On the matter of the Mor(m)ons baptizing Anne Frank…

I don’t mind offending on the matter of religion and faith. What is stupid and illogical is stupid and illogical. If the shoe fits in regard to someone’s chosen faith, that’s their problem.

I respect someone’s right to choose to practice a faith (or to of course be faithless), to worship singly or as part of an organized group. I’d never want to see that choice taken away or a choice made for someone.

However, I am in no way obligated to “respect” other people’s chosen religious beliefs. I detest that “you have to respect other people’s beliefs” line people toss around because it’s bullshit. Do you respect poisonous snake handling, self flagellation, human sacrifice, genital mutilation, elephant headed gods with multiple arms, homophobia, racism, violence etc. that are part of some people’s religious practices? No, you don’t (I hope)! I take it further than that by rejecting all religious faith. I respect the idea of benevolence, love and charity toward others and the pursuit of peace. I don’t respect belief in magical sky wizards, vengeful spirits above and below, ghosts and half-gods, virgin births, miracles etc. and all the goofy rituals that tie into all that nonsense and are deemed necessary to support the idea of being good to others.

Magical underwear? I understand what it’s about for Mormons but it doesn’t change my reasoning that it’s silly and worthy of ridicule, like polygamy, golden plates, hearing a god’s voice, baptism, annulments, transubtantiation, miracle healings, canonizations, chastity vows, plenary indulgences, reincarnation and more. There’s just so much hypocrisy towards other faiths by those who demand respect for their own flavor of voodoo. So many religions that claim to love sure do produce a lot of hate.

So these posthumous baptisms are of course just an extra turd on the pile of predominantly anti-intellectual fairy tale band-aid bullshit that is organized religion. But if Mormons expect respect for their wacky beliefs, they need to not engage in acts that would, by the shared collective metaphysical bologna of major world religions, not violate those other faith’s tenets.

If respect is not sought, then go for it. They can baptize all they want. They can baptize me in absentia if they wish in some silly ceremony. They can baptize others to make themselves all feel beneficent and think they’ve done some imaginary soul a service. They won’t be doing me any physical harm or inflicting any emotional trauma. They’ll just be making themselves look ridiculous no matter what their intent.

Just keep your bullshit to yourself and in your own mind and home even if you think your faith is the one proper faith and think that it should be respected. Don’t legislate any of it. Don’t expect others to have to accommodate your rituals or ethics. Don’t go proselytizing or dropping bombs in an effort to rid the world of those who don’t make the same choices as you. Don’t go baptizing people of other faiths. Otherwise, expect your actions to garner ridicule and for people to be offended.

Furthermore, don’t expect respect when there is no existing logic or proof to bolster one’s religion and don’t be surprised when someone calls you out on your idiocy and hypocrisy. Then again, if one’s faith is strong enough and they think their religion to be correct, it shouldn’t really matter what others think, riiiiight?

But based on the discussions across the net in regard to this story, it sure seems like there are a lot of insecure folk out there in the world whose faith isn’t really unshakable, doesn’t it?