there are times when it should be pilloried. However, I think there are reasonable limits if you're a principled human being. Same as mocking Republicans. There's a time and place. If you sit down to family dinner at Thanksgiving or Christmas and you see cousin Tom across the table for the first time in a year and you blurt out:

"Hey Tom! You voted for that piece of shit Trump, didn't ya? That makes you a piece of shit, Tom."

Well, that's going too far. No need to mercilessly ridicule, but stand your ground when necessary and let 'em know they're back-assward when the setting is right.

until after dinner when everybody has had a few drinks. Much more fun that way. And unlike most of them, I'm pretty damn coherent when I've been drinking. I've done it more than them, usually.

People have a right to believe - or not - as they wish, and should not be mocked for it.

Religion certainly deserves criticism for how it affects our society and infringes upon the rights of non-believers. But the people who believe in a god should not be criticized for their personal spiritual beliefs.

Live and let live.

Seems like your second paragraph indicates your answer is actually "Yes."

So I really didn't distinguish between the two. I am talking about the belief system. Nobody should be telling them that it is stupid to believe in a god.

However, if the religion or its followers are out there telling other people what to do, they need to be told to keep it to themselves (via protests, legal challenges, etc). Just as I believe that we should respect other's beliefs or moral codes, we need to make sure they respect ours.

for coming out against gay marriage?

I can't tell the Catholic Church to fuck themselves because they fight against abortion laws and women's rights?

If they never told people what to do, there would be no need to have an OP like this one. Religion is shoved down my throat hundreds of times a day. If people don't like me saying a couple times that I'd like that to stop and I don't respect nor care about your religion, then that's their damn problem and not mine.

People have a right to believe whatever they want to believe. That doesn't mean they have the right to have those beliefs be exempt from criticism or automatically respected just because they're deeply held.

No religion or superstition deserves "respect." It's an insult to human intelligence to do so. That's a very different thing from personal disrespect.

In fact there are any number of ideologies that should be disrespected:

they deserve whatever pushback they get.

I see it as pushback against thousands of years of oppression.

Blasphemy is a victimless crime.

They can believe in mermaids and little faeries, for all I care, as long as they leave me alone about it. I'm not going to make fun of them or tell them they are idiots.

I'm not anti-religion, I'm against having religion inflicted upon me, in any way. I think it's important to maintain that distinction, or else we are just as bad as they are (ie - 'my way is the only way.').

...and has been since the first shyster met the first fool...

doesn't infringe on anyone's rights. That particular sign merely expresses the person's religious opinion that "Homo Sex is Sin".

person to mock this deeply held religious belief?

we are going to burn for eternity for not subscribing to their beliefs, They have no moral ground to complain about us mocking them.

In general, if they leave me alone, I leave them alone. But come at me for my lack of belief in their fairy tale, and it's on, buddy.

when appropriate. I don't go out of my way to offend religious friends or other religious people who are not obnoxious, but ALL "authority" should be mocked.

Last edited Mon Sep 11, 2017, 09:48 PM - Edit history (1)

He has a graphic of Monty Python satires on religion. Monty Python satirized a lot of things. Should they have left religion out?

It's not a question of whether or not it's nice to mock religion, it's about sacred cows. Should religion be off limits?

On the one hand we have Santa Claus, on the other Religion. Both have no proof whatsoever that they are anything other than man made myths. If an adult told me Santa Claus was real and they didn't have a mental condition I would think they were at least a little bit crazy. If they used Santa Claus to legislate laws for 2017 years I know at the absolute very least they deserve a mocking.

or at least a beer lol.

when it is presented as fact then it is fair game

Ways in order to gain some reward in the "after life", since death is imponderable.

I'd just leave the whole thing alone. It's been the cause of horror since humans walked upright.

over 40 years ago...'A man without a god is like a fish without a bicycle.'.

May all be happy.
May all be free from disease.
May all creatures have well being,
and may none be in misery of any kind.

Last edited Mon Sep 11, 2017, 11:20 PM - Edit history (1)

Ignorance and stupidity is mock proof.

Willful-ignorance dictionary definition | willful-ignorance defined - YourDictionary
YourDictionary › ... › willful-ignorance
Noun. (uncountable). (idiomatic, law) A decision in bad faith to avoid becoming informed about something so as to avoid having to make undesirable decisions that such information might prompt. English Wiktionary.

and a little introspection.

Your wording says "should". That's different than what some may hear in the question.

No, it's not imperative that religion should be mocked. But religion has no more sacredness than any other idea. So sure, it can be mocked and there should be no holds barred if one chooses to do so. That doesn't change the importance of showing respect or sesitivity to all individuals for any reason nor does that mean the religious should have a special curtain of protection.

It's up to each of us to decide the difference between respect for the individual and respect for an ideology. I say respect people when possible. Respecting ideogy is illogical.

apparently.

Catholics are my favorite target because I was one as a kid. It is all about making fun of those in power. It's like farting in church and not being able control your laughter.

Monty Python's "Every Sperm is Sacred" was hilarious.

When I first saw Dudley Moore as a nun on a trampoline in "Bedazzled" I practically peed myself.

Paul Hogan had a TV show that had the "Pope Olympics "...popes running in total pope regalia OMG.

South Park had the cardinals, archbishops, and the Pope discussing what level of molesting was acceptable. Of course the answer was none, but it was written so well it was both outrageous and funny.

Let's not forget the work of Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, or more contemporary comedians like Ricky Gervais.

Here's a quote to make up for my oversight:

Oh.....that's me....




Sorry

Religion is an outdated world-view. It reached its peak ~500 years ago and since then its influence has started waning.

Religion is on its way out: The fastest-growing religious population-segment is the non-religious. they are not even atheists/agnostics, because atheists/agnostics at least have an opinion about religion. The non-religious don't even think about it.

Religion is dying and we should treat it with a minimum of respect on its last centuries.

...of every hour of every day of every year.

Monty Python's Trinity should be broadcast on a continuous loop across a human telepathically accessible mental ether to be reviewed at will at any moment when anyone is subject to some RWNJ's willfully ignorant religious rant on the merits or details of faith or some other non-nonsensical religious idea (i.e. sin or dog or redemption or blasphemy or apostasy or blood-sacrifice or simultaneous omnipotence, omni-benevolence and omnipresence).

mocking, criticism, doubt, etc. is what has led to the religious right and empowering shit ideas like climate change denial.

ALL ideas need to be open to criticism and yes, mocking.

Yes to mockery, in the proper place and time.

Absolutely b/c, well it's religious belief for fuck's sake.

and no way, b/c when grown people walk around talking about hearing voices and acting on what the voices tell them we lock them up and/or treat them for mental illness. So..........

Religion is a business like any other business. They deal in a product and service. The service varies widely, but for the most part the product is nothing.

So I say have at it any way you wish. Just try to be kind to those who have bought the product. For the most part they bought it from their parents.

And because I like polls...