Why does it matter? (page 3)

jgnat

I am happy to allow people's personal beliefs sit quietly by. I saw red, however, when a person with highly individualistic beliefs received a message for all of us - to follow or die. This person took no personal responsibility for the message either, because they were merely the channel.

I've met evangelists in the flesh like this, too. My personhood is insulted if the evangelist's chief concern is the state of my soul...in their minds. They don't care about my hopes, dreams, interests, grandhildren's pictures, or humour.

I shake the sand from my shoes. Pah. Don't need them either.

designs

ten- Believers of Islam and Christianity want laws which suppress human rights particularly affecting women and children. In the US these groups actively support Creationism in our Public Schools. The whole issue of some God getting vengence is an impediment to the advance of civilization.

So when they come here wanting to spread their 'Gospel' it will be challenged.

bemused

I always try to respect the person but that does not mean that I will necessarily respect their beliefs. For example, I don't respect a belief in the predictive power of astrology and I think it would be wrong to do so, because there is no evidence whatsoever to support such a view. However when criticizing astrology, it is polite to focus on the belief and not the person expressing that belief (who may simply be misinformed, indoctrinated or whatever).

designs

Right- Ted Cruz is misinformed

Phizzy

I agree that respect for the individual is paramount, whether we agree with their views or not. But the ideas themselves, or views on matters, those things themselves deserve no special respect or protection.

If someone wishes to lampoon, satirise or simply condemn unfounded beliefs, or faith or whatever you wish to call it, then to my mind that is fine.

If someone wishes to challenge Deism, Theism, Agnosticism or any other "ism" and get in to a healthy debate about it, then that is a good thing.

It was such debates, quite fiery some of them, that I followed on here and other sites, that helped me begin to think clearly when I first left the W.T

Without them I would not have got to the happy state I am in now, much of the toxicity of false ideas and reasoning would still have been rotting my brain and my soul.

designs

'a wife must be in subjection to her husband' the Apostle Paul. Political Evangelicals in Texas have altered the ID requirements for women voters.

XBEHERE

it doesn't. believe, don't believe .... who cares

jgnat

designs, I followed up the original article. The tightening up is in matching the voter's registration list to the ID (such as a driver's license). If it is not an exact match, the voter may be disqualified.

As women change their names more often than men, it has the potential to affect women more than men.

There's a simple solution. Texas women may keep their birth name for life.

Ruby456

tenyearsafter, as a moderate sort of a person I think part of it is to do with politics and not even to do with arguments about religion anymore although religion may be the subject matter. what I mean to say is that our arguments may be about what we value most - relationships or rights. The good news is that If this is the case then we have moved way beyond seeing things only through a JW lens and this matters to me because I for one want to feel that I am growing although my conversations may constantly harp on about religious themes.

KateWild

I am new to the board. I find the god battles entertaining during this stressful period of deprogramming. Its nice to get to know what certain posters are really like, and who has what kind of knowledge.

Personally I don't stand for intellectual intimidation, the WT does it all the time. One can normally notice who has different interests and knowledge on the board, and I try not to berate anyone if they have a different belief. I believe in God.

Kate xx

Why does it matter?

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