Are theists entitled not to care about others?

[wynn]

Regarding the idea that the theists' supposed connection with God somehow obligates nonbelievers to give the theists and their behavior unconditional respect, I think that the suggestion is more than a little bizarre.

Yet it can readily be witnessed from theists. The crusaders, for example, expected precisely that, on a massive scale. I know many Christians who expect nothing less than my unconditional respect for and submission to them on account that they are Christians. And if you go to the Bible Belt ... heaven help you ...

I have opinions abut them too, sometimes favorable, sometimes not. But I feel absolutely no obligation to recognize and respect any special status that certain religious believers might try to claim in secular society.

I suppose it must be great to have such a degree of self-determination.

 

[wynn]

God help me from his followers.

Yes, and I agree with this in all seriousness.

For me, the biggest challenge is to find a way to hold my ground against theists without compromising my integrity.

 

[Jan Ardena]

Anything from conversion by the sword, to burning people at the stakes for not being of the right religion, to parents beating their children in the name of God, to theist proselytizers quickly claiming to be "friends" with those they wish to convert (of course, when the person doesn't convert in the desired time-frame, the theists dump them).

And God is watching all this!

How do you come to the conclusion that someone is a ''theist''?

jan.

 

[wynn]

How do you come to the conclusion that someone is a ''theist''?

Because they say they are; because I presume it prudent to rather err on the side of caution, so I posit that everyone who claims to be a theist is to be considered a theist.
(Myself, I am not a theist, so I do not and can not have insider-judgment.)

 

[Jan Ardena]

Because they say they are; because I presume it prudent to rather err on the side of caution, so I posit that everyone who claims to be a theist is to be considered a theist.
(myself, I am not a theist, so I cannot have insider-judgment.)

Then surely your anxiety is self-inflicted.
You have set the standard for what theism is (despite definition), for how it is.

You are using your philosophy/academic head to make sense of God.
IOW you are too proud to accept the wisdom of the scripture.
You see the wisdoms it transmits as mere ''truism'', most probably because
you feel it is too simple to be taken seriously.

Just speculating.

jan.

 

[Adstar]

Are theists entitled not to care about others?

No.

Theists have a factual or at least a declared connection to God. Does this mean that they are entitled not to care about other people (ie. those who do not have such a connection to God)?

No

Are theists free to kill, rape and pillage, to abuse in any way imaginable, from subtle to gross, with impunity - all because of this connection they have with God?

No

Does the connection that theists have with God obligate other people to give theists unconditional respect, no matter what the theists do?

How others chose to react to Theists is up to them.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[wynn]

Then surely your anxiety is self-inflicted.
You have set the standard for what theism is (despite definition), for how it is.

You are using your philosophy/academic head to make sense of God.
IOW you are too proud to accept the wisdom of the scripture.
You see the wisdoms it transmits as mere ''truism'', most probably because
you feel it is too simple to be taken seriously.

Just speculating.

I hope there is reincarnation and that you'll be reborn as someone like me and I will be the Christian kicking you in the stomach because you aren't a Christian. That ought to teach you something.

 

[Jan Ardena]

I hope there is reincarnation and that you'll be reborn as someone like me and I will be the Christian kicking you in the stomach because you aren't a Christian. That ought to teach you something.

Then that will be the result of my own self-inflicted actions.
I would have to deal with them, as I am having to deal with them now.
You have been give a great oppotunity, as have I, to cease, or change, the field of activity. But can we say we are taking advantage of it?

Yoy should, IMO, evaluate you conception of theism, and set a realistic standard.

jan.

 

[wynn]

Yoy should, IMO, evaluate you conception of theism, and set a realistic standard.

Like what?

Theists are like kids with an infinite Big Brother.

 

[Jan Ardena]

Like what?

Theists are like kids with an infinite Big Brother.

How so?

jan.

 

[wynn]

How so?

You probably remember from when you were younger that there was a kid in your neighborhood who had a big brother whom he or she could threaten you with, so there was no messing around with that kid, sometimes not even disagreeing, and every other kid was pretty much in fear of this big brother.

Theists are like that kid, God being their big brother. Except that while that kid's big brother was still subject to the police and a big enough father, God isn't.

 

[Jan Ardena]

You probably remember from when you were younger that there was a kid in your neighborhood who had a big brother whom he or she could threaten you with, so there was no messing around with that kid, sometimes not even disagreeing, and every other kid was pretty much in fear of this big brother.

Theists are like that kid, God being their big brother. Except that while that kid's big brother was still subject to the police and a big enough father, God isn't.

Okay....

I can't argue with that, but let's just say that I don''t agree with you.

jan.

 

[wynn]

What other way, for all practical intents and purposes, is there to understand theists and theism then?

 

[Jan Ardena]

What other way, for all practical intents and purposes, is there to understand theists and theism then?

as, people who believe in God.

jan.

 

[wynn]

Sure. And surely there must be some implications of that, as far as other people are concerned, right?

For example, if someone is a member of the royal family, this automatically places everyone else into a subordinate position, with obligations to the royal that otherwise do not exist for commoners.

Isn't it the same with theists?

 

[Jan Ardena]

Sure. And surely there must be some implications of that, as far as other people are concerned, right?

For example, if someone is a member of the royal family, this automatically places everyone else into a subordinate position, with obligations to the royal that otherwise do not exist for commoners.

Isn't it the same with theists?

No.
And why should you make that comparison?
A theist is a person who believes in God, regardless of their
character.

Just keep it nice and simple.

jan.

 

[wynn]

And why should you make that comparison?

It is the usual impression I get from theists - that they think themselves better than the rest of the folks, and that we really owe it to the theists to believe them.

You yourself go to great lengths so that people would believe you, do you not?

 

[Ophiolite]

I prefer my tangent on the OP.

It's not a tnagent, it's a frigging error. Be honest for once and admit it.

 

[Jan Ardena]

,You yourself go to great lengths so that people would believe you, do you not?

No. I take part in discussions where I am on one side of an argument, and someone else takes the other side.

Both sides try to make their point.

jan.

 

[wynn]

No. I take part in discussions where I am on one side of an argument, and someone else takes the other side.

Both sides try to make their point.

Why do you want to make a point?