Why it Shouldn't be Taboo to Criticize Religious Beliefs 

"I'd rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned."

"ridiculous" ideas deserve "ridicule".

Teach children *how* to think - not *what* to think

It isn't taboo to criticize religious beliefs-it's just that religious people want you to think it's taboo. "Ridicule is the only weapon to be used against unintelligible propositions."-American Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, in a letter discussion the "holy" trinity.

One's quest for personal salvation from the human condition is top tier narcissism..

Yes, those so-called SIN in a religious book that lead to us vs them is the problem!

“Why it Shouldn't be Taboo to Criticize Religious Beliefs”. Because religious people are also allowed to vote.

Thank you, clear logic, facts,indisputable evidence; I am astonished that 44% of Americans cannot grasp these arguments! Viva Sam Harris!

We still live in primitive times, where blind faith is regarded as a positive attribute. It actually scares me that people believe in imaginary things. It’s like they are hallucinating or something. The most dangerous animal on the planet is a deluded human. Religion contributes to that.

Not knowing the difference between reality and delusion is a serious problem

I really like Douglas Adams’ idea of the electric monk: “The Electric Monk was a labour-saving device, like a dishwasher or a video recorder... Electric Monks believed things for you, thus saving you what was becoming an increasingly onerous task, that of believing all the things the world expected you to believe.” ― Douglas Adams, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

Religion? No, thanks!

Not only shouldn't it be taboo, but if what these religions are selling is `objective truth,` then they should welcome it. If your worldview requires an echo chamber to remain relevant, I'd suggest examining the worldview. It shouldn't need to be protected from scrutiny.

Just stamp "holy" on anything and tell people they are not allowed to criticize it. Fascism.

The hard part about witnessing a debate involving CREATIONISM is being forced to hear the foundation supporting the myth argued time and time again ... IGNORANCE!

Easy: Because not even a single word of divine nonsense is true. Your God beliefs are not special, nor do they make you special.

What makes a grift/scam effective is when those being grifted accept the grift as their identity and wear it like a badge of honor.

"If scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims."-Dalai Lama XIV

Is it not ok to question authority? Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Kim Jong Un, Jim Jones, Trump... would all demand to NEVER question authority. As an Ex-Christian, it's my moral duty to criticize religious dogma, especially when one knows it's all a lie. It's essential all non-believers of these religion(s) and expose these deceptions that keep humanity prisoners in fear. Criticize LOUDER! p.s. Had to add Trump.

According to my values, on balance and in our modern world, religion’s harm far outweighs its good. Faith enables manipulation by demagogues for their nefarious purposes: Religion requires faith, that is, belief without evidence. Such faith becomes available for co-option in different situations. It is epistemically indefensible, and a lazy way of thinking that lends itself to manipulation by demagogues pushing agendas that on greater reflection could be seen for what they are; perversions of justice, compassion, and human decency. Faith replaces the role of chance with imaginary supernatural agency: Faith allows religious people to disregard the misfortunes of others, because they believe them to be undeserving, their gods or spirits having willed it so. It allows them to disregard the role of chance in life, and so believe the wealthy to be deserving. Such false beliefs lead to bad decisions, such as when theists vote against progressive social policies because they believe their good fortune is due to their god's blessing, and the less fortunate are undeserving, so they can’t be good people. Religions discriminate against and oppress non-members: Various religions or sects validate discrimination or oppression against people who don’t share their beliefs, resulting in sectarian violence, even warfare. History shows that religious wars tend to be the deadliest. Objective morality sourced from ancient texts is primitive and sometimes unethical: Religious people believe in objective morality, the source of which is to be found in the ancient text of their choice. However, the morality on display, at least in part, is necessarily primitive and rebarbative. Moral philosophy has moved on since then, making our world a better place, despite the efforts of religious adherents. Compare the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the Ten Commandments. The Bible condones slavery, so long as the master doesn’t beat his slave to death. Supernatural beliefs, conflicting with reality, cause faulty decision making: Holding false beliefs that conflict with reality, relating to one or another of mankind’s many gods, is akin to being misinformed. This makes it more likely that decisions influenced by such beliefs will be erroneous. This is particularly true when religious dogma conflicts with scientific data and theories, such as creationism versus evolution by natural selection.

Morality pre-dates religion

We wouldn't allow someone to walk around telling people 1+1=3 without criticizing them. Why does religion think they get an escape goat from questioning their ideology? When did an acceptable answer become, because I believe or I have faith. One of the definitions of faith is without evidence. How does one claim a belief without evidence?

