# To Non-religious- well-known religious persons you like, respect... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 6, 2005, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-non-religious-well-known-religious-persons-you-like-respect/302660 "2005-05-06T06:30:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-non-religious-well-known-religious-persons-you-like-respect/302660/41 "2005-05-08T21:00:59Z")
I respect all the respectable ones. The list is long. **Polycarp** is near the top. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-non-religious-well-known-religious-persons-you-like-respect/302660/42 "2005-05-09T13:02:28Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Dietrich Bonhoffer (sp?)-survivor of concentration camps Sadly, no, he didn’t survive. Actually, I’m not sure he was ever in a concentration camp per se, but he was in prison and was executed by the Nazis. [/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-non-religious-well-known-religious-persons-you-like-respect/302660/43 "2005-05-09T14:28:24Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > I suppose that’s true. Hell, I think that belief in the astrology column in the newspaper is a sign of superstition, and belief in military press releases is a sign of gullibility, but I like plenty of people who evince these types of belief. > > I would be interested in hearing from **gobear** , **loopydude** , and others who (IIRC) have expressed a belief that religion is a delusion/superstition/whatever: do you find yourself not respecting or liking religious people because of that? If I may pitch two pennies on the table? Yes. I have found through personal experience that, in almost all cases, the louder and longer someone proclaims their godliness and righteousness and religious beliefs, the more important it is to stand with my back against a wall with a hand on my wallet until I can get a whole lot of gone between me and them. There have been very few exceptions. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-non-religious-well-known-religious-persons-you-like-respect/302660/44 "2005-05-09T14:38:05Z")
This is a guess, but I think Cecil Adams is a practicing Catholic. At least that’s the impression I get from his columns. He speaks of a Catholic upbringing, has never renounced the church in his columns, (and I’ve read most of them), and in [this column about excommunication](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_242.html) he says if they threaten him with the “old book bell and candle” ritual he’ll never miss mass again–implying that he goes to mass at least occaisionally. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-non-religious-well-known-religious-persons-you-like-respect/302660/45 "2005-05-09T14:44:32Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Yes. I have found through personal experience that, in almost all cases, the louder and longer someone proclaims their godliness and righteousness and religious beliefs, the more important it is to stand with my back against a wall with a hand on my wallet until I can get a whole lot of gone between me and them. > > There have been very few exceptions. Do you find the same pattern with other belief systems? I.e., the longer and louder someone proclaims their liberalism, conservatism, vegetarianism, carnivorousness, etc., the more annoying they are? That’s the pattern I’ve seen. Evangelical zealots of all stripes chap my hide. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-non-religious-well-known-religious-persons-you-like-respect/302660/46 "2005-05-09T17:44:59Z")
Surprised no one’s mentione [Barry Lynn](http://www.au.org/site/PageServer?pagename=aboutau) (Director of Americans United) yet…maybe it’s cuz he looks like Steve Forbes [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-non-religious-well-known-religious-persons-you-like-respect/302660.md?page=2)