Religion Discussing Religion

I did not mean to suggest that discussing the Bible is off limits.

How would a person go about "proving" the Bible wrong? What is the point of the excercise? What are you proving? Why would criticizing- or giving a critical reading to the book be offensive? I believe the answers from these questions probably contain the types of parameters I am asking about.

I don't think it is offensive for non-Christians (or non-Muslims, or Non-Jews) to do close critical readings of the "Holy" scriptures of religions. Claude Levi Strausse, Joseph Campbells have done excellent work... and comparing motiffs, images, origin myths can't be done without their work. Looking at the bible historically, comparing what acheologists say with what the bible says, comparing other religious scriptures and contemporary stories such as looking at Egyptian texts, Hebrew scriptures, and Gilgamesh...I don't see how any of this is offensive. Cataloging relious images, miracles, studying the characters in the bible are all pursuits worthy of scholarship.

"Disproving" is one of those near impossible tasks often taken up for reasons not connected with discussion or debate, but for other reasons.

Using such criticism simply as a tool to mock and ridicule religions and religious people however is offensive and I believe should be avoided and reprimanded.
 
The immediately above post is well taken. . . and I mean, we are to be discussing the discussion of religion--the style and format of disscussion--rather than discussing what part of the belief-systems we should or shouldn't be discussing.

How this matter would come to be decided would most likely prove to be the measuring stick for the maturity of discussions in this field.
 
I'm trying to discover that set of rules that would allow the widest range of participation and encourage the free flow of ideas. There has to be a simple set of guidlines that all could agree upon to limit the trolling, flaming and pointless slamming.

I, for one, am tired of the persistant slam on religion, the utter contempt, intolerance, bigotry... and the lack of ideas and discussion. I feel bad for the muslims on the other thread who have to think after a few posts that they are simply unwelcome in our ranks.
 
sabro said:
I'm trying to discover that set of rules that would allow the widest range of participation and encourage the free flow of ideas. There has to be a simple set of guidlines that all could agree upon to limit the trolling, flaming and pointless slamming.

I, for one, am tired of the persistant slam on religion, the utter contempt, intolerance, bigotry... and the lack of ideas and discussion. I feel bad for the muslims on the other thread who have to think after a few posts that they are simply unwelcome in our ranks.
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I totally understand your concern and the need for a set of guideline for regulating and monitoring religion-related threads. However, I think creating such guideline is a really difficult task. A set of guideline is usually created under a set of logic. The problem is, Atheists and religious people have different set of logic when it comes to religion discussion. Whose side of logic will the guideline be based on? All that being said, I do think it is a good intention to have such guideline in place.
 
godppgo said:
However, I think creating such guideline is a really difficult task.
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i think that major milestones were already set in this thread (as well as by morals of modern world quite a time ago). It seems to me that difficult task will be to follow such guideline :D
 
I agree that it would be a difficult task and it would be highly subjective, as it necessitates interpreting intention, and dependent on the objectivity of the moderators... who have done a fine job. (I am not objective in matters where the foolishness or stupidity of Christianity is the topic, and so I depend on their objectivity) The set of rules or logic should allow the widest possible expression or "logic" and I would say should allow a great deal of material that some might find offensive-- provided that the purpose of the post or thread is not simply to offend. I believe our current state of affairs is lacking and that the lines between reasonable discussion and contempt filled religion bashing has been blurred.
 
With reason, respect, care.

I mean, people need to realize that not everyone is going to agree with them. So have a heart and listen, instead of debating and criticizing others beliefs.
 
Humm...that was well put. I might add that at times, what could be called 'debate' can still be within the realms of disscussion--in that case it would not be bickering or fighting. . .

Let's hope this now rules the day on this fora from here on out !! (as humanly as possible) Nice post !!
 
Wise words from Steven Pinker, that I think are relevant here (my emphasis):
Steven Pinker said:
Educated people try to be conscious of their hidden prejudices and to measure them against the facts and against the sensibilities of others. In public life we try to judge people as individuals, not as specimens of a sex or ethnic group. We try to distinguish might from right and our parochial tastes from objective merit, and therefore respect cultures that are different or poorer than ours.
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