Atheism

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Isn't religion really just an opinion? (self.atheism)

submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by illectrility to c/[email protected]

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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?

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Even things you are certain to be true can turn out to be false. Does that make all knowledge opinion?

There's a reason it's seen as cowardly to say "Well that's just my opinion" when one says something generally disturbing. Opinions are meant to be flexible and malleable. Values and beliefs, less so.

So for one example, let's say "women belong in the home and shouldn't be working or voting." If you believe that, you think that's how society would function better, the family unit, etc... by strictly limiting what others are able or meant to achieve in life.

Thats why that strawman 'opinion' would get pushback. It isn't a passing thought. It's more than that and has become a belief or a value, something that is harder to challenge.

I gotta say that this was actually a fantastic question. I enjoyed thinking this out.

[–] illectrility 1 points 8 months ago

I don't think it's cowardly to say that something is your opinion. It's just unnecessary, of course it's your opinion.

Everything you know and think is your brain processing information it gathered. You see everything through a kind of opinion filter. That's also what makes it practically impossible to not fall victim to logical fallacies and cognitive biases. Our brains are built to interpret the world, form opinions and whatnot, not to be fact-machines.

So yeah, what you know is an opinion based on info you gathered