Should we be repectful or militant?

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I think we can find something in between "respect" and "militancy" to use to regard our theistic fellows.

I offer not a shred of respect for theistic beliefs.
I believe them all to be delusion, often self imposed.

Like you I will smack down any theistic crap that is spewed forth around me.
I will do it brutally and with great ridicule if the moment calls for it.

I don`t however go looking for the opportunity.

I think it's important to temper this with respect for the person holding the beliefs, even if you don't respect the beliefs themselves.

However, at the same time, I think it's a bit of a lost cause to try to avoid offending everyone. Some people you encounter will be offended at the mere existence of atheists. I'm all for being respectful, but I'm my own judge of that, not the theist who might feel differently about it.

 

[Penumbra]

I go back and forth on this. Some days I feel like it is mature and enlightened to be respectful of others' religious beliefs ("I don't agree, but I respect your beliefs..."). Other days I really just want to attack: I want to debate and argue every stupid, ignorant thing people say; I want to throw the notion of sanctity out the window and treat religious beliefs like any other absurd beliefs that are considered "acceptable" to ridicule. What do you think: should we atheists respectfully disagree or aggressively attack?

It's up the individual atheist, but for me when it comes to beliefs I find to be irrational or harmful, I'm somewhere in the middle. I think sometimes there is too much political correctness, and I do not think that it should be a taboo to critique political or religious beliefs. On the other hand, I don't think those who are "militant" or who "aggressively attack" are doing their position as much good as they think they are.

In other words, there are certainly beliefs I don't agree with and that I don't respect. I simply don't respect certain ideas, whether they are religious or not, due to ethical or rational reasons. There are some people I don't particularly respect either. But there are also people I have respect for, even if I disagree with and do not respect aspects of their particular beliefs.

There is a time and a place for debating people and critiquing things, and there's also a time to acknowledge that a person is not comfortable or does not wish to debate, or does not wish to have things said to them repeatedly. Living by a good example, and being able to effectively debate all of your positions when pressed to, or when it comes up in a conversation, or when you put out ideas in appropriate contexts, probably does the most good for a particular position or against particular opposing ideas.

 

[NorthernLion17]

Why show any respect to religions that for thousands of years have shown no respect to anyone but themselves, i mean look at the prophet muhammad, he's a great example.

I don't think that you should be militant though, unless in the face of something like 9/11 or Northern Ireland for instance. In an ideal world you'd just be able to ignore religion completely but its so ingraned into the fabric of society you have to stand against something that stands directly in the way of peace and encourages violent segragation

 

[Photonic]

Why show any respect to religions that for thousands of years have shown no respect to anyone but themselves, i mean look at the prophet muhammad, he's a great example.

I don't think that you should be militant though, unless in the face of something like 9/11 or Northern Ireland for instance. In an ideal world you'd just be able to ignore religion completely but its so ingraned into the fabric of society you have to stand against something that stands directly in the way of peace and encourages violent segragation

While I don't advocate for militancy, they are more than happy to preach the killing of non-believers, atheists above all.

 

[FDRC2014]

Personally, I am like you, I change from day to day.
It all depends on the situation.

I have the belief that it is important that people should take criticism of their beliefs. This is very important, as if everyone just respected what others thought then we would not advance our knowledge.

I like nothing more than someone to debate something with me, religion, or a scientific hypothesis.
If people didn't challenge other people's opinions then science would not advance.
This can be taken on a political level as well. I could go on with my life, ignorantly believing something, and having an opinion that really isn't that good; but by talking to someone about it, my mind might be changed to a more rational opinion.

So, most of the time it is good to challenge people.

Though, I don't live in the US, so there aren't many (still lots), err, what should i call them; you know who i mean, the crazed religious people.

Watch this, http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_dawkins_on_militant_atheism.html

 

[Warren Clark]

I would leave it to the level of saying.
I respect you too much as an intelligent person top accept such an idiotic idea from you.
It will make them think. While feeling complimented.

 

[Splarnst]

The only “militant” atheists are those threatening physical violence. Theist street preachers are far more aggressive than almost all atheists labeled militant, yet no one calls them that. The word is properly reserved for suicide bombers and abortion-clinic shooters, and we should receive the same distinction. So, the question is whether we should speak out or keep quiet. And, as almost everyone here as recognized, it depends on the situation.

I'm not going to go into someone's home, see a crucifix on the wall, and go into a rant about the stupidity of Christianity right then and there. But it's not going to stop me from blogging about it, especially when I see the harm it causes. If someone asks me my opinion, I try not to hold back because they won't like it. Sometimes I have sympathy for people who want to believe in bullfeces stories about going to happy magic candy funland when they die rather than facing reality, but my tolerance is rather low and I don't let people force it into my life most of the time.

 

[lunakilo]

Since I live where I do, I am not often confronted by religion, so maybe it is a bit easy for me to say "be tolerant" (Denmark is only a christian country on paper)

I meet the occasional mormon in the street, but I usually look to busy for them to bother me.
So I rarely talk about religion with anyone but you guys...

But basically I think being tolerant works best.
Agreeing to disagree.

I would only be "militant" if I was in a situation where there where "militant" religious people, then I think I would attack with great passion

 

[Revoltingest]

I don't think you have a militant bone in your body.

Hey! Where's that new diplomatic title?

 

[lunakilo]

I don't think you have a militant bone in your body.

I don't, they were all crushed in my last fight.
Hey! Where's that new diplomatic title?[/quote]

I am not sure which one to use; Danish Bacon Ambassador or what?