why is religious discrimination so bad?

[wupwup]

firstly i am not a racist, xenophobe e.c.t. im just wondering why it is frowned upon so badly. obviously you cant choose your coulour, race, sexurality e.c.t so i understand why you shouldn't judge people because of those things. but religion? surely religion is a set of beliefs you hold close to you? surely the one thing it should be ok to judge someone by is the beliefs they live by? i am guessing that the reason that judging people because of their religion is as frowned upon as it is is because it can easily escalate to religious killing and atrocities.

[Himster]

How does one "choose" their religion or any belief for that matter. Every honest person is convinced of their beliefs by their experiences, surely.

[Tacitursa]

How does one "choose" their religion or any belief for that matter. Every honest person is convinced of their beliefs by their experiences, surely.

People almost always follow the religion of there society. Very rare that a person born in an islamic country will become a christian for instance.

People are convinced and ussualy at a young age but not through experience or beleif. Mostly by parents , religious figures and society brainwashing them. It's easy to beleive in something once others have already convinced you and not allowed you to look at other options.

Ive never met a religious person that studied religion and went with the one that sounded most true to them, Im sure people have done that but id imagine they are very rare. I guess most people that go that route and look at all religions conclude that it's all man made nonsense and end up just a deist or atheist, or just flip a coin and go with what sounds good like helm

[Cooraan]

People almost always follow the religion of there society. Very rare that a person born in an islamic country will become a christian for instance.

People are convinced and ussualy at a young age but not through experience or beleif. Mostly by parents , religious figures and society brainwashing them. It's easy to beleive in something once others have already convinced you and not allowed you to look at other options.

Ive never met a religious person that studied religion and went with the one that sounded most true to them, Im sure people have done that but id imagine they are very rare. I guess most people that go that route and look at all religions conclude that it's all man made nonsense and end up just a deist or atheist, or just flip a coin and go with what sounds good like helm

I wouldn't say that they're rare. Its just stupid people are always the loudest, so it only seems like most people haven't studied their religion.

[Tacitursa]

I wouldn't say that they're rare. Its just stupid people are always the loudest, so it only seems like most people haven't studied their religion.

Well then why is it people born in the middle east hardly ever become anything but muslim and it's almost the same in america with christians.

The two religions have fairly equal populations, So it's not like one religion is more beleivable than the other. There's clearly alot of bias , pressure and brainwashing involved that young people just accept before there adults and can think for themselves.

My parents arent religious and at school i was taught about a variety of religions and spent an equal ammount of time on each of them and my teacher didnt show or express any beleive or bias to any of them. Im fairly confident if my parents were christian or muslim and i went to school in america or middle east id be a religious person today.

[The Million Dollar Prons]

People almost always follow the religion of there society. Very rare that a person born in an islamic country will become a christian for instance.

What about the early Christians, the Bulgarians that converted to Christianity, the Romans that convereted to Christianity, the Lithuanians, etc. etc. Not to mention the fact that Christianity is booming in China, which is as "non Christan" of a country as you can get.



The reason religious discrimination is wrong is because God gave us all free will, and to a certain respect, it needs to be respected. One of the pillars of Christianity is that you can choose to do right and wrong, to accept God or to not, and because our Western civizliation is built on Christianity, it's sort of embedded into us that even if someone is totally wrong, their choice to decide is something of esteem

[Tacitursa]

What about the early Christians, the Bulgarians that converted to Christianity, the Romans that convereted to Christianity, the Lithuanians, etc. etc.

The romans - power and ability to controll the masses like puppets.

Everyone else - Convert or die by the sword

Thats not exactly a good arguement anyway. In a time where desease was rife, povety was widespread and people had little to no knowledge about the world even i would have felt good listening to stories of heaven and reward. People are easiest to convert when there down thats why christianity loves the third world so much.

Not to mention the fact that Christianity is booming in China, which is as "non Christan" of a country as you can get.

I dont know much about china and it's religious population but i wouldnt say christianity is booming there, Im sure it had a little hiccup when 70 million people died due to mao, I bet the priests were all over the desperate and the needy during that time. It's most likely loosing popularity again now

[Carpathian Wolf]

The romans - power and ability to controll the masses like puppets.

Everyone else - Convert or die by the sword

Thats not exactly a good arguement anyway. In a time where desease was rife, povety was widespread and people had little to no knowledge about the world even i would have felt good listening to stories of heaven and reward. People are easiest to convert when there down thats why christianity loves the third world so much.