Religion(s) is nothing but a set of ideas, NO idea is above criticism or being questioned. If you hold on to beliefs that you are convinced cannot be questioned or challenged. Thats a problem and you are not for free thought

Why am I an atheist ??? Cause I studied the bible !!!

The “people of faith” frequently badmouth nonbelievers and even other faith groups, yet become so sensitive when they are being criticized

superstition - noun 1a: a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation b: an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition 2: a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary Merriam-Webster

Religion is the root of humanity's most intractable problems.

What we need is freedom from religion no religious freedom .

Religion is the mould upon human intelligence.

We need alot more of this kind of discourse! Humans are insane by believing ancient superstition.

Tolerating unjustified beliefs is epistemic chaos

So, there are really people expecting the second coming of Jesus in the immedeate future? Even outside the Mormons? I have bad news for them. The apostles thought it would happen during their lifetime. We have been waiting for that roughly 2000 Years now. I would not hold my breath.

I'm not sure it is a taboo. I'm 45 and have been calling religious people idiots for virtually my whole life. Never had an issue so far :)

Atheist for Life 👍🏻

Sky daddy believers criticize non believers every day. They're allowed to bully non believers. A platform should not have the right to silence the question of a believer.

Agree with Chomsky, doesn't matter your beliefs, what one do is what matters

Its not taboo to criticise religion in my country and internationally.

Patton Oswalt said it best. I don't have to respect your beliefs. I have to acknowledge them as something that exists. But if I think you're an idiot, I'm going to say so. You don't have a right to not be offended. And that goes for any belief.

Religion criticizes everything, and is used to excuse untold atrocities... and yet religion wants to let off the hook when it's time to ask the hard questions about it? F ck that noise.

But the real question is, how do we convince the masses who do think its taboo to criticize faith? Most of them are too indoctrinated to be reasoned with.

Religion began when the first conman met the first fool. -- Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

Someone's belief is not proof.

Blind faith stops good people from thinking for themselves.

Thanks so much for making these compilations. I look forward to them daily.

No religion including the new age, actually many new agers are becoming born again Christians, same same conspiracies.

Religion poisons everything. -- Christopher Hitchens

"Question everything, including me" - The Buddha

I make a point of criticizing and mocking religion every chance I get. Why wouldn’t I?

calling it taboo says a lot about that religion. if it cant even stand up to criticism. then how can anyone honestly believe its true?

This is exactly correct. Look at the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All three have been fighting each other for 2,000 years, all because they believe their scriptures to be the exact Word of God. All three of them are pitted against each other by their scriptures, and all three continue to teach these falsehoods on a daily basis. When Christianity was created, it was done so by Rome to force the conversion of the entire empire to one belief system, one they could control. The empire was converted by force, at the edge of the sword. The Far Eastern religions are older, and have already learned to accept each other rather then fight over God. The Bahai Faith is a rather new religions, from the 19th century, and believes they are the moderator between the Abrahamic religions, as well as the other major religions. As a matter of fact, they are the only religion authorized by the UN because they explain that all of the major religions come from the One God. I do not know if they will succeed, but all of the religions need to be downgraded to a matter of personal choice and not allowed to outlaw the others. The literary deconstruction of the Torah, Bible, and Koran is ongoing, and many are leaving these religions as they learn that they are wildly contrived. It may take a few more generations to chill them out.

This is brilliant Sam if everybody in America could watch us and and get it and understand what you're saying I understand you this was bravo magnificent. 🙏😇🏳️‍🌈

You can't write long term public policy and law when half the electorate thinks this world is going to end within their lifetime.

imagine the sheep going around with a rainbow flag

"...The only thing that guarantees an open collaboration among human beings is communication and a willingness to modify ones beliefs" This is why freedom of religion(belief), freedom of speech and freedom of expression are so essential to society. We live in an age of censorship and a culture of cancellation. There are people working now to legislate reality and your tongue and we need to fight back.

If he’s all loving and forgiving why would he kill anyone or send them to eternal hellfire?🙄🤣🤡Call it what you will but that is not forgiving or loving 🙄

As a living example, a human being, myself. I’m glad I walk the earth with no fear of speaking about anything and everything without this inner fear that I shouldn’t speak bad of that religion. No ladies and gentlemen, I don’t want to believe what you want to believe is true. Prospective. Learn prospective, and learn awareness of others and then you can see that religion is simply a man’s want to get everyone else on board with their version of hope and Godliness. I don’t follow cult leaders, and today we have many. No thanks.

