Why should you not be able to question religious belief?

[stvdv]

It wouldn't bother me. I'm comfortable in my beliefs and I'm not looking to persuade anybody of anything.

That's how it works for me too.

I don't bother others with how they choose to believe/think, and they don't bother me

I was very lucky having been born in Holland, where we used to have "Freedom of Speech" since I was born ... till recently

 

[stvdv]

Critique is constructive

Are you sure?

"I think you are too heavy in weight"

This is of course constructive IF it is taken as an incentive to lose weight, assuming being overweight is destructive. But it can be destructive if the person already tried everything and became desperate

 

[lewisnotmiller]

If it's a two way conversation, I'm happy to have it, and welcome it.
If it's an interrogation, then that strikes me as selfish and useless.

 

[Kenny]

The more I study Sufism the more I see how incredibly much more I learn when people ask questions that could be seen as a critique, or even trying to discredit my belief.
So actually as a believer, I should say thank you to everyone who has a critical eye on what I believe in, and how I practice it. ( I remember before I become a Sufi, that my way of handling critique, was truly horrible )

But I put this OP in the debate area because I have a feeling (could be wrong) that some people feel hostility toward them if someone asks them a question that could be a challenge to answer.

So to both religious people and non-believers.

How do you feel about being asked questions that challenge your belief or views? How do you go about answering if you feel hostility from the questionnaire?

I love it when people ask questions (if it is with an inquiring mind)

 

[Clara Tea]

The more I study Sufism the more I see how incredibly much more I learn when people ask questions that could be seen as a critique, or even trying to discredit my belief.
So actually as a believer, I should say thank you to everyone who has a critical eye on what I believe in, and how I practice it. ( I remember before I become a Sufi, that my way of handling critique, was truly horrible )

But I put this OP in the debate area because I have a feeling (could be wrong) that some people feel hostility toward them if someone asks them a question that could be a challenge to answer.

So to both religious people and non-believers.

How do you feel about being asked questions that challenge your belief or views? How do you go about answering if you feel hostility from the questionnaire?

But I put this OP in the debate area because I have a feeling (could be wrong) that some people feel hostility toward them if someone asks them a question that could be a challenge to answer.

So to both religious people and non-believers.

How do you feel about being asked questions that challenge your belief or views? How do you go about answering if you feel hostility from the questionnaire?[/QUOTE]

We all can agree that shooting Bambi with a rifle is wrong. Is hunting okay? Maybe, but Bambi was a sweet and innocent deer that never did anyone any harm.

By the same token, it would be wrong to shoot, harm, or even dissuade a devout Christian. Especially if that Christian dedicates their lives to following in the path of Jesus (volunteering in hospitals, soup lines, giving money to charities, helping the poor, hungry and homeless.

Think of the Christian getting crest fallen...Coming to believe that God doesn't exist, and that there is no hope for humanity...Giving up charity work....Smoking cigars and glugging whiskey....drugging (which helps the organized criminals who make and distribute those drugs....prostituting.

Morality is a major issue in religions, so much so, that many believe that Atheists don't have morals. The truth is that they have morals, and they don't feel that some deity will forgive them if they stray from the moral path. Christians, on the other hand, believe that they could murder then go to church to be forgiven (Mafia, for example).

We can see examples of bad Christians all around us. Even some ministers stray from the path of Jesus. Reverend Joel Olsteen, for example, bought a Ferrari, and very expensive plane, and he lives in a mansion (worth $2.9 million in 2010). Surely God wants the poor and helpless and sick to be helped, not have a flashy vehicle for his worker. Reverend Olsteen says "don't focus on what you don't have." Olsteen took a $4.4 million PPP (Payment Protection Program from the Federal government). Olsteen didn't open his church to hurricane survivors. Olsteen says that the poor shouldn't worry about money, yet, he hoards his.