I dont know much about china and it's religious population but i wouldnt say christianity is booming there, Im sure it had a little hiccup when 70 million people died due to mao, I bet the priests were all over the desperate and the needy during that time. It's most likely loosing popularity again now

Really? Romans accepted Christianity to control the masses? Even though the masses were pagans. I see a problem with your theory.

You can disagree with Christianity or anything if you want but at least do so in an educated manner that doesn't sound so, 9th grade "i've just found atheism on the internetz" book report.

[Gromovnik]

People almost always follow the religion of there society. Very rare that a person born in an islamic country will become a christian for instance.

Yes, that might be bad for that person's health...

[Red]

So your only reason for not being racist, xenophobic, etc. is because they can't choose? I would say that is fairly racist, xenophobic, etc.

[Phier]

firstly i am not a racist, xenophobe e.c.t. im just wondering why it is frowned upon so badly. obviously you cant choose your coulour, race, sexurality e.c.t so i understand why you shouldn't judge people because of those things. but religion? surely religion is a set of beliefs you hold close to you? surely the one thing it should be ok to judge someone by is the beliefs they live by? i am guessing that the reason that judging people because of their religion is as frowned upon as it is is because it can easily escalate to religious killing and atrocities.

In a way you can't choose.

Almost every Muslim poster on TWC would be Christian or Zoroastrian if slightly different circumstances happened in history.

Likewise just about every Christian would be pagan or Muslim if slightly different circumstances happened in history.

Religion is imprinted on you from your parents, its the classic idea of a meme. Because you get it at an early age at the right time it is accepted without question no matter how ridiculous the idea is and many would defend their belief because they simply can't help it.

So you can't really blame people for having their particular religion, not all are able to break out of that childhood imprinting or want to. Even someone like myself who has been an atheist since early childhood still gets a twinge of uneasiness in a church (though absolutely nothing like that in any other place of worship).

Now being it CAN change that doesn't give them a free pass though either.

[Shams al-Ma'rifa]

In a way you can't choose.

Almost every Muslim poster on TWC would be Christian or Zoroastrian if slightly different circumstances happened in history.
Likewise just about every Christian would be pagan or Muslim if slightly different circumstances happened in history.

Well.. half of everyone in my mosque are American, Christian converts so Even the Imam is a convert. It's funny because I take religious class with these converts and they're hella a lot more conservative than I am.. the type that believe in 72 virgins in paradise. It impresses, confuses, and irritates me all at the same time.

Religion is imprinted on you from your parents, its the classic idea of a meme. Because you get it at an early age at the right time it is accepted without question no matter how ridiculous the idea is and many would defend their belief because they simply can't help it.

I question my parents all the time.. I was a pretty scientific-minded kid though, like the way my parents explained babies was that a man and a woman gets married and then babies come out of.. idk they never quite got to that part. I always knew there was something missing though and I came to figure this out by myself at a relatively early age..

I always critiqued the hell out of Islam, even from an early age. If it wasn't for my mom sitting with me for 3 hours everyday and breaking down every argument I had, I'd still like believe in God but I probably wouldn't be Muslim. The majority of orthodox Muslims still annoy me with their dogmatic beliefs more than atheists do. I mean.. atheists are only atheists because they've never had a supernatural experience so that's understandable.

So you can't really blame people for having their particular religion, not all are able to break out of that childhood imprinting or want to. Even someone like myself who has been an atheist since early childhood still gets a twinge of uneasiness in a church (though absolutely nothing like that in any other place of worship).

Agreed

[Augment]

Discriminate no, but it should definately be questioned at all times.

[Brain_in_a_vat]

To my knowledge, every adherent to a religion I've ever know hasn't studied the Bible, and doesn't claim to have experienced God. It's simply indoctrination from birth in most cases, although many would probably deny it because to admit so would be to admit that their religion isn't superior to any other. It's the religious meme.

I have to say I'm fascinated with claims from many TWC Christians that they've had some kind of enigmatic 'experience' of God/Jesus, although I have yet to hear any specifics of course.

What about the early Christians, the Bulgarians that converted to Christianity, the Romans that convereted to Christianity, the Lithuanians, etc. etc. Not to mention the fact that Christianity is booming in China, which is as "non Christan" of a country as you can get.

Throughout history leaders, monarchs in particular, have had a great deal of influence on their subjects when it comes to religion. A particularly unjust Emperor/King would convert to a religion and simply order it to be spread around his country.

[CamilleBonparte]

Okay so, you're either religious because you're indoctrinated from birth, or because you live a meager life and must cling to a feel good philosophy in order to get by. These are the only explanations atheists posit?

