Prejudice

[Crispy Bacon]

I have noticed I tend to be prejudice against atheist and other religions. I've been working on both lately.

 

To overcome my prejudice against I remembered Luke 10:25-37 The Parable of the Good Samaritan. It goes like this...

 

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

 

I've noticed some atheist tend to be prejudice against religious people as well. We both need to work on this and not judge until we get to know the person.

[John Cuthber]

"I have noticed I tend to be prejudice against atheist and other religions."

It may help if you learn the difference.

 

"I've noticed some atheist tend to be prejudice against religious people as well."

How can you be sure this is prejudice isn't it just a judgement based on information?

If I was biassed against someone who believed in Father Christmas or the tooth fairy would you consider that a bad thing?

Equivalently, would you trust such a person to make important decisions- would you be happy to have them as your doctor for example?

 

"We both need to work on this and not judge until we get to know the person."

How much do you need to know about a person before you form an opinion?

There are two issues there. The first is that forming opinions almost instantly is instinctive and, therefore unavoidable.

The other issue is that it's not unreasonable to make a snap judgement in some cases.

 

 

BTW, you might want to remember what else the Bible says about travellers and strangers.

That's the group from whom you should select your slaves.

 

Am I "allowed" to be prejudiced against a group whose religion tells them who they should enslave?

Edited August 5, 2013 by John Cuthber

[Crispy Bacon]

It may help if you learn the difference.

Sorry if I made it seem like atheist was a religion, that wasn't my attentions at all.

 

Atheist = lack of a belelif. I

Am I "allowed" to be prejudiced against a group whose religion tells them who they should enslave?

 

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.- Galatians 3:28

 

Also oldtestament = Jeremiah 7:6, Leviticus 19:34, Exodus 23:9, Deuteronomy 23:16, Leviticus 19:33, Deuteronomy 10:19, Deuteronomy 27:19,

[Phi for All]

I hear you saying that you tend to make harsh assumptions about people based on how much their religious beliefs deviate from yours. Oddly, I try not to make judgements against religious people until they do what you've just done. The one thing that seems clear to me is that no group has any evidence to support what they say, so all are equal.

 

No religion is more right than the others. Assuming you're right and everyone else is wrong in a matter like this is the height of folly to me. Nothing personal, please, it just seems like you're trying to decide which horse to bet on when you can't see any of them, and there's a lot of evidence to suggest there isn't even a race to begin with.

 

You happened to be born into a certain religion, and now you somehow believe your family was smart/lucky/blessed enough to pick (?) the One True Religion out of all the thousands of religions and tens of thousands of sects. What if you'd been born in the next county over? The next country?

[Crispy Bacon]

What if you'd been born in the next county over? The next country?

 

Some people live in areas where they are more likely to be tought there is a multiverse. Other places teach there students there is only 1 universe, and yet other places don't even know what a universe and multiverse is.

 

The only thing that matters is the truth. It doesn't matter that if you live in a certain place you might be more likely to believe in a certain thing. It doesn't change truth.

[zapatos]

I have noticed I tend to be prejudice against atheist and other religions. I've been working on both lately.

 

I've noticed some atheist tend to be prejudice against religious people as well. We both need to work on this and not judge until we get to know the person.

I've noticed the same thing and I agree that we should not judge until we get to know the person. Unfortunately the prejudiced person often doesn't recognize it in himself.

[Greg H.]

 

Some people live in areas where they are more likely to be tought there is a multiverse. Other places teach there students there is only 1 universe, and yet other places don't even know what a universe and multiverse is.

 

The only thing that matters is the truth. It doesn't matter that if you live in a certain place you might be more likely to believe in a certain thing. It doesn't change truth.

 

Don't confuse faith for truth. They are not the same thing.

[Phi for All]

The only thing that matters is the truth.

 

Some of the most dangerous words ever spoken.

 

It doesn't matter that if you live in a certain place you might be more likely to believe in a certain thing. It doesn't change truth.

 

Truth, with a capital T the way you're talking about it, is not universal. You said yourself you have a problem with people when their beliefs don't match yours. Yet they claim THEY have the Truth just like you, only it's different. The way you believe changes Truth all the time. That's why "Truth" is the least trustworthy explanation of all, yet many people think it's the strongest.

 

In a way it's like faith, beliefs that pretend to be strong but have no foundation in reality. Truth sounds strong but changes depending on who you're talking to.

[Crispy Bacon]

You said yourself you have a problem with people when their beliefs don't match yours

 

Yes, but I said that was wrong of me and we need to judge after we get to know the person. That goes for religion/atheism, skin color, gay/straight/bi, language, ect.

