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So This Is The Religion Of Peace And Tolerance?


bristolborn_and_red

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As I'm sure you knew what my point was bristolborn, it was that religion in all forms makes stupid people do stupid things that are not rational.

To me religion is central to many ills in the world.

Yep. And if it wasn't religion, it would be something else. Like nationalism, race, gender, sexual orientation, politics etc. Stupid people, as you call them, hijack all kinds of things. Intolerance has many forms but ultimately it boils down to the fact that its root cause is a bigoted, inflexible and unsympathetic attitude, exacerbated by a lack of education.

Those of us who are bigoted anti-religious people can be as bad as the religious bigots we rightly find distasteful.

As for the business with the Archbishop of York, how does this prove that the religion he represents is futile? I'm not a member of the Anglican church, never would be, but surely it deserves some credit for standing up against such intolerance and public ignorance as does the Archbishop. I'm sure this would enable him to empathise with other victims of such stupidity.

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I think Robert M. Pirsig makes a good point with this quote:

You are never dedicated to something you have complete confidence in. No one is fanatically shouting that the sun is going to rise tomorrow. They know it's going to rise tomorrow. When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious faiths or any other kinds of dogmas or goals, it's always because these dogmas or goals are in doubt.

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Guest MaloneFM

I'd like to quote, if I may, myself...ahem...

GET OVER YOUR BLOODY SILLY SELF THERE IS ENOUGH IDIOTS LOOKING FOR AN EXCUSE TO CHUCK A BRICK AND GENERALLY ACT LIKE A BERK!

...don't make me come up there, that's all! :angry:

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As for the business with the Archbishop of York, how does this prove that the religion he represents is futile? I'm not a member of the Anglican church, never would be, but surely it deserves some credit for standing up against such intolerance and public ignorance as does the Archbishop. I'm sure this would enable him to empathise with other victims of such stupidity.

:doh:

Blimey, talk about misinterpretations.

I'm not an Aglican either, but even I can appreciate what he is standing up for. And from the interview on the radio the other day he seems like quite a sensible chap.

What I was trying to point out in my original post is that even we have ignorant people - those who send him that stuff in the first place.

I hope everyone finally understands the point I was trying to make :rolleyes:

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:doh:

Blimey, talk about misinterpretations.

I'm not an Aglican either, but even I can appreciate what he is standing up for. And from the interview on the radio the other day he seems like quite a sensible chap.

Yes, understand your point, but you seemed dismissive of all religious people - I can quote you accurately as saying "this just proves the futileness of it all ". On the contrary, I thought it proved how relevant the Church of England is when it stands up to such bigotry. Likewise, when you say "religion is central to many ills in the world" and "religion in all forms makes stupid people do stupid things" I disagree. I'm not the most religious person but I find it too simplistic to come to that conclusion bearing in mind the complexity of the problems I think you are referring to.

As I say, I do understand the point you are making and broadly agree. But Gazred's superb Persig quote expresses my sentiments better. Religion for some people has the opposite effect. People of deep conviction like Martin Luther King, William Booth and William Wilberforce made huge social changes for the better because of their religious beliefs. They weren't fanatics, they were people who served humanity. I don't share their faith necessarily, but I have admiration for their achievements.

For me, the problem is not religion (let's be honest, most religious people, irritating as they are, are peace loving): the problem is intolerance. And this can work several ways.

Sorry if I misjudged the tone of your initial post!

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