Religious Person Sighting of the Day:
I was filling up at the Clark Pump N’Shop, when I saw a sour-faced woman in an iridescent green baseball cap get out of a nearby van and carry two depleted Big Gulp cups over to the waste bin.
She was wearing a t-shirt that said “Real Women Pray Every Day”.
I think a lot of this ties into a concept that someone called “My circle versus your circle.”
If I want to wear a blue T-shirt, fine. I am staying in my circle. If you want to wear a red T-shirt, fine. You are staying in your circle.
But if I try to compel you to wear a blue T-shirt, then that’s different; I am now intruding into your circle.
That is what some Christians do when they expect non-Christians to join them in prayer before a meal. They are no longer staying in their circle but trying to intrude into the non-Christian’s circle. But some Christians do not understand this. They do not see compelling others to partake in their own religious customs as a case of intruding into someone else’s circle.
They’re just doing the usual thing that power (and children) do: testing the boundaries. The Christian Church has long been uncomfortable with the separation of church and state, and there are rather a few churchmen and faithful who would return right to the days of Mary of England if they could.
We used to have a gentlemen’s agreement: churches aren’t taxed…and sermons aren’t overtly political. The religious side has broken this agreement. (Yeah, I know, centuries ago… But it has a new energy since the days of the Reagan/God election committee.)
edited for grammar
The overtly religious political arguments re: abortion/LGBTQ, Muslim world vs Christian West, aren’t especially what i’m getting at.
And maybe I focused too much on American Christians and domesticate issues, but middle east is a basket case over religious issues. Why do i have to “put up” with 20 years of war because of bunch of religious people are mad at each other? That is just recent. It’s been happening for 1000s of years.
I don’t think it’s that you have to put up with it, as it is…there isn’t an alternative. It’s only until, or unless, atheism becomes far more mainstream than it is now, that this could stop. If you stand on the sidelines as Muslims and Hindus war against each other and say “stop fighting,” it won’t do a thing - they won’t listen to you, and might shoot you then continue fighting.
And let’s be clear, West Asia would be fighting each other over something else anyways - water rights or oil money. The Iran-Iraq War were supposedly about religious sects but it was about oil (Saddam Hussein was the farthest thing from a religious fanatic).
Probably so, but you can’t deny the people in power use Religion. Atheist Evil Dictator 1 wants more power, oil, territory, etc. Tells his people that the lands that Atheist Evil Dictator 2 controls should rightfully be ours, because God said so.
Boom! War
Why do have to “put up” with that?
And i’m not limiting this to third world Muslim dictators, Christianity is used the same way.
How do you not “put up” with that? Is this just a vent? If so, where is the debate here?
And if you snap your finger and end religion and then the dictator uses political philosophy (communism, Western liberal democracy, etc) to justify their war and get people to buy in… What then? How do we not “put up” with that.
There are probably exceptions (which someone will surely point out) but generally speaking liberal democracies don’t generally invade each other.
Can I openly state that Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhist, etc. are all delusional? The feedback from this seems to be “No”, your a jerk, or Islamaphobe, or whatever. People can believe in whatever tooth fairy they want to and how dare you question that right.
This idea that belief in supernatural beings is somehow “normal” escapes me.
Actually your views are quite normal for about 40% of Americans. Including me.
But only about 5% will say it in public, and even then only in favorable circumstances and softly, softly. Those folks and those circumstances are concentrated on the internet & in big cities where they won’t be ostracized or have their tires slashed or their kids attacked.
Can Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc., all openly state that you are delusional? A fair number of them would think that you are. Would you be offended if they stated this?
As much as i would be offended if my Astrology and Healing Crystals Aunt told me i was delusional for not believing in those things.
So, is that “a lot,” “a little,” or “not in the slightest”?
not the slightest.
Then, good for you. Understand that an awful lot of people feel that telling them that they’re delusional about their deeply-held beliefs (be it religion, political philosophy, or even sports fandom) aren’t going to react kindly to being told that.
Even if you are absolutely certain that they are wrong, unless it’s in the context of an actual debate you’re having on the topic, a lot of people are going to think you’re a jerk for doing so. If your reply to a store clerk saying, “Have a blessed day,” is “You’re delusional, you know,” then you kind of are an antisocial jerk.
Generally no. But liberal democracies do invade other political systems from time to time (see the US invading Iraq).
While I wouldn’t put “have a blessed day” in the same category as the Crusades, it is an example of Religion seeping into all manner of our society. I can’t buy a Big Gulp of Dr pepper without being drawn into your religion? Just sell me the Big Gulp.
Sure you can. But why do think others can’t also express their opinions in response?