I agree that it is partly semantics. Obviously, "respected" was a poor word choice on my part because there seem to be many different views of what that means.7Wannabe5 wrote: It may just be semantics, but I think if I "respected" a religion then it would de facto be my religion. What I try to do is "accept" other/all religions, as in, "Your path is not my path, see you if/when we arrive at the same place. Best wishes." However, I might also actively dis-respect a sect or the leader of a sect if I thought power was being evoked out of proportion with love. No different than choosing to break up with a bad boyfriend or oust a tyrant dictator.
The other issue, which I can see now I did not make clear, was that when I expressed disappointment for the lack of respect for "my religion", I didn't mean Christianity or Catholicism per se. I meant mine personally. I've been open enough on the forum for people to know that I don't fit into any box they might like to stuff bible-thumpin' republicans into, as riggerjack said. I don't follow my church (or anyone) blindly and I don't condemn those who choose a different path, whether it's another religion or no religion. I thought respect should be given to anyone on the forum who has made thoughtful decisions about how they live their life.
I could see someone who didn't know you [7W5] as we all 'know' each other on the forum to reach for stereotypes about your lifestyle choices and disrespect or condemn them. Anyone who's been reading your posts would know, however, that you've given careful thought to how you're living your life and would respect your choice, even if it's one they wouldn't make for themselves. They should know you well-enough to respect you and see that your lifestyle works for you.
That's the kind of respect I meant. As a rule, we're very respectful of everyone's viewpoints. Religion seemed to be the exception where people fell back onto tired stereotypes instead of judging the forum members individually. An argument was made that religion is a net negative and so it's hard to show respect for it because even the best-intentioned members don't make up for the perceived negatives. I would argue that there are other areas where our choices could also be considered harmful in ERE terms--driving an automobile, having babies, living in a bigger house, flying, etc--and yet forum members don't seem to judge others on those measures unless it's related to financial decisions. More latitude is given for other 'transgressions' if that's how they're viewed.
I don't mean to stir the pot again. I was told I was 'flouncing' (and I was a little) so I'll let it go. I just wanted to comment on 7W5's post.