As a Catholic, I'd like to have your opinion

  • What is your opinion about Christianity, I'd like to know other people see us, if you could mention what you agree and disagree would be great. Religions have evolved over the millennia, having become more personal, at least for the major ones. Christianity has been evolving since its creation - first the entire Bible is the word of the biblical god (as opposed to the other gods), then it became the god-inspired word of man, and now parts of the OT are regarded as allegorical, metaphorical, or poetic - evolution in process. Christianity has evolved into orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Protestantism. Each of those different groups has varying practices within their individual churches, with those lacking central control (Protestantism) having the most diversity. In the course of its evolution, Christianity has eliminated some of its harm in varying degrees (stoning, slavery, etc.), but still holds onto some harmful beliefs (women should be subordinate, homosexuality is sinful, etc.). It teaches people what to think morally (rule sets) instead of how to think morally (reduce emotional and physical pain). When people decide to disobey a religious rule, e.g., slavery is ok, that is when the church improves its morality.

-Do you think that the will of doing good transcends any belief and religion? We can see acts of caring, play, cooperation, etc., in many different animals, and it is most advanced in humans. Reducing the suffering to our family and group members (thirst, hunger, injury, social acceptance, etc.) reduces their suffering and increases the likelihood of the success of the group - morality is a part of evolution. Ancient religions borrowed some human moralities (don't steal, lie, commit adultery) calling them their own, created religious rules (no idolatry, eating certain foods, blasphemy). Civilization is moving toward reclaiming our human morals from religion, and is de-emphesizing religion. Morality transcends all religions.

  • How do you think we could progress as a society if we started respecting each other beliefs? As in not trying to disprove anyone or convert by force. Forcefully converting anyone to any belief or disbelief is counter to many different human aspects of freedom, most importantly the right to self-determination. Converting and maintaining a group of believers through reward (claims of afterlife, miracles, ultimate justice) and punishment (bad things happen to bad people, including hell) is part of many religions, and is dishonest. We should be moral for the sake of morality itself.

  • Finally, what is your opinion about the conflicts that have begun (completely or partly influenced) by not respecting the others beliefs such as in Israel/Palestine or the ISIS extremists. Some practitioners of religions are twisted and immoral, committing acts that inflict emotional and physical suffering. Most of this is through ignorance/poor education - the more educated someone becomes, the more moral they tend to be. Change takes time, but people have to want an end to suffering for themselves in order for it to occur.

/r/atheism Thread