# Why do we have to put up with Religious People? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 7, 2020, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474 "2020-08-07T06:20:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 38
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/743 "2020-09-11T21:32:08Z")
Depends how you define God. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/744 "2020-09-12T01:10:09Z")
We always come back to that. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt there is no “infinitely powerful” God, because the term does not have any actual meaning. If you say, “Zeus is really powerful, I mean, so way powerful you can’t imagine it,” you’re in with a chance. But when you say “Jehovah is infninitely powerful,” you’re into “invisible pink unicorn” territory. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/745 "2020-09-12T05:02:18Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > You never like to give straight answers, so do you believe beyond a shadow of a doubt there is no God Which god would you like me to deny? You tell me the attributes of the god you are referring to, and I will let you know whether I believe it exists. The way you say “God” in that sentence makes me tend to think you are referring to a specific deity. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/746 "2020-09-12T06:37:34Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > {…} The way you say “God” in that sentence makes me tend to think you are referring to a specific deity. I think it’s the G! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/747 "2020-09-12T16:36:07Z")
See, like i said, you wouldnt give a straight answer. Which gods then do you believe in? ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/748 "2020-09-12T16:45:08Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > you wouldnt give a straight answer. You’re not giving a straight answer. You’re the one refusing to define your terms. And, while I am not Czarcasm, it’s not necessary to believe in any god to want the term defined before answering the question. One could be atheist about some definitions but agnostic about others. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/749 "2020-09-12T16:46:33Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > See, like i said, you wouldnt give a straight answer I can give a straight answer _to a straight question_. As long as you refuse to define your terms, I will refuse to to try to guess what the hell you are talking about. _Define what you mean by “God”._ ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/750 "2020-09-12T16:53:11Z")
Use the usual definition. Like in the definition of atheist. Are you a atheist? ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/751 "2020-09-12T16:55:23Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Use the usual definition. There is no “usual definition.” There are a lot of people who think that there is. But they disagree wildly with each other as to what it is. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/752 "2020-09-12T16:56:07Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Use the usual definition. Is this supposed to be a clever way not to pin yourself down, or do you honestly don’t have a definition of the word “God”? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/753 "2020-09-12T16:57:23Z")
Use your definition, that’s fine. But you also dodged the question of “Which gods then do you believe in?” Do you believe in any gods? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/754 "2020-09-12T16:59:16Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Like in the definition of atheist. Are you a atheist 1. It must be pointed out that the definition of “atheist” that you frequently espouse is not common at all. 2. But since you have no problem repeating your definition of “atheist”, what is the problem with giving us your definition of “God”? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/755 "2020-09-12T17:09:09Z")
I used a definition of string atheist, which is there in wikipedia. But use whatever definition you want. No, I am not getting into a "definition of god " hijack. We will use your definition, that’s fine. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/756 "2020-09-12T17:19:13Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > We will use your definition, that’s fine Okey Doaky! God is a spherical triangle, as black as the snow and totally invisible, was President of England from 1244 to 1819, and celebrates her birthday every February 13th by giving everybody a puppy. I don’t believe that God exists. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/757 "2020-09-12T17:21:15Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > We will use your definition I don’t have one definition. You might as well be asking me to say something about ‘dog’, while refusing to explain whether you mean a canine, or an andiron, or an insult. The concepts covered by the word ‘god’ are at least as varied. – Czarcasm, thanks for the belly laugh! ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/758 "2020-09-12T18:22:34Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > See, like i said, you wouldnt give a straight answer. > > Which gods then do you believe in? Which gods should I believe in and why? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/759 "2020-09-12T18:28:56Z")
Now that DrDeth has agreed to use my definition of God, “A spherical triangle, as black as the snow and totally invisible, was President of England from 1244 to 1819, and celebrates her birthday every February 13th by giving everybody a puppy”, and now that I’ve stated that I most certainly do not believe that God exists it is only fair that DrDeth tell us if _he_ believes that God exists, don’t you think? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/760 "2020-09-12T19:05:49Z")
Like i said, you would refuse to give a straight answer. Thus, I am going to make a statement-Czarcasm believes beyond a shadow of a doubt there is no God. You may refute that if you wish. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/761 "2020-09-12T19:22:59Z")
Whatever makes you feel clever about yourself. 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/762 "2020-09-12T19:28:39Z")
Making statements about other people’s beliefs is a very, very poor debate technique. You might as well write your own script, with “Simplicio” mouthing words that you then wisely rebut. You can publish that on Facebook and be happy, but you cannot pretend it’s a form of discussion or debate with actual other people. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474.md?page=37) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474.md?page=39)