Why is religion above criticism?

[Mot]

It's time we have this discussion. Our society allows religions a free pass not given to other topics like politics. We see it right here on Urban Toronto.
How do we change it?

 

[Urban Shocker]

Our first big mistake was abandoning the Enlightenment.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

it is above criticism because alot of people have elevated it to that status. what's sad is that once something becomes unquestionable, it is allowed to get away with almost anything. and it's not only religion, it's also unquestionable ideologies such as communism where dictators establish themselves as god and their doctrine as truth.

a good society IMO is one where people are allowed to have their beliefs but their beliefs aren't allowed to hurt anyone else or be forced upon anyone else. one where decisions are based on rationality and not personal revelations.

 

[CDL.TO]

A thread title like this would make any forum moderator nervous (or any church moderator, for that matter).

This is a friendly preemptive warning to everyone to keep things civil and to avoid personalizing things.

 

[wonderboy416]

Religulous should be mandtaory viewing.

It blows my mind that seemingly brilliant people can put so much faith into something that's no more likely to have happened than Charlotte's Web or Jack and the Beanstalk. That's why I like Scientology, it's so far off base and ridiculous it's almost mocking the other religions. Our neighbors to the south are actually teaching creationism as being plausible in some of their schools... I would never want my children raised with such delusional beliefs being taught to them.

While there's always been human conflict religion is a driving force behind the majority of it... it's high-time the world opened its eyes and put things into perspective.

 

[khris]

Religulous was quite awesome for sure. Definitely the best documentary I've ever watched, and I'm not a big fan of documentaries.
I liked the Santa Claus analogy.

 

[urbanboom]

I don't understand how it would above criticism. Look around: I see plenty of criticism of it here and in the world in general. There are books criticizing religion that are best sellers, and some people even feel compelled to take out ads criticizing it. If by "why is religion above criticism" you mean, "why don't they listen to us?" I can see your point.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

and bill maher isn't even an atheist! i love his style.

 

[Ramako]

Religion is above criticism because faith and logic are diametrically opposed concepts.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

I don't understand how it would above criticism. Look around: I see plenty of criticism of it here and in the world in general. There are books criticizing religion that are best sellers, and some people even feel compelled to take out ads criticizing it. If by "why is religion above criticism" you mean, "why don't they listen to us?" I can see your point.

meh, there's cities that allow an ad campaigns and then there's those that won't allow them. also, what are best sellers in some regions are bonfires in others. what is reasonable free speech in one nation is a death sentence in another.

 

[Whoaccio]

I don't know if religion is above criticism. The main problem I find with most of this debate is that it tends to occur in echo chambers. So, non-religious people generally only criticize religion with other like minded people while the opposite is equally true. It ends up with this weird situation where both non-religious and religious people have this view of things where their camp is the victim of some overarching conspiracy. On the more religious end of things, you can't turn on CTS TV without hearing about "atheist hollywood", the secular elite and freemasons are forcing some kind of "multi-culti koolaid" down "joe six pack's throat." On the flip side though, some people still behave as though Torquemada is still around. For as long as I have been alive, religious criticism has been quite open and socially acceptable.

 

[khris]

and bill maher isn't even an atheist! i love his style.

I think he refers to himself as agnostic.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

a stephen colbert moment

you can't turn on CTS TV without hearing about "atheist hollywood", the secular elite and freemasons are forcing some kind of "multi-culti koolaid" down "joe six pack's throat."

"multi-culti koolaid"? i would have thought it was mulitpurpose mortar? those pesky masons and their sacred geometry proselytizing to high school students through mathematics classes. i heard they collect a special tax on these things:

they're not all bad though. they once re bricked my chimney and it didn't cost me a dime.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

I think he refers to himself as agnostic.

he stated he does believe in some higher power and that he didn't say "he didn't believe in god". i'd characterize him as an agnostic deist (agnostic in relation knowing what god wants or doesn't want and deist in believing that there is a higher power). but i don't know. terms are often bastardized. some people say that they're not atheists just because they disbelieve in a diety (god) when that is the actual definition of atheism. example: "i don't believe in god but i'm not an atheist!"

 

[Mot]

I saw on the news this morning a lawsuit has been filed in Ottawa because the bus ads are not allowed. The ads aren't even critical of any religion in my opinion. "There probably is no God" should hardly send a beep on the controversy meter, yet because people peceive it an attack on their personal religion, they stifle the message.

Coming from the US I am used to people wearing religion on their sleeve, but I would not feel safe wearing my atheism on my sleeve there. I have no problem with anyone's religion as long at they don't use it as a weapon or try to convert me. I've experienced both far too many times.