What do you think is more harmful to the world? Racists, or religious fanatics?

[WalterSlovotsky]

It is not a fun time to be an American. I think two of the biggest problems that we face in society are racism and religious intolerance or extremism. Both sets of people actively HATE other people, and are in a lot of cases willing to either do violence to them, or at the very least, marginalize them and deprive them of rights, or just try to make their lives a living hell for not believing in the same things.

Which of the two do you believe is the most harmful in this country?

Please stay friendly. Attack ideas, not people.

 

[krakenx]

Definitely religious fanatics. People shouldn't believe anything without questioning it, and once people start believing in things without evidence, they can be manipulated into believing anything.

 

[Marc_LFD]

Neither.

It's people who are violent, commit crimes, shoplift, make death threats, etc.



However, here's an example from the U.K., politicians who forced the public to be in home arrest while they were partying is unforgivable. They need to be held accountable.



Old people died alone because of "social distancing" and the medical injections which they claimed "no one is safe until everyone is safe" / "get it so you're not a granny killer" and etc. Ironically, my parents who got vaxxed, now regret it because it made them feel sick and weak (he even had a cult-ish behavior of "if you don't get it you won't enter any stores or be able to fly").

My grandmother died in a hospital probably by herself and whenever I saw her at her old folks home I had to use a stupid mask which didn't really do anything useful, and during her funeral it felt like a clown show. At least she wasn't alive to witness it.

 

[titan_tim]

I'd have to say religious fanatics have the ability to be the most harmful.

Racists are terrible people, but they're usually working off their own experiences in life. Maybe they were robbed by a black person, or maybe a white person treated them like crap. That formed their perspectives of who they feel they can't trust. Those types of thoughts can be reversed if given the opportunity.

Religious fanatics aren't really thinking for themselves. Their own life experiences don't come into play on how they're supposed to think of others. You listen to the religious leader, and that's all. If a pastor says to hate ________, you will hate them because you were told to. It doesn't matter if you have friends who are __________, and they've been nice to you all your life. You are commanded to hate them. If you don't, hell awaits you.

Racism can also have gray areas. If I were to talk to a racist white guy, and asked "What do you think of this black guy who's a doctor and in MENSA?". They may break from their usual attacks and say "Well, they're one of the rare good ones". It's not much, but it's admittance that they can think highly of that type of person. Whereas religious fanatics can be asked about an atheist who's done charity work all their life, and they'll still come to the conclusion that it doesn't matter. They're still going to hell in their minds.

That being said, if I have the choice of just talking to a single racist or a single religious fanatic, nine times out of ten, I'd prefer to talk to the fanatic. But the question is what is worse for the world as a whole. Anger is bad, but not allowing people to think critically is much more dangerous overall in a society.

 

[Xzi]

Equally dangerous when they gain power I'd say, legislating in favor of a single group and to the detriment of all others always results in a dystopian hellscape for everybody.

 

[WalterSlovotsky]

I'd have to say religious fanatics have the ability to be the most harmful.

Racists are terrible people, but they're usually working off their own experiences in life. Maybe they were robbed by a black person, or maybe a white person treated them like crap. That formed their perspectives of who they feel they can't trust. Those types of thoughts can be reversed if given the opportunity.

Religious fanatics aren't really thinking for themselves. Their own life experiences don't come into play on how they're supposed to think of others. You listen to the religious leader, and that's all. If a pastor says to hate ________, you will hate them because you were told to. It doesn't matter if you have friends who are __________, and they've been nice to you all your life. You are commanded to hate them. If you don't, hell awaits you.

Racism can also have gray areas. If I were to talk to a racist white guy, and asked "What do you think of this black guy who's a doctor and in MENSA?". They may break from their usual attacks and say "Well, they're one of the rare good ones". It's not much, but it's admittance that they can think highly of that type of person. Whereas religious fanatics can be asked about an atheist who's done charity work all their life, and they'll still come to the conclusion that it doesn't matter. They're still going to hell in their minds.

