Add a Comment
Email This
Statistics
RE: They deserve as much respect
Actually, no they don't. The "Jedi" know they're faking a religion and so does everyone else. They're just doing it to make a point and making a point doesn't get you religious status. It's also a matter of practicality. Countries just don't recognize religions because people feel like saying something is a religion. It has to have some posterity at least. If you don't do that, anything and everything could be a religion. You'd probably say that that's a good point for having no religion. I suppose it might be, except that people are pretty religious beings and, as we've seen, communism failed. It's also pretty ironic that people in western democracies love to go around bad-mouthing the western religious heritage, but they won't have that luxury when the muslims take over. Try telling the islamic government that you want to register your church of the FSM and watch them throw you into jail. So keep on keepin on folks. Your future muslim masters are waiting....not even that patiently,.
RE: They deserve as much respect
Just because your religious beliefs derive from a work of fiction should be no barrier. After all, so's Christianity, and they get too much "respect".
Sorry, that is your opinion. Prove that the Bible is a work of fiction, beyond a reasonable doubt, and we'll talk.
The idea that a government with a policy of separating church and state should pick and choose among which religions are "real" is a little preposterous.
Except that Great Britain has an official state religion and church, the Church of England.
If Britain's fourth largest religion isn't getting official recognition, then something's very obviously wrong with the system.
I'll care about fake religions getting official recognition in the UK when the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam is allowed to openly practice their faith in Vietnam, when the Baha'i Faith is free from persecution in Iran, and converts from Islam to other religions aren't subject to the death penalty in many Islamic nations.
RE: They deserve as much respect
Just because your religious beliefs derive from a work of fiction should be no barrier. After all, so's Christianity, and they get too much "respect".
The Bible has more primary sources then most of "accepted history."
If Britain's fourth largest religion isn't getting official recognition, then something's very obviously wrong with the system.
Using the definition of system from dictionary.com, a problem with the individuals involved that knowingly and to no apparent goal mock other religions would be a part of the system. You are correct Sir!
RE: They deserve as much respect
I agree with you that the differentiation cannot be made based on beliefs. Instead, I think the government should be able to objectively analyze how much charity work the religion does and then decide to award or withhold the tax breaks based on that statistic. So, if someone can provide numbers showing that the Jedi or FSM perform a legitimate or substantial amount of charity work (something similar to what is provided by the church I attend), then I will grant that the government should give them tax breaks - as well as any other organization that can do so, no matter what sort of preposterous or outlandish beliefs the hold dear.
RSS
They deserve as much respect
Just because your religious beliefs derive from a work of fiction should be no barrier. After all, so's Christianity, and they get too much "respect".
The idea that a government with a policy of separating church and state should pick and choose among which religions are "real" is a little preposterous.
Since tax breaks for religious groups require a government to do so, this leads to the obvious conclusion that religious groups shouldn't be getting tax-exempt status.
To me, this is one of the most important roles played by FSM and the Jedi Order - they offer something to contrast with "official" religions. If Britain's fourth largest religion isn't getting official recognition, then something's very obviously wrong with the system.
View Full Discussion