2008 Woodie Awards
Perspective
Respect is what all deserve
Mark Oldenhoff
Issue date: 2/15/07 Section: Opinions
- Page 1 of 1
n religion, whether you're an atheist or a fanatic, everyone has an opinion. These opinions need to be respected, not bashed.
I'm sure you all know the dangers of both extremes. Atheists can become violent when told something as simple as "Bless You" after they sneeze. Fanatics, well, just look at the movie Carrie or the suicide bombers in the Middle East.
While I personally have no qualms with the different religions, the problem comes in when others are downright ignorant to someone else's beliefs. Why must everyone fight so much over what to believe in? Because when it comes down to it, they all have the same basic principals.
People of all religions should be able to agree that these few ideas are key. Don't kill each other, don't steal from each other, and have respect for each other.
Some might think, or the text that your religion follows might say, that your religion and its ideals are superior. No person has the right to impose their views upon another, note the first amendment of the Declaration of Independence. Have a little consideration for your fellow man or woman.
What right do we have as human beings to go around crusading the name of what we believe to be truth, just because others don't see things the way we do?
Entire wars have been waged in the past in the name of religion, and they still are going on today. In Bosnia, fighting waged between Serbian Orthodox Christians and Muslims, slowed to a fragile peace only recently by peacekeepers. In South Africa hundreds of accused witches are killed every year. Shiite and Sunni Muslims in Iraq have been back and forth bombing since 2006.
Is there no way that we can just live peacefully together and acknowledge and accept each others views? Freedom of religion is a right granted to us in the same article that gives us free speech.
Even though we may not agree with everything someone might do, there's no need to ridicule and poke fun at something that we haven't either taken the time to understand or are too ignorant to respect.
I'm sure you all know the dangers of both extremes. Atheists can become violent when told something as simple as "Bless You" after they sneeze. Fanatics, well, just look at the movie Carrie or the suicide bombers in the Middle East.
While I personally have no qualms with the different religions, the problem comes in when others are downright ignorant to someone else's beliefs. Why must everyone fight so much over what to believe in? Because when it comes down to it, they all have the same basic principals.
People of all religions should be able to agree that these few ideas are key. Don't kill each other, don't steal from each other, and have respect for each other.
Some might think, or the text that your religion follows might say, that your religion and its ideals are superior. No person has the right to impose their views upon another, note the first amendment of the Declaration of Independence. Have a little consideration for your fellow man or woman.
What right do we have as human beings to go around crusading the name of what we believe to be truth, just because others don't see things the way we do?
Entire wars have been waged in the past in the name of religion, and they still are going on today. In Bosnia, fighting waged between Serbian Orthodox Christians and Muslims, slowed to a fragile peace only recently by peacekeepers. In South Africa hundreds of accused witches are killed every year. Shiite and Sunni Muslims in Iraq have been back and forth bombing since 2006.
Is there no way that we can just live peacefully together and acknowledge and accept each others views? Freedom of religion is a right granted to us in the same article that gives us free speech.
Even though we may not agree with everything someone might do, there's no need to ridicule and poke fun at something that we haven't either taken the time to understand or are too ignorant to respect.
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