Is it normal to lose respect in someone if they believe in a god

Stephen Hawking believed in God until he mad his latest discovery this year. Which, for him, is an ample answer that there is no God. But would you have said he was intellectually inferior before this year? What about Einstein and Charles Darwin? I think it's more of a case that you don't understand what the concept of God is. Not everyone's God is one man in the sky. For some God is the big bang, all matter, all physical theories. God is known as a universal energy. God is now and the universe. So maybe it's you that has an old fashioned and basic view of what God is. Therefore there is a gap in you intellectual superiority I'd say!

I'm the same way. A higher power is just something primeval man invented to explain science. AH-DER! But, meditation and finding peace is different. I practice some of the ways of Buddhism and often meditate and find inner peace. I think that's more psychology than anything, though.

What if all those religions who say there's one God is talking about the same God? What if the many differences and conflicts between religions are created by humans' misinterpretations? What if one day a God comes to you, how would you feel with your intellectually superior self? How do you even know of God's non/existence for sure? Because if you don't know 100% sure, you can't be intellectually superior. What if both you and believers are wrong? What if there's multiple Gods? What if? Who knows? You? You thinking one thing making you feel superior is highly disrespectful. Oh wait, that's what you just said.

I just lost respect for jodyjo, who followed a scientifically false claim with "have you opened the bible?"

Seriously, reading that it was "mathematically proven" that we didn't evolve from anything made my ears bleed.

I truly hope that was a joke.

Ahh my gawd

we all pray to the same god. he's just called different things in different religions.

and, you sound very intolerant and closed-minded. you can believe what you want, but to not like other people just because of what they believe is a bit extreme.

I'm the same. It always disappoints me when I find out that someone's religious in this day and age, especially when they seemed to be sensible and intelligent. True, the non-existence of a god cannot be proven, but neither can that of invisible unicorns. Intellectually, it makes no sense to believe in a god. Emotionally, well, I suppose some people need a crutch. It's no coincidence that countries with higher standards of living and education have lower levels of religiousness.

I think it's normal for you to feel that way because so many religious people are anti-intellectual and many of their positions are downright stupid.

It's particularly bad in the United States where Christianity has been subverted by the ultra-right to justify their agenda of hate, greed, racism, and misogyny.

But your prejudice against religious people is just that - prejudice. Be careful making assumptions, not all religious people are ignorant.

It depends. I will not lose respect for someone simply for being religious. If they use their religion to promote willful ignorance, hate or bigotry, *that* is what will cause me to lose respect for them.

I've known people from various religous backgrounds who were still intelligent, good people and who didn't take their faith to extreme measures.

The way I see it, all religions are different interpretations of mankind trying to understand itself. I don't believe in a god myself, but I believe in a higher power. It's not mystical, it's not supernatural, the higher power simply is the natural order, in life perpetuating itself. We are tiny players of an even larger universe that makes up one cohesive everything, we are just one snapshot of the great fractal of everything.

You're just ignorant. Nothing to be Ashamed of.

And by the way, Christianity is a polytheistic religion. Meaning, there is the father, son and holy spirit. Christians say these are the same god but at the same time, all perform different functions and can be in different places at the same time. This is polytheism... you are worshiping more than one god whether you admit it or not.

Study the Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythologies and religions before Christianity. They are so similar to each other, it's insane.

In the early days of mankind, we looked towards the stars and formulated our own stories for that which we could not understand. And just like life itself, those stories evolved slowly over time and were passed along generation after generation until we have what we do today.

And anyone who says evolution is wrong is getting their information from Pat Robertson or Wendy Wright or some idiot like that. DNA has solved the riddle for us. We now know our DNA is 98% the same as a chimpanzee. Explain that with your bible please. I would love to hear that.

Not to mention, all you really have to do is LOOK at a monkey and it's pretty damn obvious.

do your studies before making any judgments

Your just ignorant most of the world believes in a god. There is loads of proof. Such as in the Quran they talk about electricity and transportation way before they were invented. They tall about how there is a positive energy around Makkah the Muslims holy place. It was in the Quran ages ago and scientists have just found out about that now.

Judge as thou wishes to be judged. I personally lost all respect for you and hereby declare you a douchenozzle faggot. Just because I believe in a God does not immidiatly constitute that I am a stupid person.

on the contrally I loose respectfor you if you don't believe in God, not that I'm the most righeous

It means you are intolerant and prejudice. The fact not everyone believes like you is not a crime. So you are just as bad as people who want to kill gays, prosecute the Jews and the KKK. Why do you feel the right to attack people?

