Here's the thing
@Kevinward777 - It really doesn't bother me in the slightest what you (or anyone else) choose to believe or have faith in...
UNLESS....that belief causes harm to other people. This is why I like to have a voice (and even troll others) on the subject. If you want to say that you are right to feel, speak or act a certain way because it is what your belief has shown you then you are wrong
If you want to make a claim that impacts on others then you must provide evidence to properly support that claim - to do so based on belief is an incredibly dangerous idea and one that has led people to do truly terrible things.
Now you might say that; "well, my belief does not cause harm to others though, and I don't accept that (our saviour) Izzy's views are correct" - Except, as soon as you are willing to say, in a public setting, that you believe that Jesus Christ was our one true saviour and God incarnate you insult the beliefs of those who have been taught something else (over half the global population).
My concern with the whole issue has stemmed from the Folau case and the following reaction that religion must be protected and it is the idea of this protection that terrifies me. I would have no issue if people wanted to protect their right to carry out religious meetings, discussions, rituals and cultural traditions. This is something that many governments around the world have attempted and succeeded in doing, it goes against human rights and I wholeheartedly disagree with this idea. But that is not what religious organisations and individuals in Australia are currently fighting for. They are arguing for the right to have their (harmful) views validated on the concept "belief" and nothing more. If this happens then what do we validate? Something as extreme as fundamentalist Muslims would want? As ridiculous as the right to wear a pasta strainer while driving? How about the need to say a prayer for all the world's religions at any public event? Is there really a line that can be drawn to say what should be covered and what not? (by the way I think this is a great question for lawyers to try to answer and legislate $$$$) For me there isn't one but it will create huge divides within communities and do far more harm than good.
If all that is needed to know something is to "believe it" then what is the point in learning and research? How do we become better people and improve our society if we simply believe in the "truths" of the past?
I am sorry if you have felt personally attacked during our debates, it has not been my intention nor do I believe that was what I did. But if you want to offer up your beliefs in a public space and state them as correct then you must be prepared to support those claims with evidence and answer the scrutiny that is then held up to.
(and this is what should have happened to Folau - instead of the court room circus we will get next year, because: Religion
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