Why do people say "let everyone have their own beliefs"?

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arpgfan wrote:

Isn't there a truth despite what anyone else believes?

Yes there is. But people have really trouble with that, so they want to avoid responsibility. And that is the way to relativisms moral and other.

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arpgfan wrote:

Do people believe they've already found the truth?

If they believe they have the truth, isn't it powerful enough to single handedly change the world? Shouldn't truth be the reason we exist? Shouldn't love be the truth?

They that are willing to do anything for truth will find it, those that live for themselves will find the void.

Love is the way, but to understand what love. You see ancients greeks categorised 3 forms of love

1. Eros - that is phisical love, like between male and female, family and other typical "love things".

2. Philos - this is pure mental love to something, like philosophy phileo - to love and sophia - wisdom and that is why philosophy is "loving the wisdom" and philosophers are "those who love wisdom". This is higher form of love.

3. Agapei - pure love that is keeping all in expistence. Christianity for example tell that this is love God to human, purest but humans are capable to live in that form of love. It is not somtheing "You feel for someone or something" it is rather state in which You can be and act. There are some phisicists that say that atoms for example are keeping in their existnece by Agapei or "Love of The Creator" (dont think of him like "God" because it is soo different that religions; if You want to get into try Hermetism f.e. Kybalion).

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Sharpflame wrote:

But what is "red"? Just because we both agree something is red does not mean that our eyes perceive it in exactly the same shade.

I hate to admit it, but MoonYu's right.

For once.

Spoiler

Probably never again.

We can agree only to "name it" that way, but red is a wave and it has one frequency.

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arpgfan wrote:

I guess it then becomes a question of what true evil really is?

Evil is harm. If in some situation my actions cause harm to other living beeing then it is evil. If not, it is not evil. No stated "law" decide what is "right" or "wrong", stated law is just a way to keep "slaves" in line. Stated law works because it is forced, because if You dont obey it big man with a stick will come and hurt You. Stated laws lead to relativisms. Natural Laws is only law that is absolute, and everybody is equal under it. They are discoverable but they cannot be changed.

Mark Passio natural Law or Kybalion, for start.

Regards!

I think you need to separate the believer and the belief. Most civilized countries have laws to protect the personal right to choose your own belief, or lack thereof. There is no similar right for beliefs themselves, nor should there be. A belief is not a person and has no intrinsic rights, it is merely the collective opinion of its adherents. It can stand or fall on its own merits.

I don't think anyone is arguing that explicit hate mongering (religious or otherwise) should fall under these protections. Consequently, I do not find it objectionable to criticize or mock such beliefs, but would advise caution when doing so. People heavily invested in a belief system will view criticism of that system as a personal attack, and will respond in kind. A big change of heart on such topics is unlikely to be the result of a simple discussion anyway, so arguing with them is largely counterproductive.

The best course of action is to be open about your own beliefs, make your position as clear as possible, and point out where it conflicts with another belief. Provide reasons for your belief and back that up with evidence, then allow the other person to make up their own mind.

Penis.

“For, after all, how do we know that two and two make four? Or that the force of gravity works? Or that the past is unchangeable? If both the past and the external world exist only in the mind, and if the mind itself is controllable – what then?"

-Orwell 1984


I think their is a definite connection between perception and reality and therefore some interaction takes place when dealing with truth claims. If I were pushed I'd have to say that I do not believe in any 'absolute' truth. Not even 2 and 2 making 4.

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arpgfan wrote:

Isn't there a truth despite what anyone else believes?

if theres a truth, no man owns it.

so the question becomes, who amongst men can claim the authority to decide what is "truth" and what is not ?

and the only responsible answer to that question is : no one has that authority and no one should ever have it.

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arpgfan wrote:

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MonstaMunch wrote:

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Why do people say "let everyone have their own beliefs"?

Because not allowing people to have their own beliefs would be fascist by definition, and the "people" you refer to generally see fascism as a greater evil than freedom of religion.

I guess it then becomes a question of what true evil really is?

Evil is in the eye of the beholder. Evil is one person's interpretation of another's actions. Person A thinks that person B is evil for doing what he or she thinks are bad or wrong things. B believes that A is evil because A is trying to stop them from what B believes is right.

Belief can be a very powerful and sometimes scary thing. Would you fear the 300 pound person who is trying to steal from you, but knows he is doing something very wrong, or fear the 100 pound person who absolutely believes that you have their child and nothing can convince them otherwise?

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Wittgenstein wrote:

If I were pushed I'd have to say that I do not believe in any 'absolute' truth. Not even 2 and 2 making 4.

Ah, but is that not an absolute truth in itself? That you don't believe in absolutes?

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arpgfan wrote:

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DustyFill_In wrote:

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arpgfan wrote:

Isn't there a truth despite what anyone else believes?

No.

A red apple is still red whether you believe it's red or not.

And people might call it a different red.

There is likely a objective reality, else we got a huge problem with practical concepts like math. But there is an inherent subjective bias towards observations due to human nature. And you would be amazed on how much science of nature is riddled with controversy even thou one would think that an objective reality is easier to claim in such fields.

In the end we follow axioms in order to be able to discuss constructively although there exist a subjective bias. Those axioms are often not really concern for discussion but depending on your field you work in you might have different ones.