That being said, if I have the choice of just talking to a single racist or a single religious fanatic, nine times out of ten, I'd prefer to talk to the fanatic. But the question is what is worse for the world as a whole. Anger is bad, but not allowing people to think critically is much more dangerous overall in a society.

This is the type of intelligent response I was hoping for.

Thank you. You fully understood the assignment. Bravo.

 

[titan_tim]

This is the type of intelligent response I was hoping for.

Thank you. You fully understood the assignment. Bravo.

 

[CMDreamer]

Actually, religion is the most racist institution in the whole world. There are not much proof that Jesus was a white skinned man nor that had curled "blondish" hair.

"Many critics also claim that the Eurocentric representation of Jesus has been used to perpetuate white supremacy and reinforce racist stereotypes that deify whiteness while demonizing Black individuals. The white representation of Jesus is also deemed by many to be an offensive disregard of the possibility that Jesus himself had a Black complexion." (https://www.forbes.com/sites/sethcohen/2020/06/27/was-jesus-black-or-white/?sh=16a9a62548e5).

Religion is the crappiest thing invented by men to subjugate men.

 

[WalterSlovotsky]

Actually, religion is the most racist institution in the whole world. There are not much proof that Jesus was a white skinned man nor that had curled "blondish" hair.

"Many critics also claim that the Eurocentric representation of Jesus has been used to perpetuate white supremacy and reinforce racist stereotypes that deify whiteness while demonizing Black individuals. The white representation of Jesus is also deemed by many to be an offensive disregard of the possibility that Jesus himself had a Black complexion." (https://www.forbes.com/sites/sethcohen/2020/06/27/was-jesus-black-or-white/?sh=16a9a62548e5).

Religion is the crappiest thing invented by men to subjugate men.

I 100% concur. Religion is the most harmful thing that mankind has ever invented. If we were created in any god's image, that god is a fucking asshole.

 

[tabzer]

I don't think this is a good way to subcategorize people. You may pretend not to be racist, and hate someone who is, but by doing so, you create a problem out of nothing.

Also, people believe their governments. Does that count as religious fanaticism?

 

[titan_tim]

Actually, religion is the most racist institution in the whole world. There are not much proof that Jesus was a white skinned man nor that had curled "blondish" hair.

"Many critics also claim that the Eurocentric representation of Jesus has been used to perpetuate white supremacy and reinforce racist stereotypes that deify whiteness while demonizing Black individuals. The white representation of Jesus is also deemed by many to be an offensive disregard of the possibility that Jesus himself had a Black complexion." (https://www.forbes.com/sites/sethcohen/2020/06/27/was-jesus-black-or-white/?sh=16a9a62548e5).

Religion is the crappiest thing invented by men to subjugate men.

Can't believe I'm going to defend religion here, but kind of feel I need to.

The depiction of their savior as a specific color I can't really see as racist. It's just them adapting to make their congregation feel more comfortable. There are versions of him as white/black/asian/middle-eastern/etc. The religion adapts to bring in the most number of people.

While there are definitely racist congregations/groups out there that use the bible as an excuse to hate, there are many more who will accept anyone. In the end, racism is antithetical to the goal of religion, which is to spread.

 

[tabzer]

I 100% concur. Religion is the most harmful thing that mankind has ever invented. If we were created in any god's image, that god is a fucking asshole.

Jesus Christ was a civil rights advocate to the extreme. Which part of his story became the intolerant religion? At what point is a religion "institutional" and not a "cultural development"?

 

[WalterSlovotsky]

Jesus Christ was a civil rights advocate to the extreme. Which part of his story became the intolerant religion? At what point is a religion "institutional" and not a "cultural development"?

Yeshua Cristos was a decent man, albeit he had a penchant for eating bugs and a mild foot fetish. 11.5 uncommitted bromances, and died on a stick for thinking he was a god.

What is ascribed to him as him actually having said, though, I can get down with. Skip all the mysticality, and he was a decent enough bloke. Not enough for me to want to give up 10% of all of my income and never masturbate again because of, but a nice enough fella.

