Kyle wrote:Jason Toddman wrote:Kyle wrote:There's a difference between tolerating someone's beliefs and accepting them.
Quite true. But as far as I am concerned, I am willing to accept the beliefs of anyone as long as it causes me (or anyone else) no harm. If for instance someone wants to worship Thor or Zeus, who the heck am I to say they can't? If Adam prefers Steve to Eve, that's their business. As long as no one tries to force their beliefs on someone else directly or bring back such things as human sacrifice or otherwise hurt other people, everyone should just accept them and leave them be.
One reason I stopped being an actively church-going Christian is because so many other Christians were such arrogant, intolerant, closed-minded busybodies!!! I'll take the company of an easygoing, open-minded pagan any day!
I think you sort of understood what I meant but not the wording. What I mean is more or less like what you said about allowing people to believe what they want (within reason) but what I meant by not accepting them is I don't have to accept your beliefs as true. I probably should have explained it better.
Though, also on the same line of thought, trying to persuade someone to accept your views is not the same thing as forcing them on others.
I very much agree with you on this point; and you're right I wasn't quite certain by your wording what you meant.
I don't feel I have to agree with someone's beliefs in, say, worshipping Thor to accept their right to do so themselves; they should be allowed to believe whatever they find comforts them. I don't just tolerate - that implies some of tacit (and undeserved) superiority over another person - I accept. When I debated with Cricks about his Mormon beliefs, I never questioned his right to believe Mormonism; just asked him *why* he believed. Like most believers in something (regardless of the religion), he could not come up with any answer that would remotely convince a skeptic. But I still respect his beliefs all the same even though I do not share them.
Of course, when someone expresses a belief that implies some people are inferior or undeserving of equal rights under the law in some ways, like Staythirstmyfriends with his anti-gay bias, that's a whole different kettle of fish. If people like him don't want to associate with gays, that's his business (and his right), but saying they shouldn't be allowed to marry - well, that's his right too actually but beliefs like that I do NOT respect. Any more than I'd respect someone who disses blacks, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and so on. I do not accept people who are non-accepting (or at least tolerating) of others; such people usually aren't very nice people themselves anyway and are likely toi l,ook down on Tuggers too besides! They may have a right to say what they like, but I have the right to disagree with them - strenuously. But again of course I can't (and wouldn't) force my beliefs on them any more than they can on me. That's the tricky part of free will, I suppose.
Dare to be different... and make a difference.
To boldly go where no one in their right mind has gone before...