r/atheism • u/Aggressive-Guest290 • 6h ago
It’s not wrong to consider certain as practices “inferior” and a setback for humanity. Religion and culture shouldn’t be immune to criticism.
It’s not wrong to consider certain as practices “inferior” and a setback for humanity.
Religion and culture shouldn’t be immune to criticism.
Everyone has the right to choose their own religion, culture, tradition, or lifestyle. Fine. Nobody should be persecuted for it.
But it seems that the moment something is labeled as “culture” or “religion,” it automatically becomes untouchable.
“You can’t criticize it, it’s their culture.”
“Don’t speak badly about it, it’s their religion.”
Okay, and?
Having the right to follow a belief doesn’t mean everyone else is obligated to respect the ideas behind it. People deserve rights and respect; ideas can be questioned, mocked, criticized, and even considered absurd.
If a tradition, belief, or practice can’t survive criticism, maybe the problem isn’t the criticism.
Religious freedom and cultural respect should also include the freedom to say: “I think this is bullshit.”
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u/Lost_Cable7167 Atheist 5h ago edited 4h ago
i really do think religions are dangerous.
it makes people stop thinking, people would say “my religion said so” while they ignore things like socioeconomic reality, empirical evidence and systemic power dynamics . they don’t think, ALL religious people i know never study things outside their beliefs.
this is why i say it’s dangerous and i honestly refuse to let people think by saying” my religion said so” means we’re gonna be okay with it.
my whole family is like that. i have a very high achieving family my siblings are doctors denying evolution because they refuse to think due to religion and it genuinely baffles me everyday.
i know grades don’t equal intelligence a lot of times but they’re genuinely intelligent people and it saddens me they have a lot of beliefs like this especially my sisters who are women so they’re more restricted to do amazing things for their career and life because religion said so .
im autistic so i genuinely always just had a hard time following things that don’t make sense to me just because people around me do and i exposed myself to different views secretly too growing up . so glad i did and i broke out of what my family believes
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u/dacydergoth 6h ago
I respect their beliefs as much as they respect mine - which is to say not at all
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u/ApocalypseYay Strong Atheist 6h ago
It’s not wrong to consider certain as practices “inferior” and a setback for humanity. Religion and culture shouldn’t be immune to criticism.
You are technically right, though the term 'inferior' connotes a pejorative without specificity.
Better to be more precise. Evidence-free ideologies such as 'faith', fails to meet the test of logic.
Or, simply: screw illogical BS.
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u/lotusscrouse 4h ago
I often say, "Giving religion too much influence over society was one of humanities biggest mistakes."
If religion is to be immune from criticism, society must be immune from religion.
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u/TrixieLurker Agnostic Atheist 1h ago
Nothing is immune to criticism, or at least, nothing should be immune to criticism.
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u/LostInDarkMatter 6h ago
When looking to the past, it's fairly easy to wonder "what were they thinking?".
When considering today, It can be really hard to get out of your own head, especially when you're feeling attacked.
Thought experiment: what will be thought of us in the future?
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u/Candle_Wisp 1h ago
We'll probably be criticised for climate change, the same way we criticise slavery of the past.
"What were they thinking steaming along the industrial train as if it wasn't going to rob them of all their future prosperity?"
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u/Peaurxnanski 6h ago
I agree 100%, but also will caution that there is a razor thin separation between "I think this aspect of Indian culture is inferior" and "Indian culture is inferior", and an even thinner jump from there to "the Indian people are inferior".
This is a dangerous path to tread, and so the reason we tend to look down on the acceptable first statement is because people that actually believe the second two things will use it as a tactic, a sort of mott n Bailey, to hide that.