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Is it wrong to say that someone is wrong about their beliefs?
Would that be intolerant? Should we say that someone is wrong in their belief that it is right to say that someone is wrong about their religion? Or is that a paradox?
Your thoughts (not rants) on this would be appreciated.
I will give the most well thought out and well explained answer the best answer even if it is oppositional to my views on the subject.
( unless its pro-cannibalism or something extreme like that)
@ Katie
Umm.....I didn't state my position. So what are you disagreeing with?
9 Answers
- Anonymous1 decade agoFavorite Answer
As a general answer:
Thinking that what someone believes is wrong isn't wrong at all. Telling them that you think so rudely, or not respecting their right to have thoughts and beliefs that you (or anyone else) find wrong, on the other hand, is, in my opinion, wrong.
Otherwise:
If the topic of belief is something about which there is no absolute truth, then is it not that the ideas of "right" and "wrong" (in terms of correctness, not moral conduct) are inconsequential? If so, one could say that thinking that someone's belief is (impliedly objectively) "wrong" in the sense of incorrectness is indeed "wrong", by means of lack of both relevance and concrete evidence as support, first of correctness, and also of incorrectness of the opposite.
Speaking personally, I think that beliefs, as they are, by definition, self-subjectively held to be true, cannot be wrong in a classical sense. In opposition to common thought, yes. Objectively and absolutely wrong, no. So, I'd say that I disagree with people, and have beliefs in opposition to their own, but do not really and truly think that they are wrong (nor, in all honesty, that I am perfectly right. I don't know, I - say it with me here - beeelieeeve.)
- 1 decade ago
I think that it is wrong. No body likes to be told that what they believe in is wrong, especially when it comes to religion. There are many things that in any religion don't add up. Part of that is probably because most of them are stories that are exaggerated. I have a friend who is really into here religion. She always crisis's Catholics for their belief's so i point out how their way of thinking might not be so far off. It got her thinking but she still didn't change her mind. I'm not Catholic or anything, but i like to look at the world from every ones perspective. But, even though i always take the opposite of her, i never strait up tell her that her religion is wrong because no one know who is right.
- 1 decade ago
You ask: Is the following a paradox:
It is right to tell someone that it is wrong to believe that to tell someone he is wrong about his religion is right.
That is no paradox. You could value religious beliefs over a belief that religion is wrong, and then there would be no paradox.
I still disagree, however.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
It depends on what those beliefs are. If those beliefs can be proved to be wrong, and my beliefs truth then no it isn't. If my son believes that 2x2=6 then I can state he is wrong and the truth is thaat it equals 4. Likewise with religion. If I can prove that one religion is true, and I believe I can, then to say another is wrong is true.
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- 1 decade ago
Tolerance is over rated, at least I think it is. You have a right to your opinion, and I have a right to agree or disagree. It is not intolerant to disagree with anyone, but it is intolerant to be an *** to someone because you disagree with them.
- CelesLv 41 decade ago
There are a lot of hypersensitive people out there. I don't like it when people speak ill of LGBT people but I don't try to censor them or deny their right to freedom of speech. People with strong beliefs a lot of the time see it as a personal attack against them and disregard it as merely someone exercising their freedom of speech....
- Anonymous1 decade ago
People deserve to be respected, not their beliefs. beliefs should be criticised and tested otherwise people believe some really stupid things. let me ask you this. do you think that peoples beliefs should be respected who believe they have a god given right to sleep with underage little girls. ie mormons and muslims?
- Anonymous1 decade ago
no..
People believe that all drugs are bad and will kill you..
If I say they are wrong, that is not wrong.