Suuuuuuure when i think malcom x i think retard

I am Wiccan.I was intolerant of those who were involved in any sort of catholic / christian activities because i was young AND STUPID. tolerance is good. tolerance is what keeps some people from killing each other while they sleep. What i pick up from you id that you think too highly of yourself. Almost as if you think you in fact your own god. People are not stupid for believing in god or gods. Some of the smartest most intelligent people on the face of the planet were religious and some very devout of their own free will! Your a dick. Honestly. To think that you are above anyone. Intolerance is stupidity. You are a moron. I have a mixed group of friends some religious some not. But none of my atheist friends would ever say they are better for not believing. Most of them are people who need to see something to believe it.
FOR FAITH IS TO BELIEVE WHAT IS FELT NOT SEEN.
To never let go of that small piece of you that reaches out to be cared for by a being that is more then yourself.
I frankly think you are not right.
I was the smartest in my class growing up and always believed in a higher power.
I was the gifted one the artistic one. I let no one arrogance such as yours sway my faith.
I honestly hope i'd never meet you.
There are so many things i could blow your mind with.
I do not rely on a god to get my through everything but i let my views keep my head up.
Making me know there is something good out there.
No one honestly knows how we were created. So yes no one may be correct.
But I damn sure believe that a higher power was mixed in there somewhere. a power that holds everything together. Science may make it seem concrete and normal but who says that it wasn't created by a force we have yet to discover. And one I feel we never will.
So keep being a idiot. keep being intolerable and a dick. I don't mind you not believing in a god or gods but to lose respect for everyone else who does?
Makes you an idiot.
So get your dammed fact straight. Until then you are nothing more then the mind set of an angsty teenager who doesn't want to go church.

I've had(and have) friends of various faiths. Some are very intelligent people. I don't mind, so long as they don't try to convert me to their faith.

While personally I don't go for a personified "man in the sky" deity, I do think there is some overriding force, like a universal Gaia, or a universal Conciousness. I don't know what exactly, but as its been scientifically proven that a single person thinking about a random outcome in a certain way does affect the outcome, there has to be a corrilatory effect if a million people think about something in a particular way. Going back to the OP, does this belief in a logical extension of proven scientific fact make me less intelligent?

You have to understand where these people are coming from. You have to understand that you were raised in a place where religion was considered absurd and your entire belief system and values have been built with this in mind. Even if you're unaware of it you have been deeply influenced by your surroundings and the values that have been imposed on you as a result.
Now consider the perspective of someone whom was raised in a christian family. They probably grew up with religion being deeply incorporated into their life. It was something that always seemed to give them strength emotionally and maybe even was a way to feel closer to their family. The person growing up within a christian family is deeply influenced to feel very different from you.
Additionally it is extremely arrogant to assume that your views and opinions are superior to others. The fact that you have been influenced to be an atheist in no way means that you are right. Plenty of people have been influenced to feel differently from you and they have just as much reason to maintain their beliefs. Someone who holds the philosophy that their views are superior and that there is nothing to be gained from considering another person's perspective is cheating themselves out of to opportunity to learn from others by being wrong.
For the record I am agnostic. I'm simply offended by the arrogance of someone who will assume that another person must be completely ignorant based off their religious beliefs. It's no different really from christians claiming that atheists are bad people.

You are entitled to your own opinion, because it is you who will have to answer for yourself one day; I only hope that you don't stay so close minded that there is no God. Darwin states that humans don't evolve because we are able to change our surroundings, and that although species do evolve for survival, a species can't evolve out of another. It is scientifically and mathematically proven, that there is no way for humans to have evolved from another species. We are made in His image. As for Stephen Hawkins what proof does he have from any others? He simply made an opinion not backed by science. Have you ever read the Bible, or opened a book for that matter? If anything science proves that there is a higher power. People aren't perfect, so how could the world we live in be perfect enough for us to survive if there isn't anything greater? Every knee will bow, so wither you believe or not you will one day find out and I'd think you might want to at least be rather safe then sorry. If not you will find your self surrounded by the same people you are now, only you won't enjoy the luxuries you do today. Salvation is the only free gift this world has to offer I pray You accept that gift.

I lose respect for buttholes like you who do not have an ounce of tolerance.

It's called being an ass.

I feel as though believing in a higher power is a way to cope with life. You're never alone, so you are always happy. Some people are weak and need religion as a crutch to get through their life.
I feel the same way about them as you. I lose respect for people when they say they believe in a God that is personified. I believe the world along with everything in it (including us) are God. Of course I rely on the world to exist but I am perfectly fine knowing I am not being looked after by some sky magician.

Just know that they wouldn't believe in their God if they didn't NEED to. They need someone to open their eyes. Help them, don't judge them. If it fails, leave them be.