Thread: Should religions that practice violence against others still be acceptable today?

I know many religions don't do this. Most are peaceful or at the very least, don't take action to do harm to others. There are some out in the world though that will practice violence to others in the name of said religion. They will harm others for not believing what they do, treat their women like property, punish people for their sexual orientation, and seek to destroy other religions.

I feel like in this day and age, this kind of stuff should not be accepted anywhere. It is 2019, not the 1500's!

What are your thoughts on this?

I know this can be a touchy subject so please keep it civil

I don't think it should be acceptable. I'm not a religious man, but while I don't think that Catholics (funnily enough, technically I am one) should be proud of the violence in their history, modern Catholics should not be blamed for the mistakes of their ancestors.

But the violence we see today is almost exclusively (as far as religious attacks go) committed in the name of Islam. That is merely how it is. Likewise, I won't blame any random Muslim for an attack by a terrorist (I don't believe in guilt by association) but I think there's nothing wrong with acknowledging the situation we're in nowadays.

Like I said, I'm not religious and at the very most I could call myself agnostic. People may think what they wish, but why should I be reprimanded for seeing matters as they are? Gee, I'm sorry for not burying my head in the sand. Not a damn thing I or anyone else can do about it, but we'd all be better off without religion. I also believe it isn't my place to attack others for their beliefs on an individual level.

I have religious friends. Often we're glad enough to agree to disagree and sometimes enjoy the odd debate if we can keep it civil. Sorry to go off-topic a little but far as SJWs go, like with how they're usually not gamers when they try to cancel a developer's career, most of them aren't religious either and only care about "fighting for the little guy". I couldn't give a toss if I end up offending those guys. Because apparently, practising Sharia law is a far lesser evil than saying something naughty on the internet.

What's been said here pretty much sums up my view of it, save for the bit about all of us being better off without religion as a whole. I can understand that point of view if you aren't involved with religion or don't participate and only hear the negative news about one or two certain religions, but in my case 99% of my interactions with it have been positive and made me into a better person. I can absolutely imagine the opposite viewpoint though, which is why i'm not against people having that view. If we could pick & choose certain religions that may be ideal, but since we can't do that it makes more sense to imagine an all-or-nothing scenario.

That being said, I think a lot of people who are well-adjusted underestimate how many people use religion as a crutch or as the only support structure in their lives, especially in extremely poor areas or 3rd world countries. Imagine what the world would be like if we took that away from those masses with nothing left to lose & who aren't intelligent enough to form a moral structure without being told what's good and bad? It scares me to imagine a world where the 'delete' button is pressed on religions, despite all the harm several of them have caused.

To answer the thread topic though, I do not think we should put up with anyone who threatens physical violence in general for religious reasons or otherwise. It's just natural for me to be angry, distrusting, and overall against an ideology that supports violence against my country or others like me. It's amazing that we are even having this discussion, really. There aren't many SJWs on this forum, but even still we have been influenced to the point where we stop and consider this without calling out the obvious answers. For how long will Islam be seen as "the little guy" deserving of protection both in thought and in practice? I've no issue with which holy book someone chooses to read or where they go to worship, but if that worship includes violence then they have 2 choices: 1. stop it. 2. isolate among other practitioners of that same belief system. I'm not really bothered by them having a religion I disagree with or even by their violence...I'm bothered by them infecting other peaceful parts of the world with it.

Thank (Lutheran) God for the 2nd Amendment so at the very least I can defend myself if shit hits the fan here. I'm starting a family and I refuse to have it threatened by the religious rage of someone from halfway around the globe, or by some chick (male) with blue hair who says I need to abide by it. It's ironic and frankly quite sad that we have the 2nd Amendment here to defend against English rule (and any future monarchies who may want a slice of sweet, sweet America), but now one of my biggest prayers (Allah willing, of course) is for our Brit bros across the pond to have that same right to defend themselves.

Tl;dr: No, it shouldn't be allowed. Religious freedom ends where violence begins. If you play rough, expect to get treated rough. I don't know why the aggressors in this case are seen as victims. SJWs are trading away our safety and future for online virtue points & Twitter likes

"Religious freedom ends where violence begins."

That one sentence is perfect for this which how I feel. I am a Christian and I think I have said that before on here. I know some people who hold the title and don't walk the walk can be very nasty to people, but because I say I am a Christian, I often get roped in with those kinds of people so I can agree with the Muslim comment. You can't blame all of them for the actions some take. I feel a lot of people stuck in an Islamic state are scared and feel they have no other option which is heartbreaking, especially for the women and children who seem to face the brunt of the household abuse.

I can understand why people who don't have any religious or spiritual beliefs feel religion is outdated and should be done away with though. I see very few people who do good in the name of religion but I do see plenty who do good to and by others because they religiously follow a set of morals based on holy text.

No. And if they fail to recognise that, they should be stomped out of civilised areas they attempt to inhabit with the very same violence they utilise. Sometimes it really is worth using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut.

Originally Posted by BaronOfStuff

No. And if they fail to recognise that, they should be stomped out of civilised areas they attempt to inhabit with the very same violence they utilise. Sometimes it really is worth using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut.

What if it is a cultural problem within a country? Should other countries who don't tolerate it intervene to protect people or should they just leave it be?

Oh I'm not falling for that one again. Leave 'em to it within their own borders. If they can't join the civilised world, let them self-destruct.

Originally Posted by BaronOfStuff

Oh I'm not falling for that one again. Leave 'em to it within their own borders. If they can't join the civilised world, let them self-destruct.

Agreed. I don't care if they do it as long as it is to their own kind. I don't care if they are locked away within a border exclusively with their own kind who are comfortable with that level of religious fervor and violence. My problem is with them doing it to others who are peaceful or not of that same belief system. It really doesn't bother me that violence occurs in the world between two mutually violent parties. Most of those regionsof the world have been at war for 2000+ years with one another. Being militant is all they know, and that's cool as long as it's between Israel and Palestine or the different Islamic sects who love to kill eachother. That's how they think they get into Heaven! So let them. But don't bring it here.

The balance got fucked up by offering them open borders and large monetary incentives to move into peaceful areas and now it may already be too blended in with places like London and Berlin to ever reverse. Given enough time, I'm afraid that the only solutions will be to accept a new future of violence for thousands of years or....well...sledgehammer and walnut as Baron said.

I rated that funny because of the first half, not the second half. Just putting that on the record! lol

I know it is harsh but I feel like if you believe a religion with extremes and violence, you shouldn't even be allowed in countries that don't (or shouldn't) tolerate it. Countries need to start looking out for their own again and have pride in that. There is nothing wrong with prioritizing your homeland first.

No. Any philosophy or creed which involves harming others and/or denying them basic human rights should not be allowed, no exceptions.