There is no question that the Religious Right is controlling politics. They vote in great numbers, and are responsible for several presidents getting elected (Reagan, Bush Sr., Bush Jr., and Trump). Yet, the actions of these presidents haven't followed Jesus. Reagan cut out a vegetable from school lunches, claiming that catsup is a vegetable. Reagan ordered state police to beat the heads of UC Berkeley students with clubs because they were peacefully protesting the Vietnam War (the killing and the loss of freedom due to the draft). Reagan and Bush Sr. had the Iran Contra scandal, in which they supported the Contra dictator who controlled 85% of the business in Nicaragua, and he (the Contra dictator) insisted on seeing who they voted for before allowing them to continue working for him. He even leaned on their bosses whom he didn't control, to make sure that they could not work in his country at all. In the mean time, the Iran Contra scandal was about passing counterfeit US currency, and selling hard (illegal) narcotics in the United States, to help the dictators of Iran. And, all of this was behind the back of the House and Senate (lied to keep it a secret). Bush Jr. didn't bother to get proof of involvement in terrorism, before creating a war (with no exit strategy) in Iraq and Afghanistan. These wars killed about 1,000,000 Iraqis, and some were women and kids. W. Bush had previously mocked a woman on death row (total lack of compassion). The Republican presidents pack the Supreme Court. It was the Supreme Court that decided that W. Bush be president, and that was a 5 to 4 decision.

Since Christians are interfering with others, proselytizing them, and running politics, you'd think they'd be open to a small amount of criticism.

Jews have continuously debated every facet of their religion, and yet it survived. It even survived under torture from Nazis. Debate can firm up unfirm issues (things that you are not sure about). Debate can also make you confront issues that you never considered.

 

[Trailblazer]

No hostility at all. I think that everything should always be questioned. I can be questioned about anything without taking any offense. Anything that cannot be questioned is highly suspicious. Even these statements can be questioned.

I have no problem with anyone questioning me about anything, including my religion. However, there is a big difference between questioning someone because you sincerely want answers and questioning someone just so you can then turn around and attack the person or their religion or try to embarrass them. Since so few people behave this way people who behave this way only end up embarrassing themselves and they don't even realize it.

Of course also, there are many that will tell others to think for themselves and to question everything but then are telling others how to think and cannot be questioned themselves.

You noticed that too? I think that is called hypocrisy.

 

[Kenny]

Since Christians are interfering with others, proselytizing them, and running politics, you'd think they'd be open to a small amount of criticism.

Please do... Of course, in the Republic called US, they shouldn't run for positions in politics and we definitely shouldn't follow the direction of Jesus to share our faith.

 

[firedragon]

The more I study Sufism the more I see how incredibly much more I learn when people ask questions that could be seen as a critique, or even trying to discredit my belief.
So actually as a believer, I should say thank you to everyone who has a critical eye on what I believe in, and how I practice it. ( I remember before I become a Sufi, that my way of handling critique, was truly horrible )

But I put this OP in the debate area because I have a feeling (could be wrong) that some people feel hostility toward them if someone asks them a question that could be a challenge to answer.

So to both religious people and non-believers.

How do you feel about being asked questions that challenge your belief or views? How do you go about answering if you feel hostility from the questionnaire?

Criticism has to be understood as criticism, not claims I heard. When someone says something like "The Quran is an edit job" but have never looked at the first level of any manuscript studies, that's not criticism. Same with the Bible or any scripture or religion for that matter. Criticism for me has a systematic approach. It is not just like a spouse criticising the other spouses toilet etiquette.

Recently I saw someone saying that Atheists dont have morals. Now this is a claim, not a question. So when someone makes a claim like that, they have to substantiate that with a research finding. This is not a supernatural claim, this is a sociological claim, and it has to be met with research, and not just thinking.

Also, questions should be asked as questions, not as an insult. One guy, a Muslim, asked me a question and in that he entered "in your village" as a derogatory statement. What do you do with that? No clue. So you can see the intention is not to really ask anything.

We all must learn from criticism, yet we should also know what it is. That is my personal opinion.

 

[RestlessSoul]

They should, IMO, be open to your views. The JWs I've personally dealt with haven't been. Maybe it's just my bad luck.

