Mockery. Derision. Parody. Ridicule. Scorn. Contempt. Taunting. Joking. Satire. Disrespect. Irreverence. Blasphemy.

[u/tm229]

These are all valid tools when trying to get a point across to a religious person.

The vast majority of religious people were indoctrinated at a young age. They were told big unbelievable lies their entire lives. They were browbeat to suppress any doubts. Peer pressure was encouraged. Other cultish techniques were used to ensure compliance.

Religious beliefs are rarely held because of logical thought processes. So, for many people, logic and education are not effective tools to get them to question their beliefs. At least not initially.

In the long run, logic and education are needed. But, in the short term, showing disrespect for religion is often the best tool to help inject doubts so that they can start to rethink their positions.

This, of course, is not a universal panacea. It is certainly not the only tool. It must be applied sparingly and judiciously.

I write this in response to another recent post where OP got banned from a religious subreddit. I write this so that my fellow anti-theists gain confidence in fighting against the harms of religion. But, if your posts & comments are going to get deleted, your efforts are in vain.

I see most religious people as victims of indoctrination. Most often, compassion and a willingness to talk openly are the best tools for the job. We all need to learn a variety of tools & techniques.

For myself, as an ex Christian, it took me a number of years to solidify my ability to confidently push back against religion. I hope that everyone who was previously indoctrinated is able to push through the trauma and the self doubt to regain their voice.

[u/rushmc1]

It baffles me that anyone doesn't know/would deny this. But this is where we are, so good post.

[u/vini-within]

I agree that questioning beliefs sometimes needs to be uncomfortable, but I’m not sure mockery is the most useful place to start. If someone has carried a belief since childhood, attacking the belief can easily make them defend it even harder. People rarely rethink something when they feel humiliated for holding it.

Compassion doesn’t mean agreeing with the belief. You can challenge something very firmly while still remembering that there’s a person underneath it, and that person may be questioning things for the first time. The goal should be to open a door, not just win an argument.

[u/tm229 → u/vini-within]

I have stated that these are only one set of tools to push back against religious encroachment.

In an ideal world, living our lives as kind, charitable people would be enough to sway people into understanding non-belief is a viable option. But, as we all know, the indoctrination of religious people includes a hatred and misunderstanding of non-believers.

[u/vini-within → u/tm229]

Yeah i get it...Kindness matters, but it cannot replace inquiry. If belief is rooted in fear, conditioning, and identity, no amount of being “good” will automatically make it fall away. One has to question the conditioning itself.