I'm an ignosticist/igtheist, but I also classify as an atheist. I dislike when religion is used as a scapegoat or used to justify doing shitty things. I'm somewhat interested in religion, though, especially esotericism and mythology.
Some people use religion as a cover up to disrespect and openly abuse other cultures, religions, individuals, peoples, etc., which can make me really angry. Other than that I'm pretty okay with it even though I'm not religious myself.
Religion doesn't swing swords or fire bullets, people do. The bible has never burned anyone at the stake, people have. It's not God or gods that do these things, it's man's interpretation of "God's word" that provoke them to commit atrocities under the banner of their faith. It was used to justify war and genocide and to gain power over the masses. Religion doesn't kill, it just allows people to justify it. You could say that religion is the cause of this but if people aren't killing each other over ideology than their killing each other over a resources like oil or gold. It's not human nature for most people to live peacefully without greed and accepting or tolerating other peoples differences whether it's cultural, ideological, etc...
I can't help but be a believer. :/ The only thing I know is that I'm monotheist. I pick "things" from many religions if they suit me (I know that sounds weird). Any religion can teach me something. It seems like I have a religion on my own, built with pieces taken along the journey.
I was born into a very religious family and I am a religious person as an adult. I tend to believe that everyone is entitled to believe whatever religion that applies to your life as a whole. However, I don't care for the judgment that some individuals tend to display towards other individuals due to their religious beliefs which is ridiculous to me. Also, I feel that if you have spiritual beliefs...it will show in your behavior. You do not have to proclaim how you are a devout Christian to others. In my opinion...people who does this are patronizing for attention and approval.
If you have learned to treat others respectfully and equally, that you can claim no higher ground than anyone else just because of your faith, that you should help those in need...I don't care if you learned it from the Torah or Koran or a self-help book or a bumper sticker as long as you've learned it. When religion accomplishes this goal it is an incredibly powerful force for good. When it is used to judge and divide, it is an incredibly destructive force.
To me, religion doesn't matter. I don't mind discussing differences in our beliefs, in fact I love to hear about why people believe in their god or holy book. As long as they're not being rude to me for being an atheist, or trying to convert me, or using their religion as an excuse to hate people, then I'm fine with it. It's also nice when they're not telling me I'm going to hell. Especially since I don't believe in hell so it's a pretty empty threat as far as I'm concerned...
Basically what interstellar said - I'm fine with anything as long as it isn't harmful or hateful towards anybody and isn't used to discriminate or be better than someone else.
^ This, basically. I'm not religious and I think it's nonsense, but at the same time I can understand why others are religious/spiritual/whatever. Just don't bother me with it.
As an atheist I have no problem with believers in religion. If it helps a person live a good life then I would encourage them in their faith. But it causes them to hate, distrust or disrespect others they need to examine their own morality not just their religion. The nature of the human brain is that we are uncomfortable with not knowing. In the past this uncertainty could be explained by “God did it”. Science is doing its best to understand the universe and everything in it, but science by its very nature is uncertain. The basic tenant of science is ‘we don’t know but the answer probably is…’ Most people are unhappy with the nuanced uncertainty that science provides and gravitate towards the absolute certainty that religion offers. If this belief helps them cope with the world, then good for them. I’m one of those people that are happy knowing that I don’t know. However I have a very small problem with people that have delusional beliefs such as the world is six thousand years old, that flying horses are real or elephants are holding up the universe.
As long as they don't harm others and respect others' beliefs and lifestyles, then I don't have a problem with them.
As long as the person doesn't shove their beliefs down my throat, I don't really care what religion they are. Even some Christians can be a bit over-the-top (I'm a Christian myself) but I just choose to overlook their comments or avoid interacting with them altogether. Point is, every person's views on whatever holy book they believe in, if any at all, and views on the world and things of the world will differ from the next, and that's okay as long as they don't try to force their beliefs on the next person. So yeah, I don't care what religion, if any at all, someone identifies with, as long as they don't try to sway me or others because they believe their way is the only way.
It's hard to apply the phrase "other religions" to myself since I don't belong to any one particular religion. The spiritual beliefs that I've formulated over the years are in some ways an amalgam of other religions' and cultures' beliefs and philosophies. One of the principles of what I believe is universalism, that is, the idea that no one religion is "the correct one", that there can be spiritual truth found in any religion. With that as my basis, I am receptive to "other religions", but I also won't withhold criticism of them where appropriate.
This is EXACTLY how I feel. I always knew I had religious parents, but we didn't go to church much or talk about it really. I could tell they were by how they acted. They are as Christian as you can get because of how they act... and I try to follow their lead.
I'm sometimes scared by religion since it's used so often as a measure of moral value, and I can't understand why anyone would judge someone's 'worth' by their personal beliefs. I hate the term 'good christian' in reference to a person who treats others with dignity and compassion, because what's to say they're not a good Muslim or a good Buddhist or a good atheist instead? I'd never presume to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't believe in so long as it isn't hurting anyone else and I do think religion can inspire a certain responsibility to others that is good and honourable, but I don't think I could ever live my own life based on religious principles.
Except we as a society have gone over this, and decided that "right to refuse service" is limited to exclude certain things when you are offering your services to the secular public market. Religion was used to defend segregation, but we decided the public good outweighed that and the argument that religion allowed one to deny service to blacks was utter bull. Being able to use religious reasons to deny service seems fair on its face, but if you allow religion to be used as a blanket for discrimination, you get far further reaching effects. Because our ability to survive as individuals in many ways depends on the ability to enter into contracts without religion entering into it. Access to housing and employment for example. And despite trying to put a stop to it, things like redlining still cast a shadow over the black community today. The only real advantage the LGB community has here is that they can "go stealth" for a bit while at work or when interacting with a business to get stuff done (T less so once they've started to transition). A person of color can't even do that. But so long as there's a hole for discrimination to be allowed, it will have wider consequences in the long run, such as codifying the ability to discriminate in housing or employment. Which if you want to keep a minority group down, as long as you can do those two things, you can have a pretty decent impact on their ability to even participate in the market, let alone worry about things like bakers.