Which is why RELIGION is harmful, while specific religious figures might be decent. Leave it up to society, and we will fuck anything up, given a long enough timeline.

Can't believe I'm going to defend religion here, but kind of feel I need to.

The depiction of their savior as a specific color I can't really see as racist. It's just them adapting to make their congregation feel more comfortable. There are versions of him as white/black/asian/middle-eastern/etc. The religion adapts to bring in the most number of people.

While there are definitely racist congregations/groups out there that use the bible as an excuse to hate, there are many more who will accept anyone. In the end, racism is antithetical to the goal of religion, which is to spread.

Xenophanes said, "If horses had gods, those gods would look like horses".

We can see depictions of Jesus on bamboo art from China from thousands of years ago. And guess what? He has Asian features, with Epicanthic folds around his eyes and black hair.

Man creates gods in his own image. Unless that man is African or Aboriginal to the Americas, Australia or New Zealand.

Odd how tribal people never felt the need to make their gods resemble them. I appreciate their humility.

 

[tabzer]

Yeshua Cristos was a decent man, albeit he had a penchant for eating bugs and a mild foot fetish. 11.5 uncommitted bromances, and died on a stick for thinking he was a god.

What is ascribed to him as him actually having said, though, I can get down with. Skip all the mysticality, and he was a decent enough bloke. Not enough for me to want to give up 10% of all of my income and never masturbate again because of, but a nice enough fella.

Which is why RELIGION is harmful, while specific religious figures might be decent. Leave it up to society, and we will fuck anything up, given a long enough timeline.

The harm you demonstrated is the harm that you are perpetrating. Blaming it on "religion" seems like a scapegoat maneuver to lazily avoid attention to detail. Is there a difference between a religion and a cult in your mind?

 

[WalterSlovotsky]

The harm you demonstrated is the harm that you are perpetrating. Blaming it on "religion" seems like a scapegoat maneuver to lazily avoid attention to detail. Is there a difference between a religion and a cult in your mind?

None at all. I believe that all organized religion is harmful and completely full of shit. I am a complete gnostic atheist who denies the possibility of the existence of any god that mankind has ever invented.

I kind of said this before. All religion is harmful, and the most wicked, evil and violent invention in the history of man.

 

[tabzer]

How do you differentiate religion from culture? Religion isn't inherently institutional, unless you actually believe that it is institutionalized by the G-O-D. Every modern religion was born from real events. At what point is the line drawn?

 

[WalterSlovotsky]

How do you differentiate religion from culture? Religion isn't inherently institutional, unless you actually believe that it is institutionalized by the G-O-D. Every modern religion was born from real events. At what point is the line drawn?

When religion becomes the government, as has happened for millennia. Not to be condescending, but, do you remember the Crusades? Do you remember European history, where the Church and the King were at odds with each other, dozens of times, over centuries?

Religion was invented as a means of dogmatic control. It exists to exert power over the people, just like the government. The difference is, only religion can threaten your "immortal soul".

It is the finest form of fearmongering that has ever existed. All of it is false, since no gods exist.

 

[tabzer]

When religion becomes the government

Logically, this doesn't compute. If it isn't religion before it becomes the government, is it culture?

Religion isn't simply "invented". If the religion you are talking about is the government kind (not the cult kind) it is more like "cultural appropriation", taking the lore and zeitgeist of a culture, and reshaping it to match the ambition of those who want to be leaders. But wait, that's cult.

 

[WalterSlovotsky]

Logically, this doesn't compute. If it isn't religion before it becomes the government, is it culture?

Religion isn't simply "invented". If the religion you are talking about is the government kind (not the cult kind) it is more like "cultural appropriation", taking the lore and zeitgeist of a culture, and reshaping it to match the ambition of those who want to be leaders. But wait, that's cult.

Three separate topics. Interrelated, but distinct. Culture relates to religion more than government, and government more to religion than culture. It's a trifuckta.

 

[TraderPatTX]

Definitely religious fanatics. People shouldn't believe anything without questioning it, and once people start believing in things without evidence, they can be manipulated into believing anything.

Those who question are called conspiracy theorists.