# Should we respect the Christian-right? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 10, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-respect-the-christian-right/274084 "2004-11-10T21:38:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-respect-the-christian-right/274084/101 "2004-11-12T22:13:52Z")
There will always be a next time. ---
**Author:** ![Avumede](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/avumede/32/7235_2.png) [@Avumede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avumede)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-respect-the-christian-right/274084/102 "2004-11-13T02:39:14Z")
> [@yosemite](#): > > Oh, _please_. This has got to be the biggest backpedal of all. > > So you’re seriously saying that you thought that a great deal of Dopers (or people in general) were going to fight the concept that there is no evidence of souls? I lost my much longer reply, but here’s the short version: You are mistaken if you believe that people don’t try to rationally justify their beliefs. I believe that many religious people believe there is a good reason for them to believe things like the virgin birth, the existence of a soul, the 7-day creation of the world, the non-evolution of Man, etc. That is ignorance. As to whether we should interfere with people who are minding their own business… the question is bizarre. I made it clear I’m talking in the context of this board. So, if you are asking whether we should regularly start threads attacking incorrect religious beliefs, then I would say no. It seems like a waste of time. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2004, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-respect-the-christian-right/274084/103 "2004-11-13T06:24:59Z")
> [@Avumede](#): > > I lost my much longer reply, but here’s the short version: You are mistaken if you believe that people don’t try to rationally justify their beliefs. Yes, I’m sure they do. I see them do it for things like Creationism. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them do it for something like proving a soul, proving the virgin birth, and so forth. I’m sure someone out there at some point has tried, but such people are, I suspect, quite rare—at least on this board. We go back to the whole “faith” thing. That’s where people say “faith” comes in. > [@](#): > > I believe that many religious people believe there is a good reason for them to believe things like the virgin birth, the existence of a soul, the 7-day creation of the world, the non-evolution of Man, etc. Ah. There you go back to it. They _believe_ there is a good reason. What _reason_ do they give most of the time? With the exception of creationism (which I do see here debated often enough), what _reasons_ do people give for believing that a soul exists, or the virgin birth, and so forth? Or, do they simply say that they believe it was true, and that it was a miracle? > [@](#): > > As to whether we should interfere with people who are minding their own business… the question is bizarre. I made it clear I’m talking in the context of this board. I am too. Do you bother someone who makes a passing mention of believing in the virgin birth, for instance? Or in a soul? They just made the claim that they _believe_ it is true, so isn’t that ignorance? Don’t you want to dispel that ignorance? Even though, perhaps, they haven’t indicated that they want to preach or convert others and mind their own business—just that they _believe_ it is true? ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-respect-the-christian-right/274084/104 "2004-11-13T20:55:42Z")
Anyone else saw the CNN special Fight for Faith ? ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2004, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-respect-the-christian-right/274084/105 "2004-11-13T21:36:04Z")
sorry… wanted to post more… contd - I thought the point about Bible Infallability vs. People interpreting being fallible was very good - I do have to agree that evangelicals aren’t portrayed positively by the media (why should they be ? hehe) - Its scary how strong the evangelical vote has gotten… ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-respect-the-christian-right/274084/106 "2004-11-14T00:05:59Z")
I missed the whole show. Too bad, it would have been interesting, in a train wreck sort of way. I still tend to think that Values and/or religion was the election October Surprise. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-respect-the-christian-right/274084/107 "2004-11-14T00:15:04Z")
Maybe it is just me, but I think you should “respect” everyone. That doesn’t mean you have to like them. In fact, you can have a seething hatred for them (I don’t), but you can still respect them. It is called being open minded and accepting people for who they are and what they believe. ---
**Author:** ![Avumede](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/avumede/32/7235_2.png) [@Avumede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avumede)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-respect-the-christian-right/274084/108 "2004-11-14T13:11:00Z")
> [@Zagadka](#): > > Maybe it is just me, but I think you should “respect” everyone. That doesn’t mean you have to like them. In fact, you can have a seething hatred for them (I don’t), but you can still respect them. It is called being open minded and accepting people for who they are and what they believe. I completely agree. We don’t have to respect their beliefs, though. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-respect-the-christian-right/274084/109 "2004-11-15T17:44:53Z")
Do they respect my liberal atheism? Perhaps some do, but it is exceedingly rare in the fundamentalists that gravitate to the right wing, most of whom view atheism as no better than Satanism. For that intolerant flavor of Christianity, I have no respect, nor do I feel any need to. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-respect-the-christian-right/274084/110 "2004-11-15T19:27:07Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > in the fundamentalists that gravitate to the right wing,. Are there any that _don’t?_ I’d sure like to meet them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-respect-the-christian-right/274084.md?page=5)