I find discussion with any person who is convinced they have all the answers to tge questions that have puzzled humans for millenia, to be a singularly unrewarding experience

 

[RestlessSoul]

No hostility at all. I think that everything should always be questioned. I can be questioned about anything without taking any offense. Anything that cannot be questioned is highly suspicious. Even these statements can be questioned. Of course also, there are many that will tell others to think for themselves and to question everything but then are telling others how to think and cannot be questioned themselves.

Brian; You are all individuals
Crowd (parrot fashion); We are all individuals
Lone voice in crowd; I'm not

 

[Kfox]

So to both religious people and non-believers.

How do you feel about being asked questions that challenge your belief or views? How do you go about answering if you feel hostility from the questionnaire?

I love discussing with people who challenge my views; that's how I learn. If the challenger becomes hostile and insulting, I will end the discussion.

 

[osgart]

It's not very fun when the opponent doesn't state their facts for refuting one's personal beliefs. Then they just make assertions, and conclusions without addressing your reasons.

It's their interpretation that what you believe is fantasy, or nonsense and they try to ridicule the belief with no substantive argument. And the more you address your reasons, the more they ignore and rebut with ridicule and no substantive argument.

It ends up being frustrating and pointless to respond and continue on. That's the frustrating part of RF debates.

Then they assume you entertain wishful thinking, and have need of it to cope with a fear of death.

There are a lot of RFers who label and stamp you without ever addressing you in any substantial way. Then they use catch phrases that the facts only support their particular view. Like they are the gods of critical thought, logic, and reason. But you'll never see them raising particular facts to refute. They assume their conclusions are science, and yours are meaningless philosophy, and then they proceed to philosophize.

I'm fine with the opposition, but labels, stamps, and ridicule is a bit tiresome. Just state your proven facts and reasons and inferences from those facts why I am wrong.

Another thing, it's a lot of physicalists, and non religious that are out to convert the masses away from any religion whatsoever. And they'd like to do so with ridicule, and opinion stated as fact in the name of reason and science.

They assume the religious are anti science. And then try to have science be the vehicle for their own views.

Physicalism, and materialism are philosophical positions; they are inferences.

Why they assume that people have horrible lives because they are religious is beyond me!

 

[Eyes to See]

The more I study Sufism the more I see how incredibly much more I learn when people ask questions that could be seen as a critique, or even trying to discredit my belief.
So actually as a believer, I should say thank you to everyone who has a critical eye on what I believe in, and how I practice it. ( I remember before I become a Sufi, that my way of handling critique, was truly horrible )

But I put this OP in the debate area because I have a feeling (could be wrong) that some people feel hostility toward them if someone asks them a question that could be a challenge to answer.

So to both religious people and non-believers.

How do you feel about being asked questions that challenge your belief or views? How do you go about answering if you feel hostility from the questionnaire?

I don't mind questions asked in sincerity. Because that means the person is a thinking person and wants answers. Which is logical and right and good. But there are questions made with the intent to stir up trouble and cause fights and with no intention of getting answers, these should be avoided.

If a person really wants the truth they should ask God for it in prayer. As God is real, he will kindly answer all sincere prayers asking who he is by revealing himself to the person. And that is a wonderful and a marvelous and faith-strengthening thing. For no one can come to know the truth unless they have the right disposition and heart condition. God does not reveal himself to the haughty, the disdainful, the self-righteous, or the doubters. And no one can read the heart like God. But he is a happy and a humble person. And he delights in happy and humble people. And he is a defender and a champion of the downtrodden and the lowly, the poor, the widows and the orphans.

When one searches for the true God and asks God in prayer to reveal himself to the person. And when and if God answers that prayer it is a miracle. And that person has proof of God's existence not by any human, but by God himself.

 

[Eyes to See]

I just want to add there is a way to God. And that is by loving Jesus Christ. As he himself said:

"In answer Jesus said to him: “If anyone loves me, he will observe my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not observe my words. The word that you are hearing is not mine, but belongs to the Father who sent me."-John 14:23, 24.

