Religion is also "inherent" in the sense we (most of us) are trained religiously by our families to have similar beliefs.
I recognize that religion has certain hybrid characteristics because we are born into in a religious tradition. I also recognize that religion is not solely about ideas. It has elements of the supernatural and a lot of emotion. But it is is also philosophy and sociology, which are ideas.
I don't know many people who, as adults, practice the same religion into which they were born. Lots of ex-Catholics on these boards. And look at Neo. He's been all over the map before settling into a belief system that fits him. It would be interesting to see statistics on how many retain their religious traditions. Discussing religion is a big part of the process of figuring out who we are and what we believe in. To do that we have to be able to discuss religion dispassionately, intellectually, abstractly. Discussing religion is part of the process of learning how to think, to be able to entertain alien and contradictory ideas, to listen actively, to put things into context. And, if for no other reason, we need to study comparative religious traditions if we are to understand international conflicts and ward off terrorists attacks. We can't not discuss it because some people have trouble differentiating between abstract discussions and personal attacks. That's part of the learning process, too.
We have laws which protect us from discrimination based upon race, ethnicity and religion
We also have laws to protect us from discrimination based on gender, disability, and sexual orientation. That doesn't keep us from discussing them.
Karen |
