If theists were a minority instead of a majority would society lock them up under psychiatric care?

First topic message reminder :

Religious beliefs have all the hallmarks of paranoid delusion to me after all. We are and have long been told that we should "respect" a person's beliefs, why? I mean shouldn't what a person believes either be demonstrably deserving of respect or simply be rejected? We don't respect non-religious beliefs we know to be dubious or based on spurious reasoning, especially if those beliefs are harmful, racism, fascism, sexism, pick your ism and it is underpinned by the beliefs held. Why is it reasonable, or indeed is it at all reasonable, to presuppose religious beliefs should be respected? Isn't this just an attempt to lend the gravitas of an omnipotent omniscient deity's authority to human ideas and prejudices? A person's right to believe what ever they wish perhaps must be respected, but not the belief itself surely, I mean if a person wants to hold homophobic, racist or misogynistic beliefs should we respect that right, let alone the beliefs themselves.

Ultimately shouldn't the benchmark of allowing a belief to be held with impunity be whether it is of tangible benefit to most people, or at the very least be a belief that is innocuous?

Polygide asked me "who decides" when I said universal human rights were the only benchmark of any decent society. Well I don't think those basic human rights require subjective opinion do they? I mean the basic freedoms that underpin a decent free society should be self evident and independent of opinion or belief. This in a nutshell is why I can't respect any belief that discriminates in any way. If an all powerful deity wants things run his way then let him do it, why should I defer to someone because they have the astonishing arrogance to claim they're certain what this should be?

Dr, Sheldon,
The first was a question to you, the latter my own feelings.

I answered the first. The second doesn't really address the topic.

Dr, Sheldon,
As I have stated several times, there is no way at all that mankind can formulate a means of satisfying the wishes and expectations of all society, nor having a reasonably fair society, it is not within mankinds capabilities.

Had mankind taken the instructions that God gave then society would have been as intended and he would not have been put in the position of sorting out all the mess mankind has caused through ignorance and self indulgence etc;

Mankind was given freedom of choice and a right mess he has made of it.

polyglide wrote:Dr, Sheldon,
                (irrelevant proselytising removed)

               (more irrelevant proselytising removed)

                (more irrelevant proselytising removed)

Do you have anything salient to add about the thread topic? As I tire of telling you that I have zero interest in listening to you preaching, there are churches and pulpits designed for this, or start your own thread.

Here's a reminder of the opening questions the thread predicates.

"Religious beliefs have all the hallmarks of paranoid delusion to me after all. We are and have long been told that we should "respect" a person's beliefs, why? I mean shouldn't what a person believes either be demonstrably deserving of respect or simply be rejected? We don't respect non-religious beliefs we know to be dubious or based on spurious reasoning, especially if those beliefs are harmful, racism, fascism, sexism, pick your ism and it is underpinned by the beliefs held. Why is it reasonable, or indeed is it at all reasonable, to presuppose religious beliefs should be respected? "

Dr, Sheldon,
For the same reason one should respect every other LAWFUL activity or belief.

polyglide wrote:Dr, Sheldon,
                For the same reason one should respect every other LAWFUL activity or belief.

Firstly suffering a delusion that makes you 100% certain you're Napoleon Bonaparte isn't illegal per se. Secondly Many things religions advocate are illegal, and harmful. See you pages of homophobic bigotry as one example of harmful religious dogma, and you championing that Christian couples attempt to openly discriminate against a couple based on nothing more than their sexuality.

You ignored this:

"shouldn't what a person believes either be demonstrably deserving of respect or simply be rejected?"

Dr, Sheldon,
You are a lost soul, you cannot seperate common sense from ignorance.

I am not going into homosexuality, however, had the two homosexuals had respect for others they would not have gone knowingly and to prove a point, to a Chritian couples house.

What they did was an act of unkindness which was totally uncalled for and showed a total lack of respect.

Polyglide wrote:Dr, Sheldon,(irrelevant childish ad hominem deleted), Grow up please.

Polyglide wrote: I am not going into homosexuality, however, had the two homosexuals had respect for others they would not have gone knowingly and to prove a point, to a Chritian couples house.

It wasn't just their house, they have every right to say who does and doesn't get invited into their house, but they had made a place of business as a B&B. So their vile discrimination and bigotry was illegal and their own fault, ignorance of the law is no excuse. The law is quite clear already so I fail to see why you think any point was being made here, but then you do like to make up and then post lies that you obviously can't evidence.  The Christian couple broke the law, by immoral and illegal discrimination.        

Polyglide wrote:What they did was an act of unkindness which was totally uncalled for and showed a total lack of respect.  

 
I agree, they also broke the law by discriminating against a couple because they were gay. They ought to be ashamed as human beings, and of course as Christians, as ought you for your comments abut gay people. [/quote]

You ignored this again:

"shouldn't what a person believes either be demonstrably deserving of respect or simply be rejected?"

Dr, Sheldon,
Any homosexual is well aware that the Bible condems homosexuality and for that reason Christians also feel it unacceptable, I feel the same but I also feel the same about drunkeness, smoking, killing, abuse of drugs, rape, the list is endless, I have homosexual friends, I do not agree with their sexuality but I am not their judge, I was with Mike on Wednesday he is homosexual, of the hundreds of friends I have many will indulge in the things I do not agree with but I also have faults to which they may not agree, none have the right to judge others and until God decides tollerance without harming others should be the case.

That christian couple broke the law. What's more they ignored clear teachings in the Christian bible attributed to Jesus.  As I said,  they ought to be ashamed both as human beings and as Christians.

Dr, Sheldon,
Mike is a good friend and so is David, the former I see every Wednesday and will tomorrow and David I see rarely becausae he lives too far away.

Both are homosexual and although I disagree on principle I do not judge them and enjoy their company.

All I have ever said about homosexuality is verifiable.

You do and have judged them. What's more they're not really friends as you are hiding how you really feel about them by lying to their faces, whilst calling them unnatural perverted deviants behind their backs.  What's more I think you know how they'd react as well. 

Not only are your homophobic insults towards gay people not verifiable,  but they have been shown to be untrue.  Everything from the Oxford English Dictionary to the world health organisation refutes your claims. By comparisin all you offered in support of those homophobic claims were semantics and bronze age bigotries.

Dr, Shedlon,
Utter nonsense.

Your speciality I'll admit, but your response here merely illustrates 'yet again' that you have no reasonable cogent response. The facts are on the pages of these threads for all to see, I have read them. I have told you before that you'd do well to stop touting your 'gay friends' and we have all read what you really think of them.