What makes religion and politics so different?

Atheists, Theists, The Left, The Right. These groups all share one thing with eachother; their convictions are (for the most part) not open to debate. While there are occasional changes of opinion, the overwhelming majority of the time, these beliefs are not subject to change.

What makes these two topics different from deciding how to wear your hair or what is your favourite T.V. show.

[theweatherman]

My favorite TV show is not responsible for the death of 30,000+ people in Iraq, politics and religion are.

People, like myself, change hair style and opinion of favorite tv show every couple years give or take.

Thread over.

[ QUOTE ]
What makes these two topics different from deciding how to wear your hair or what is your favourite T.V. show.

[/ QUOTE ]


Your hair style and your choice of TV shows just bore the crap outta me, Kathleen. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Settle down! Please! I was kidding.

IMO, folks' opinions/beliefs about politics and religion go just a tad deeper inside them than the other topics. Fashion and entertainment styles, and genre popularity, change almost overnight. Their politics and religion change, usually and if at all, very slowly. They evolve, in my experience. True, some never change.

Personally, I've gone from rabid right-wing hawk to a very centrist person. My religious beliefs, when much younger, were quite rigid. The changes/adjustments I've made weren't because of any single event. I can't claim any epiphanies.

Reading, listening and trying to understand the other side (usually looking for a way to argue against), got me where I am today. I'm much happier and like to think a better person - usually.

To paraphrase Ben Franklin (one of my few idols, on many levels), "In polite conversation, never discuss religion, politics or the weather. You'll never agree, they lead to arguments and there's nothing you can do to change an opinion about any of them."

[theweatherman]

[ QUOTE ]
rabid right-wing hawk to a very centrist person

[/ QUOTE ]

If you consider yourself a centrist I'd hate to see you when you were a rabid right winger.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

You appear to assume that deaths in Iraq due to politics and religion began with the US invasion. That assumption is incorrect.

Good point US sanctions did cause alot of deaths : )

[Beer and Pizza]

[ QUOTE ]
You appear to assume that deaths in Iraq due to politics and religion began with the US invasion. That assumption is incorrect.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good point, theweatherman also seems to place no value on democracy. The millions of Iraqis who will be voting again tomorrow <u>do</u> value democracy, as did the thousands of Americans who died in the American revolution.

I sometimes get the impression that some people would have millions live in totalitarianism if it could save a single life. Being alive is not the most important thing in the world, the quality of life and freedom matters too. Some just don't get it.

[ QUOTE ]


What makes these two topics different from deciding how to wear your hair or what is your favourite T.V. show.

[/ QUOTE ]

1. Most people give more thought to their hair or their TV shows than they do to their religious or political positions.

2. Most people who don't like your hair or your choice of TV will write it off to a matter of taste (i.e., you have poor taste). If they don't like your religion or politics, they will consider you to be dangerously demented.

3. To date, few if any wars, persecutions, purges, etc., have been started over hair styles or TV programs. Although they should. Especially the latter. People who watch reality TV are dangerously demented.

4. As a practical matter, the division between religion and politics is a distinction without a difference.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You appear to assume that deaths in Iraq due to politics and religion began with the US invasion. That assumption is incorrect.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good point, theweatherman also seems to place no value on democracy. The millions of Iraqis who will be voting again tomorrow <u>do</u> value democracy, as did the thousands of Americans who died in the American revolution.

I sometimes get the impression that some people would have millions live in totalitarianism if it could save a single life. Being alive is not the most important thing in the world, the quality of life and freedom matters too. Some just don't get it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Our legal system disagrees.