Well they fall on their face as I was never taken to church as a child nor was I told to read the bible/taught about the bible and yet I am Christian, not becoming so until I was a teenager and started to seek spiritual truth, being naturally curious about the world. I also didn't care for Christianity as all I knew of it was the assumptions I received from a secular society critical of religion. You could almost say I was indoctrinated by society into being an atheist, in fact many of you appear to be, despite perhaps being raised with one religion or another you all definitely repeat the same mantras which speak toward some level of influence from a similar source - this is where you guys say that source is reason and begin chest-bumping by the way. I had a fortunate upbringing so there was no need to cling to anything just to get by in life. Sorry, I know how inconvenient that is for you guys.

[Helm]

I know how inconvenient that is for you guys.

Bear in mind that only 1 in 12 people have a different religious belief to their parents so atheists are correct to a certain degree. Not that it explains the human need for religion in general, even in wealthy societies amoung people who aren't particularly desperate for something to see tem through tough times.

[Meneth]

Okay so, you're either religious because you're indoctrinated from birth, or because you live a meager life and must cling to a feel good philosophy in order to get by. These are the only explanations atheists posit?

Well they fall on their face as I was never taken to church as a child nor was I told to read the bible/taught about the bible and yet I am Christian, not becoming so until I was a teenager and started to seek spiritual truth, being naturally curious about the world. I also didn't care for Christianity as all I knew of it was the assumptions I received from a secular society critical of religion. You could almost say I was indoctrinated by society into being an atheist, in fact many of you appear to be, despite perhaps being raised with one religion or another you all definitely repeat the same mantras which speak toward some level of influence from a similar source - this is where you guys say that source is reason and begin chest-bumping by the way. I had a fortunate upbringing so there was no need to cling to anything just to get by in life. Sorry, I know how inconvenient that is for you guys.

There's a few exceptions, but indoctrination or sub-standard living conditions is the cause of religious belief in most cases.
This shows clearly in the geographical distribution of different religions, and in that poorer countries tend to be more religious than richer countries.

[Brain_in_a_vat]

There's a few exceptions, but indoctrination or sub-standard living conditions is the cause of religious belief in most cases.
This shows clearly in the geographical distribution of different religions, and in that poorer countries tend to be more religious than richer countries.

This, and this:

Bear in mind that only 1 in 12 people have a different religious belief to their parents so atheists are correct to a certain degree. Not that it explains the human need for religion in general, even in wealthy societies amoung people who aren't particularly desperate for something to see tem through tough times.

Picking out individual exception doesn't cause anything to fall flat on its face, use common sense man.

[Squiggle]

Uh, its wrong because of freedom of expression and conscience. If the religion takes a violent twist, then you shut it down. As in, you shut down the people who are perpetrating the crimes. Weather a belief system is wrong and violent objectively or simply in your opinion, it shouldnt be discriminated against. Argued against, presented to be wrong, of course. But thats a far cry from discrimination.

Okay so, you're either religious because you're indoctrinated from birth, or because you live a meager life and must cling to a feel good philosophy in order to get by. These are the only explanations atheists posit?

Well they fall on their face as I was never taken to church as a child nor was I told to read the bible/taught about the bible and yet I am Christian, not becoming so until I was a teenager and started to seek spiritual truth, being naturally curious about the world. I also didn't care for Christianity as all I knew of it was the assumptions I received from a secular society critical of religion. You could almost say I was indoctrinated by society into being an atheist, in fact many of you appear to be, despite perhaps being raised with one religion or another you all definitely repeat the same mantras which speak toward some level of influence from a similar source - this is where you guys say that source is reason and begin chest-bumping by the way. I had a fortunate upbringing so there was no need to cling to anything just to get by in life. Sorry, I know how inconvenient that is for you guys.

Woah, is that you, me?

[a.k.a same exact experience, scarily similar. ]

[MaximiIian]

Religious discrimination is bad for the same reason any other discrimination is bad- it's judging people based on factors that shouldn't affect your judgement of them. Behaviour and actions, not personal beliefs, are what should determine your evaluation and judgement of others, if you're going to judge people at all. I still have yet to determine whether judging others is ever the right thing to do, as it tends to be quite rude and patronising.

PS)

To my knowledge, every adherent to a religion I've ever know hasn't studied the Bible, and doesn't claim to have experienced God.

And what does the Bible have to do with religion as a whole? I can see what it has to do with Christianity and Judaism, but those are only two out of dozens of clearly-defined religious systems.
I, for one, was never raised religious or around religious people, and I never had a bad life. I came to my beliefs on my own accord and based on my own experiences. And I take great umbridge at your assumption that the kind of people you describe are representative of religious people as a whole, and especially of myself.