So, recently I was talking to a friend and somehow we got to talking about religion and stuff. When I complained that religion is often put on a huge pedestal and that it’s really just a glorified opinion and should be subject to the same criticism as any other opinion, they told me that that was a really hot take.
According to them, belief and religion is more than just an opinion since it’s such a big part of people’s lives. I countered that opinions are also big parts of people’s lives and personalities. I mean, a huge chunk of your personality is based on your opinions, right?
We agreed to disagree but I kept thinking about it. I don’t get why religion shouldn’t just be treated like any other opinion just because people tend to cling to it. I get that it people are emotionally invested but that’s not just the case with religion but other opinions too. I would appreciate your thoughts to help me understand better, is it really a hot take?
Some but not all.
Jesus has the parable of the good Samaritan for example. The religious man (The Pharisees) leaves someone on the mountain to die, while the less-religious Samaritan saves him.
In fact, a lot of Jesus’s preachings are about the outsider. Ex: Magi were likely Zoroastrianism, etc. Etc.
There are many warnings about how Religion can be used for bad in Catholic preaching. Ironically, Evangelicals ignore these parts of the Bible.