Jehovah will have no relationship with a person that does not love Jesus. In order to know God one must know Jesus Christ. And the person who accepts Jesus' words and listens to him, this person God will love and Jesus and Jehovah will make their dwelling with that person. And no one can be drawn to Jesus unless the Father, Jehovah God draws that person personally. There is no way to the truth or to God by ones own initiative. It is always done at Jehovah God's behest. And thus all of God's followers are true believers and have real faith, because that faith is given to them by the Father and no one else.

 

[Eyes to See]

Just one more thing. That this faith is from God and is a miracle, and true believers in Jehovah God and his son Jesus Christ are so not by anything they themselves do but by God's mercy and God's drawing of them is seen in what Jesus said to Peter:

"Jesus asked his disciples: “Who are men saying the Son of man is?” They said: “Some say John the Baptist, others E·liʹjah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them: “You, though, who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” In response Jesus said to him: “Happy you are, Simon son of Joʹnah, because flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but my Father in the heavens did."-Matthew 16:13-17.

There were varying opinions of who Jesus Christ was, Peter discerned he was the Christ, the chosen Messiah, the son of God. And this was not of his own doing. As Jesus revealed to him, it was Jehovah God who had opened Peter's heart to discern this truth.

 

[Trailblazer]

I find discussion with any person who is convinced they have all the answers to the questions that have puzzled humans for millenia, to be a singularly unrewarding experience

And a useless experience.

 

[RestlessSoul]

That's how it works for me too.

I don't bother others with how they choose to believe/think, and they don't bother me

I was very lucky having been born in Holland, where we used to have "Freedom of Speech" since I was born ... till recently

Out if interest, what has changed recently in Holland?

 

[stvdv]

Out if interest, what has changed recently in Holland?

Spoiler: Only meant for @ RestlessSoul

I just watched a Dutch Christian politician saying that she was not convinced taking a certain imposed prescription herself. Our Prime Minister sacked her afterwards. I wrote my post after this one. So much for Freedom of Speech

And there are so many examples.

Another politician is clearly very smart, and verbally excellent, having great ideas, but not conform nowadays accepted New Normal, hence dismissed, without any (good) reason. It looks as if all politicians just play their given roles, as in "give the people play and bread" keeping them busy and "happy" while we implement our New Normal (they kind of say it even out loud)

It all seems like a movie or dream to me, but a bad one. I do hope one day I wake up and realize it was just a nightmare. I never have nightmares, so I would be surprised.

I just don't like where we are heading, and how it is done I dislike even more

Freedom is flying out of the window in Holland, faster than most people realize, it seems to me. And I clearly see the brainwashing being done by newspapers even. They write a new story and I think "right, next month this will happen". I wish I had it wrong more often.

 

[Tiberius]

The more I study Sufism the more I see how incredibly much more I learn when people ask questions that could be seen as a critique, or even trying to discredit my belief.
So actually as a believer, I should say thank you to everyone who has a critical eye on what I believe in, and how I practice it. ( I remember before I become a Sufi, that my way of handling critique, was truly horrible )

But I put this OP in the debate area because I have a feeling (could be wrong) that some people feel hostility toward them if someone asks them a question that could be a challenge to answer.

So to both religious people and non-believers.

How do you feel about being asked questions that challenge your belief or views? How do you go about answering if you feel hostility from the questionnaire?

The truth has nothing to fear from investigation.

 

[Fallen Prophet]

The more I study Sufism the more I see how incredibly much more I learn when people ask questions that could be seen as a critique, or even trying to discredit my belief.
So actually as a believer, I should say thank you to everyone who has a critical eye on what I believe in, and how I practice it. ( I remember before I become a Sufi, that my way of handling critique, was truly horrible )

But I put this OP in the debate area because I have a feeling (could be wrong) that some people feel hostility toward them if someone asks them a question that could be a challenge to answer.

So to both religious people and non-believers.

How do you feel about being asked questions that challenge your belief or views? How do you go about answering if you feel hostility from the questionnaire?

I welcome challenging questions. They help me better understand what I believe and why I believe it.