect
>towards another’s faith?

A RELIGIOUS THINKER IS A CONTRADICTION IN TERMS FOR WHERE AS RELIGION IS A PRODUCT OF FAITH AND THINKING IS A PRODUCT OF REASON

[teejay]

Dady can you go through my post again and come up with the some of its requirements. And next time you cut/copy and paste please appropriate the item.

Zelda has provided a good lead.

[ATLian]

I think that the phrase "Respect other peoples faith" is one of those empty hollow phrases, like "love your neighbor" or something like that. What happens if your neighbor is a child molester?

Kwanza, faith is basically absolute belief without an iota of evidence. As a rational intelligent human being, I refuse to respect the fact that you believe in this thing which you just cannot prove exists. It's tantamount to asking me to respect Santa or the Tooth Fairy.

Secondly, if you are a believer, you cannot respect a faith who's teachings are in direct contradiction to what your all-powerful all-wise and all-knowing deity has told you is the right thing. There's no way as a monotheistic Christian can respect a Hindu's beliefs that there are 33 million gods.

Third, some religions hold to be sanctified things that are not held in the same level of sanctity by other religions. I don't believe that cows are sacred and holy like Hindus do, so I'd eat cow meat without a problem. I also don't follow the Islamic belief that pigs are filthy, in fact I love my sausages and pork chops. But by eating those two, I am in a way disrespecting the beliefs of the Hindus and Muslims.

Fourth, some beliefs are just ridiculous. I saw another documentary about this sect of Hindus up in the Himalayas who think rats are sacred. So the place is overflowing with rats - the temple, homes, shops, etc. Yaani they were showing guys praying and rats were walking all over them. Needless to say, the diseases in that part of India are too many to name. How can you expect one of us to go there and respect that?

Fifth - how can a Muslim respect the Christian faith if it calls him an infidel and a sinner who will slowly burn forever in hell just because he believes in something else. How can you respect the Inca faith when their deities demand human sacrifices and such.

Finally, I am allowed to "disrespect" everything you stand for that is tangible: I can bash your political party; I can talk smack about the team you support. Why can't I bash the one intangible thing ati just because you believe it's an almighty thing? It doesn't make sense.

I can go on and on, but bottom line is you can't just say "Respect other peoples faith" when there are so many dynamics at play that render it almost impossible. I think the statement should be more like "respect other faith's peoples". That's my 2 cents

[satjas]

i sometimes wonder how someone can claim disrespect and hurt.....i mean what is really hurt? your body, your mind? a person gets hurt because his/her ideology cannot stand true for itself? does the ideology get hurt? Doesn't respect also include to respect one who doesn't respect you back?

is our world gone PC mad?? draw up a cartoon and people are hurt.....i mean, where exactly are you hurting my dear?

ATLian above is absolutely right.....which is why i keep on saying there is a difference between an ideology and the people.for example Muslims are not bad people but islam on the other hand.......


The soul is that which beholds beauty even when the mind denies it.

[TeamManager]

>I think that the phrase "Respect other peoples faith" is one
>of those empty hollow phrases, like "love your neighbor" or
>something like that. What happens if your neighbor is a child
>molester?

Guess you have never experienced love.


>
>Kwanza, faith is basically absolute belief without an iota of
>evidence. As a rational intelligent human being, I refuse to
>respect the fact that you believe in this thing which you just
>cannot prove exists. It's tantamount to asking me to respect
>Santa or the Tooth Fairy.

Do the following exist?........the mind, love, cold, darkness etc


Almost three year faithfully discussing something that does not exist......I give you marks! Very few people have that 'faith'

[thierry]

ATLian that was a brilliant treatise. Couldn't have said it better.

I think God or, if you're like me, god, is much closer to who we are than we'd like to admit. I'm agnostic but don't rule out the possibility of something being 'out there' for lack of a better definitive ter. The only reason i believe this is that there are limits to man's intelligence, wondrous thing that it is. We cannot understand everything, just by the very nature of who we are. So i'm not ruling out God or a god or The Deity, Energy of the Universe or whatever term you wanna use.

We were having a family discussion one day and i said that i actually DON'T believe that JC is my personal saviour and that he's the only way to heaven. I swear by the looks i got you would have thought i had done i don't know what. It just doesn't gel with reason and i'm reason oriented. HOWEVER, Jesus is one of my heroes....i admire him to death and wish to be like him. To me, he is the standard...him, Tiger Woods, Oprah and my mom.

I'm still figuring this thing out and i know now whence it will taketh me but can't wait to see.

[teejay]

People your repsonses are encouraging however we have veered from the subject in hand.

We were first supposed to begin by Defining
1. faith
2. Respect.

So far none of the responses have achieved that. Can we be more focused on this Issue.

[ATLian]

>Guess you have never experienced love.

Ignoring your sarcasm, I actually have. But my love is real, not this crap of "love they neighbor" where "neighbor" means every human being who exists. Where "neighbor" includes every child molestor, dictator, sociopath, murderer, etc. I love those who are in my life, my sisters, parents, nephews, neices, cousins, friends, etc. They've earned the love and they love me back. I don't spew empty crap like "I love all Christians" including that guy in Russia molesting his younger sister who I'll never ever meet. That's a load of simplistic idealistic garbage which I can't adhere to. So TM, if that theory of loving everyone is your definition of love, then I have never loved. If loving means caring for those you know and who need and deserve your love, then I have experienced more love than any man my age should have.



>Do the following exist?........the mind, love, cold, darkness
>etc

TM, are you an idiot or what? I wrote "faith is basically absolute belief without an iota of evidence" and you ask me if cold and drakness exist? Cold and darkness aren't things that require faith in order to acknowledge them. Even that 2 year old kid in Nepal who you've never met but claim to love with all your Christian heart can show you what cold and darkness are. Come on, throw out a more intelligent argument!


>Almost three year faithfully discussing something that does
>not exist......I give you marks! Very few people have that
>'faith'

Yet again when all logic fails, you resort to (to use your words) throwing stones. TM, attack my logic above, tell me what parts of it you don't agree with. We're having an intelligent discussion here. We know you have no respect for other faiths, as has been proven by your repeated posts here. Tell us why!

If up to now you don't understand why non-believers still talk about the various gods out there, despite the fact that I have explained it ad infinitum, then it's hopeless for you. I've remembered the reason why you don't understand - because, to quote you, you never read more than the 5th line of anything written by someone you don't agree with.