Not too long ago as I was scrolling through Twitter, I happened to stumble upon what could be considered a very offensive tweet about the Bible. After seeing the increasing number of favorites and comments on this tweet, I realized something very important: there are constant disputes among the religious and the nonreligious communities. Now I’m not saying either side is in the right; both sides continuously bicker and are disrespectful toward the other.
I’ve noticed many people feel uncomfortable when discussing either side. No one intentionally wants to offend and no one wants to be offended. However, I believe in a society where religion is not as common as it used to be, it is very important to discuss this pressing issue. Both sides can be wrong and here’s why.
Religious people claim to be accepting of all, yet reject those who do not identify with their religion. This is especially common in Christianity. The Bible literally states that Jesus says we all must accept everyone, religious or not. Why is it then that they don’t? When someone is so heavily involved in a religion, it can be difficult for him or her to understand other perspectives and/or faiths. However, this is not an excuse for the disrespectful attitude toward the nonreligious. Many believers tend to get confused as to how nonreligious people want to be treated. For some reason, they think trying to convert them is the way to go. However, they’re wrong. Those who are nonreligious find it contemptuous that someone is attempting to convert them into being a Christian. They have chosen not to identify with a religion for a reason, and that is OK!
While it can be easy to view the nonreligious as the victims, they are just as easily defined as the problem starters too. Many of these people say profane or vulgar comments regarding one’s religion. They make fun of, tease, simplify, or even insult many aspects of a religion. These rude comments are very offensive to people who truly respect and believe in their faith. Imagine a person completely ripping apart someone you highly respect. It probably doesn’t make you feel so great. Belittling a Christian’s Bible, ways of prayer, church attendance, and all other aspects are insulting and disheartening. If the nonreligious community wants to be respected for what they decide to believe in, they must learn to equally respect opposite views.
To create a better society for all different views, we need to stop bashing on others and learn to respect them. It really is not that hard to accept others for what they may or may not believe in, and move on. Our beliefs do not entirely define us. We simply need to respect all views and just be friendly to everyone.