Spot on as usual! 👍

I agree 1000% with 1:30. My biggest complaint about "evangelical" Christianity is if we don't "witness" to other people and MAKE them disciples...Our faith is questioned.

Now this is a first for me: HALLELUJAH!

The mistake is some take it too personally and conflate their belief with their identity. You are more than what you believe. Beliefs change. I do not respect religion. I respect people. Religion is the worst thing about humanity.

Empathy is morality and how we shape our morals. Empathy exists in every culture and every religion, and lack of empathy decides who you hate and how much you hate. While religion may help facilitate the teaching of empathy, it does not enforce having empathy for everyone. Otherwise they would see non-believers and those of other beliefs as their brothers and sisters, not just as people they need to convert.

I can’t express the idea that religion is a danger to mankind strongly enough ! We need to speak up .

You can’t have faith if you can’t question or criticize it.

IF god existed, he'd destroy and take down all the satellites in space that are destroying his story and what we know about his creation. Not only that but also the people who put them there. My opinion.

if god exists....then the way the world is today is the way god wanted it to be. u can't put ur baby in a room with a rabid dog and then say, i don't want my child to die but it's out of my control, they both have free will. that would make u insane

Good personified as God. Evil personified as Devil.

If it is a problem to criticise believes in your country, you have to get rid of conservatives and reactionary politics.

A good thing about paganism is that it generally allows worship of other gods.

You can't have religious belief without criticizing religion, by definition.

I’m a believer (a Christian). Reading much of the comments, I feel vilified. And disrespected. But having said that, much of what is written is fair comment. I’m firmly of the belief that religions need to be challenged. While we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater (many of the writers and presenters here do this, in my opinion) there is much in my own religion. That is a best questionable! So I say to those who have reached a different conclusion about the presence of the divine than I have, please let your voices be heard! As we search for truth, we need to listen to each other

"...People see religious freedom to impose their views on other people". Yes we want the free exchange of all ideas that's why we set it up that way. Freedom of Religion + Freedom of speech. You will see in these videos that people have no problem whatsoever criticizing ones worldview.

10% of Sheep have long term homosexual relationships, they're called gay Christians, the few the proud, the pride of being in a queer relationship and having Jesus there too, watching... waiting, whispering soon, soon... but not to worry kids, that word soon in the bible actually means 2000 plus years, so don't sweat it.

I'm Catholic. I welcome criticism whether it's Nietschze Bertrand Russel or my friends. Makes belief refined better and everyone has the right to challenge ideas..

You cannot refer to a 'historical figure' (07:18) when there is no evidence that that figure actually existed.

Moral and ethical elitism leads to exactly the same type of fascism that religion does. Sam Harris is comfortable with his nihilism, good for him. Expecting the same thing from the worlds population is unreasonable.

You know, it's very easy to criticize religious beliefs... ...fun, too.

My friend, *Civilization has always been ignorant…*

The reason why we can't critize faith is our fear. Most specifically our fear of being non-compis. It is socially prohibited to point out the reality that most of humanity suffers from mental illness. Humanity through its growth of social structure had made trauma, abuse and neglect pandemic. We are so inculcated to trauma, abuse and neglect in our world that we hardly notice it. I don't speak of trauma like car accidents. I speak of how we treat our children. Spare the rod insanity that goes hand in hand with abuse, neglect and religious indoctrination. We cant call out religion because we all buy into, in some way, our failures as caregivers. We have come to believe our cherished views that cause trauma, abuse and neglect are really good for children. So only but the most honest of people are willing to call out religion for what it is. A fantasy based and fueled by mental illness sourced in trauma, abuse and neglect. We each fear what we see and know what we are inside. It creates the unspoken rule. If you don't call out mine, I won't call out yours. Until we realize we all have issues and those issues lead us to believe in things that have no proof or evidence, we will continue to believe we can't speak to the reality of faith in a diety. Or more specifically, belief in wholesale fantasy.

Biochemistry determines human nature. Psychology understands human nature.

Everything should be questioned, including atheism and skepticism.

He's right

It isn't taboo. Anyone pretending it is is beyond out of touch

It isn't Taboo. All religions are a form of lunacy!