 

I know I will live a happier life when I learn to be kind and respectful to everyone, and so will everyone else.

[John Cuthber]

As far as I can tell, the tendency to make snap judgements about people is universal.

It's not great but I can't help wondering where it came from.

It's either part of God's plan or it's been brought about by evolution.

So, if you really want to get rid of it you need to demonstrate that you are wiser than God and/ or a zillion years of natural selection.

Also, you need to find a mechanism to overcome what I think is probably an innate human trait.

 

Good luck.

[Phi for All]

 

Yes, but I said that was wrong of me and we need to judge after we get to know the person. That goes for religion/atheism, skin color, gay/straight/bi, language, ect.

 

I know I will live a happier life when I learn to be kind and respectful to everyone, and so will everyone else.

 

You can't help but make SOME judgements about people you've just met, it's the way we are. We're highly communicative, so we look for all kinds of signals that will let us interact. We're highly cooperative, so we're always looking for circumstances that will let us use our skills to best advantage. You can't gather that kind of data so quickly and not be forced to judge some of it. It's a necessity that we have to make some value judgements along the way.

 

The whole negative concept of "judgement" is a false dilemma. We can make good, smart judgements about people we've just met too. We should avoid stereotypes and generalizations based on some of the exterior qualities you mentioned, but being "a good judge of character" is desirable, right?

 

When I hear that someone goes to church, I don't automatically assume they're some kind of Westboro Baptist. Neither do I automatically think they're an idiot or wrong for believing the way they do. But if they were to tell me that they believe in The Truth and anyone who doesn't believe exactly the same way is wrong and beneath contempt and will go to hell, I'm going to make a judgement call and say I don't want to deal with that person when it comes to religion. And since that person will probably make EVERYTHING about their religion....

[Crispy Bacon]

 

But if they were to tell me that they believe in The Truth and anyone who doesn't believe exactly the same way is wrong and beneath contempt and will go to hell, I'm going to make a judgement call and say I don't want to deal with that person when it comes to religion. And since that person will probably make EVERYTHING about their religion....

 

There are two views among Christians about hell. On one side you can stack quite a few Scriptures that talk about the wicked perishing in hell, they die, they’re consumed, and they are no more. Then there are some Scriptures that I feel are more nebulous, where it talks about Satan being tormented day and night forever and ever in the lake of fire. When you put all these Scriptures side by side, it seems like the bulk of evidence is on the side that the wicked are not immortalized in hell.

 

So that's not me ;P

[Phi for All]

 

There are two views among Christians about hell.

 

I'm pretty sure there's more than two. There are over 9000 different sects of Christianity.

 

And it doesn't have to involve hell. Those folks I was talking about will still treat me as inferior, and while I may not go to hell, I won't fit in in their heaven either. All of this based on an unobservable god and a very old book that's full of holes. You CHOSE to have faith in a god who tells you you're right and everyone else is wrong.

[Crispy Bacon]

You CHOSE to have faith in a god who tells you you're right and everyone else is wrong.

 

I'm guessing you didn't read the Bible verses I gave at the top of this thread. I'm pretty sure the preist and the Levite were both wrong and the atheist did what was right and probally has a way better chance of getting into heaven then the other 2.

[Greg H.]

 

I'm guessing you didn't read the Bible verses I gave at the top of this thread. I'm pretty sure the preist and the Levite were both wrong and the atheist did what was right and probally has a way better chance of getting into heaven then the other 2.

Ironically, the atheist would be the one who wouldn't care about getting there.

[john5746]

I'm guessing you didn't read the Bible verses I gave at the top of this thread. I'm pretty sure the preist and the Levite were both wrong and the atheist did what was right and probally has a way better chance of getting into heaven then the other 2.

I don't think Samaritans were atheists. A different sect of Judaism. Like Protestant and Catholic. A good message all the same, but no way can I see anything about atheists or heaven from that.

 

What does the bible say about non-believers?

 

Revelation 21:8

 

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

[John Cuthber]

 

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Damn! it looks like I will still be stuck with the churchgoers after I die.

[john5746]

Damn! it looks like I will still be stuck with the churchgoers after I die.

LOL, reminds me of Blazzing Saddles. We'll take the murderers, the detestable and the liars, but NOT the faithless!

 

[Phi for All]

Damn! it looks like I will still be stuck with the churchgoers after I die.

 

Yes, but only for the faithless sorcery bits. I'm not sure "detestable" can describe a chemist; they test everything.