Professional Documents
Culture Documents
We are often asked to "respect people's religions." In the first place, many religious ideas are very disrespectful to human beings and are not worthy of respect. Secondly, what about people respecting our religion in return?
The word "religion" comes from the Latin noun religi, which means, among other things, "scrupulousness" or "conscientiousness." In my perspective of reality, I endeavor to be extremely scrupulous and conscientious. Hence, one could call me "religious" and my perspective "religion."
My religion does not call people "infidels," "heretics," "goyim," "heathens" or "sinners," who are "other" and "alien," unlike us and worthy of contempt, exploitation or worse.
My religion does not call for nonbelievers to be derogated, hated, subjugated or enslaved.
My religion has no giant, anthropomorphized, male God in the sky, somewhere "out there" separate and apart from humanity who dictates our every waking moment.
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My religion says there are no divinely revealed facts straight from the mouth of God that represent the "one true faith."
My religion objects to so-called holy texts full of violence, brutality and cruelty.
My religion prohibits the murder of women and girls in order to "protect honor."
My religion objects to forcing people to cover up simply because they have genitals of a particular gender.
My religion objects to gender apartheid, in which men and women are segregated purely because of their genitals.
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My religion prohibits the genitals of children of either gender from being mutilated because of "religious" dictates.
My religion values scientific observation and humane morals, not superstitious belief and violent fanaticism.
My religion does not allow for death or other punishment for apostasy or blasphemy, etc.
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My religion prohibits beheading or otherwise murdering living, breathing human beings in order to defend it from "insults."
My religion values life more than death and prohibits killing in its name.
My religion does not allow for hand amputations for theft or stonings and hangings for adultery.
My religion prohibits homosexuals from being hanged or otherwise murdered simply because of their sexual orientation.
My religion treats children with kindness, love and affection, not beating them and teaching them hatred of others.
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My religion does not require prayer, once, five times or any other amount per day.
My religion is not interested in mind control, so what you do within the privacy of your own mind is up to you, but my religion says that disrupting the public square and workplace for prayer is antisocial, aggressive and obnoxious.
My religion objects to loud ringing of bells and shouting through loudspeakers, tormenting neighbors and causing divisiveness.
My religion exhorts people to expose and speak out against oppression, censorship, human-rights violations and animal abuse wherever they may be found, in whatever culture or
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My religion calls for people to object to religious beliefs that are vicious, hateful, sexist and violent, regardless of the religion, faith, sect or cult.
My religion calls for dignity and respect for the individual, who is free to believe or disbelieve at any given moment, as opposed to being forced to adhere to a particular religion through threats of violence and hellfire.
My religion encourages singing, dancing, joy and general freedom to love life.
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