Hari’s question (answers on a postcard)
Johann Hari has a brilliant article in today’s Independent. It is a response to the rioters in India who objected to his column “Why Should I respect these oppressive religions?“. There is so much quotable in it, you really should read it all.
Hands up if you believe in bullshit: The whining babies who objected to Hari's article
He quotes the offending passage from that article again. And it’s worth repeating.
All people deserve respect, but not all ideas do. I don’t respect the idea that a man was born of a virgin, walked on water and rose from the dead. I don’t respect the idea that we should follow a “Prophet” who at the age of 53 had sex with a nine-year old girl, and ordered the murder of whole villages of Jews because they wouldn’t follow him. I don’t respect the idea that the West Bank was handed to Jews by God and the Palestinians should be bombed or bullied into surrendering it. I don’t respect the idea that we may have lived before as goats, and could live again as woodlice. When you demand “respect”, you are demanding we lie to you. I have too much real respect for you as a human being to engage in that charade.
So, religious people – why should anyone respect your stupid beliefs? This is a serious question. What is your answer?
“Because I’ll burn stuff and blow things up if you don’t.”