My understanding is that ONLY ISLAM has made it to be impossible to criticize it. Mostly by the threat of violence and Jihad and even inter-family violence and murder. There are no “rules” against criticizing ANY other religion. It is only Islam that is off the scale. Sanjosemike (no longer in CA)

It should not be taboo to criticize the religions of materialism, atheism, nihilism, science, facts and enlightenment values

Wrong reasons. Never for dispelling spiritual beliefs, but pursuit of truth. Morality doesnt come from religion, but is illuminated by it. Dont say that religious people think you're immoral. Instead you think that your idea of morality is based on personal preference, but it isn't, it's objective.

The one I do not get is to deny this reality, because the next one is better. BTW, it is ALL ABOUT Space Falls being Anthropomorphized, this pale blue dot encounters space debris that cause destruction and impact winter (bad) and the blue sky and sunshine (good). The vast majority of Omnipotents are from the radiant of our most recent arrival, The Pleiades of The Taurid Meteor Stream. This is the hurdle we must understand, hey, they are all related to one another. We are just arguing over who's interpretation of the same phenomena is correct. The Aldebaran colored heifer is a prime example, because it represents The Taurus Constellation where the pre-perihelion meteor storms seem to come from. Even in the Americas, The Feathered Serpent and The Thunderbird are from this star cluster.

Control over TV, and also, i suspect, media sites like this one, is the number one source of sustaining this. Through obvious or subtle selection of content.

....and proud of it should be in the thumbnail title

Just a little point of order, the material that became the Old Testament was actually probably developed during the Bronze Age, and codified during the Iron Age. So we're actually dealing with a set of Bronze Age beliefs, not Iron Age

I believe that some folks think that to question the beliefs of others is an attempt to destroy their free speech. It isn't. Not at all; any belief of any kind MUST be open to analysis and discussion; in fact the more questions the better. Let discussion itself (without fear) be the arena, no?

That religious conflict in the Levant boils down to one thing: which group of Israelites are entitled to live in the land of Israel/Palestine? Jews or Arabic-speaking Palestinians?

0:19 It's because what people claim to believe or outwardly profess can be diff from what they do. The reality is, what you truly believe and/or think is what you eventually want to do (if you are not doing it, you slowly destroy or weaken that part of yourself whether that part is good or evil). What you do is a product of something or some part of the mind whether it be deliberate (constructive or destructive), accidental or manipulated by others. What you do is not the beginning. Other things were happening to make it happen.

