maybe I liken respecting itā¦with advocating it.Yes
Why should respecting what we donāt believe be difficult ?- though not all religions deserve respect. Respecting something does not necessarily imply liking it, or agreeing with it, let alone believing it.
hi cheddarāthatās a good way of putting it. I would say that I respect some parts that are agreement with the RCCāthe basic tenets of being a Christianā¦and I always respect people who seem to have the Holy Spirit flowing from themā¦whether they be Catholic or not. I have muslim friends who I dearly respect their deep prayer life, although, I donāt necessarily respect their lack of belief in Christ not being crucified. I heard recently that we should actually not concentrate on those things that separate usā¦but concentrate on those things that bring us together. That was a great statement, I thought.
yesā¦that wa smore of where I was heading with that matthew. hi by the way.
That is correct.
Which is, I suppose, all fine and good right up until I decide that I have no respect for Catholicism, at which point I become a bigot; or until I decide that I cannot tolerate Catholicism, at which point I become a monstrous persecutor of the faith.
The bold part pretty much directly contradicts what I just said.
Nope, itās the exact same thing. You said you could tolerate some religions. So there are some you cannot tolerate; yet if I thought that way and decided Catholicism falls into the latter category, Iāve no doubt youād be calling for my metaphorical head!
Well, off the top of my head the ancient Aztec religion called for regular human sacrifice and for over 1300 years up til the present Islam has taught that apostates must be put to deathā¦ I suppose you would ātolerateā this kind of thing? After all, these are actual religions I speak of here.
Oh, would I now? Thatās news to meā¦ but who am I to argue as you obviously know me better than I know myself.
Iāll settle for tolerate.I donāt care if most people respect my beliefs, as long as they allow me to have and practice them.
If you donāt respect the beliefs, then you arenātrespecting the people who share them. Beliefs are a personās personal opinion. Disrespecting anyonesā beliefs is the same thing as calling them dumb and stupid. That is in essence what Pope Benedict didā¦hi blacktigerāactuallyā¦the question isā¦can you respect a religion if you donāt follow it? Not the people following that faithābut the actual faith. Like, can you respect a religion that lacks Christ? Can we respect a religion that doesnāt show Christ as the Messiah? This is more along the lines of where I was heading with my question. Nowā¦what say you?
Thereās a difference between respecting the belief and respecting its practices. If you believe in Quetzalcoatl, no problem, I can respect that. If you believe that you have to tear somebodyās heart out with your teeth every evening to ensure that the sun will rise the next day, sure, believe it if you like (and I can even respect that belief, no matter how sure I am youāll find out otherwise when you canāt do it one day from your jail cell), but I do not respect the practice.
Given the general attitude of your posts Iāve seen in the past, I think it a reasonable expectation. Iād welcome being shown Iām wrong.Oh, would I now? Thatās news to meā¦ but who am I to argue as you obviously know me better than I know myself.
This is an interesting thought and concurs with something I have been reflecting on lately. Maybe a little āspiritual uncertaintyā is a good thing as it encourages us, forces us to surrender to God, to trust, more fully. āThe letter kills but the Spirit gives lifeā (2 Cor 3:6)
What kind of false dichotomy is THIS?? Respecting a religion itself (what we were talking about from the beginning) entails respecting both the practices AND the beliefs. Both are integral parts that make a religion what it is.
Even if you try to take that position, you would still be caught contradicting your own point of view because the belief that a certain practice (i.e. human sacrifice) must be carried out by consequence means people should have the right to carry out those practices. You seem to be okay with denying certain religions the right to practice their own customs, and in doing so you are not being tolerant of their beliefs. āForcing your own morality on themā, so to speakā¦What kind of false dichotomy is THIS?? Respecting a religion itself (what we were talking about from the beginning) entails respecting both the practices AND the beliefs. Both are integral parts that make a religion what it is.
Even if you try to take that position, you would still be caught contradicting your own point of view because the belief that a certain practice (i.e. human sacrifice) must be carried out by consequence means people should have the right to carry out those practices. You seem to be okay with denying certain religions the right to practice their own customs, and in doing so you are not being tolerant of their beliefs. āForcing your own morality on themā, so to speakā¦