> Yikes. Some people have different belief systems, some of those belief systems believe in the afterlife.
That is fine, there are also people who follow the Flat Earth Society (with 'members all around the globe') or who follow the flying spaghetti monster (my wife is a card carrying member). Honestly, I actually thought for quite some time the Flat Earth Society was a joke. I wonder how many members consider it as such.
Now, you may have such beliefs. They're not based on facts though. And when it comes to beliefs, you should prepare to get ridiculed as they're not fact-based. When you face such ridiculousness, you may stand fierce, and decide to prove your point. But if it is not a factual-based point, and you are unable to prove it, do not be surprised when you are not taken seriously.
For me, belief is very simple. I am not going to believe in a God, and I only need to look at the suffering happening in one country in this world (which I am not going to name since the name is irrelevant). The immense suffering of people in this country, on both sides of the conflict, leads me to the simple conclusion that if there is a God it must be a cruel, conflicted being. Besides, why can these religious people not agree on the basics of their belief systems? Why would a loving God divide people like that?
Instead, I take a more simple approach to God and Devil. They're just bastardizations of the words and concepts of good and evil, and that is it. Concepts which had to be enforced onto people when law was weak, unjust, and fundamental democratic principles like Trias Politica did not yet exist. As far as these concepts ever worked well to begin with, we no longer need God and Devil.
>And when it comes to beliefs, you should prepare to get ridiculed as they're not fact-based.
You think it's fair game to ridicule people with other beliefs, I think that's sad.
I don't believe in god. But I'm also not going to ridicule people, or tell them that they're "using a dead person as as a prop to make you feel better about yourself", if they do believe in god. Being smug about your fact-based beliefs, or whatever, is just dumb.
> You think it's fair game to ridicule people with other beliefs, I think that's sad.
Oh, you do? I just read there's priests flying over flooded places in Russia to pray. How is that going to help anyone? Meanwhile, the institution they stand for OK's genocide in Ukraine. The (Catholic) pope also had a word to say about Ukraine, saying they should raise the white flag (ie. give up). Religious institutions are a means to an end for political gains.
For thousands of years we atheists have lived under the repression of popular religions, and those who followed different cults (such as one's using herbs and psychedelics) were repressed. We are not allowed to make fun of these religions, given how ridicule and non-evidence based they are? I'm glad we are able to in the society I live in (NL), even though I often find such humor extremely bo(oo)ring.
Now, during COVID crisis we had some crazy people, including with religious background cause 'vaccines are bad, mmkay?' and they were manipulated by populism and what not. It is almost like a new cult is started, and we've seen various people such as Elon Musk fall into the trap. According to you, I'm not allowed to make jokes about such either?
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence should count for religions just as well. You should not be able to get away with 'I have a large amount of followers, come at me'.
I'll give you this though: it isn't worth it to focus on this very small cult/belief system. There's much bigger ones which are far, far more nefarious.
>I just read there's priests flying over flooded places in Russia to pray. How is that going to help anyone?
Did they stop once they realized you were ridiculing them?
I agree that every issue you brought up is a legitimate issue. I just don't think ridicule is the solution.
And I especially don't think ridicule is warranted when we're talking about someone attending a funeral that no one else attended.
>According to you, I'm not allowed to make jokes about such either?
By all means, you are completely free to ridicule them, just as I'm free to call it out as unproductive and sad. I'm not sure why you and the other poster resort to this "are you trying to censor me?" rhetoric.
That is fine, there are also people who follow the Flat Earth Society (with 'members all around the globe') or who follow the flying spaghetti monster (my wife is a card carrying member). Honestly, I actually thought for quite some time the Flat Earth Society was a joke. I wonder how many members consider it as such.
Now, you may have such beliefs. They're not based on facts though. And when it comes to beliefs, you should prepare to get ridiculed as they're not fact-based. When you face such ridiculousness, you may stand fierce, and decide to prove your point. But if it is not a factual-based point, and you are unable to prove it, do not be surprised when you are not taken seriously.
For me, belief is very simple. I am not going to believe in a God, and I only need to look at the suffering happening in one country in this world (which I am not going to name since the name is irrelevant). The immense suffering of people in this country, on both sides of the conflict, leads me to the simple conclusion that if there is a God it must be a cruel, conflicted being. Besides, why can these religious people not agree on the basics of their belief systems? Why would a loving God divide people like that?
Instead, I take a more simple approach to God and Devil. They're just bastardizations of the words and concepts of good and evil, and that is it. Concepts which had to be enforced onto people when law was weak, unjust, and fundamental democratic principles like Trias Politica did not yet exist. As far as these concepts ever worked well to begin with, we no longer need God and Devil.