Soy un psicólogo increíblemente importante y persona de muchos talentos y quiero ser respetado. No quiero ser el hazme reir de la gente. No quiero que se me vacile. No quiero que se me tome el pelo. No quiero que la gente se ría a mi costa. No quiero que la gente se ría de mi. No quiero que se tome por el pito de un sereno. No quiero hacer el trabajo de los demás. No quiero hacer favores a desagradecidos. Me siento humillado, me da vergüenza contar lo que me ha sucedido. Me siento usado. Me siento maltatado. Siento que me han hecho daño intencionadamente, sabiendo lo que se hace, a posta, y siendo ignorante de las consecuencias. ¿Cual son las consecuencias de hacer daño a Dios? ¿Cual son las consecuencias de hacer daño a la realidad? Quiero una disculpa pública. Quiero que el malhechor se disculte públicamente, delante de toda la humanidad. Soy vulnerable y debil, y evito la confrontación y se aprovechan de mi. Quiero cambiar y hacerme respetar. Hablando se entiende la gente. Quiero un encuentro cara a cara, quiero solucionar la situación de una vez por todas. ¿Tengo razón y no debería estar haciendo el trabajo de los demás para ayudar hasta el punto en el que los trabajadores se mofan de la situación? Vivo incrédulo, perplejo, anonadado, alienado, alucinado, sufriendo, porque soy yo el que ha descubierto la naturaleza de Dios, no tú, y te estoy diciendo que eres miembro de una secta de la que yo salí siendo honesto gracias a Dios. El ateísmo y religión son sectas que hacen daño a Dios. Has hecho daño a Dios, literalmente, me has hecho daño a mi, has hecho un daño increíble a la perfección, has hecho daño a la perfecta vida. Dios es literalmente todo lo que existe, pasado presente y futuro. ¿Por qué me ha pasado en el trabajo lo que me ha pasado? Para mí es un trauma lo que me ha pasado en el trabajo. Soy una persona intensa y profunda y se dan malentendidos cuando la gente no sabe realmente quien eres. Yo he descubierto que el ateismo es una falacia lógica que asume Dios es la idea religiosa del creador de la creación y concluye erróneamente que el creador no existe porque una idea particular de Dios no existe. ¿Por qué estoy trabajando en Londres en una fábrica en un turno de tarde-noche haciendo donuts en la sección de pastelería teniendo un conflicto serio con un compañero de trabajo? Estoy ya sobrecargado de estres con lo que tengo y además ahora tengo que quejarme. Me quejo de cómo funciona el mundo y de cómo a la gente no le importa. Cualquier descubrimiento de conocimiento debería ser primera página en todas las plataformas informativas inmediatamente. ¿Qué debo hacer para que la gente entienda quien soy yo? ¿Debo secuestrar a alguno con una espada samurai o llamar la atención de otra manera? Las cosas no funcionan como deberían funcionar porque la mala intención se disfraza de buena intención. El agresor es víctima de si mismo. ¿Ha quien impresionas necesitando siempre ayuda? ¿Puedes hacer el trabajo o no puedes hacerlo? Solo necesito tiempo para hacer cambios. Necesito cambiar mi vida. Quiero que la humanidad juzgue por si misma si tengo razón y merezco una disculpa pública o si no la tengo y nadie ha hecho nada malo. A mi se me ha pedido cordialmente de ayudar, ¿puedes por favor coger los "custards" del frigorífero?. Me da vergüenza contarlo, me siento como un tonto, ¡a estas alturas de mi recuperación de la adicción! De verdad que me dan ganas de llorar. Soy un adicto en recuperación y sé lo que vale un peine, más que oro inútil dentro de una caja fuerte. Tengo que hacerme respetar, tengo que mejorar, sé quien soy y lo que estoy haciendo y tengo que dar ejemplo. Tengo que hacer ver que el panteismo funciona para solucionar los conflictos. Siento que me han tratado como si fuese tonto. Y lo he sido, ¡qué vergüenza!. Me avergüenzo del pasado, pero es lo que es y no se puede cambiar. ¿Tú que harías si fueses yo? ¿Qué dirías, cómo lo dirías, cuando lo dirías, a quien se lo dirías? Si contestas a mi última pregunta sabré que estás vivo. ¿Estás preparado para ser famoso?. Tengo que decir a alguien para. Tengo que decir a alguien te estas aprovechando de mi buena voluntad. Tengo que decir a alguien que pienso quiere hacerme creer que quiere ser mi amigo y no lo es que me ha hecho daño su comportamiento inprocedente. Ha llamado la atención sobre si mismo haciéndome cómplice para ser un hazmereir, de lo que los otros hablan divertidos. ¿Digo la verdad?Los hechos no pueden ser negados porque hay testigos. Todos han visto lo que estaba sucediendo y ahora hay que juzgar si merezco una disculpa privada o pública, o si nadie ha hecho nada malo, o si soy yo el que ha aceptado voluntariamente como un favor hacer el trabajo de los demás hasta el punto de ser cotilleo y no tengo nada de lo que quejarme. Soy un poeta y artista buscando la belleza y tranquilidad en un mundo deshonesto y hostil. Para encontrar a Dios tienes que entender que la realidad es eterna porque de la nada no puede ser creado algo y leer Spinoza. Si piensas en lo que te he dicho te sentirás increíblemente mejor. Gracias.

Every religion has its books and it's writings. These writings embody the language and thinkings and culture at the time they were written. This may be entirely different from what these are today. So if we are to assume that the original writings have not been altered, then what can be questioned and criticized is "TODAY'S INTERPRETATION OF THE TEXTS." If it cannot be assumed that the original text has NOT been altered, then the TEXT ITSELF can be questioned and criticized.

Funnily enough, as someone who believes in God I largely agree with this analysis. I find it tragic that many people who claim to believe in God feel they have to defend it by killing, persecuting, and imposing their will on others. Is their God really that puny or that evil? As Cromwell once said to the Scottish puritans - think it possible that you might be mistaken.

Its not religion, its not politics, its the whole of humanity that still bear the stamp of their lowly origin. That lowly origin manifests itself in the frailty of human reason and logic. When that frailty surfaces in superstition and ignorance, the only question is what do we do about it.

There is NEVER any reason to criticize "religious" "beliefs". There is ALWAYS every single last reason available to us to point out the blatantly obvious realities of choosing to think that you "have" "religious" "beliefs"...as with all beliefs, because the methodology is all that is real. Even what we observe might not be "real", because our underlying axioms might always need some updates.

It's not taboo to criticize religion. Have you seen society lately?

If God does Not speak to me, on which ground will He judge me?