I’ve heard it most of my life (though not from my parents), and I don’t believe it any more than I did back when I was a kid. Apparently I am not the only one with that particular point of view.
Here’s what actor/comedian Patton Oswalt thinks about it:
“You gotta respect everyone’s beliefs…?”There are plenty of beliefs that are outright evil, that have no place on this world, yet we’re supposed to respect them? Nope, not going to happen.
No you don’t! That’s what gets us into trouble. You have to acknowledge everyone’s beliefs. And then you have to reserve the right to go “That is f**king stupid, are you kidding me?!”
I don’t have to respect beliefs that include the wholesale slaughter of one group of people or another.
I don’t have to respect beliefs that include the violent and murderous subjugation of people for some twisted political and/or religious ideology.
I don’t have to respect beliefs that paint everyone ‘not them’ as some kind knuckledragging subhuman not worthy of their attention or caring, seeing them only as disposable non-entities.
I don’t have to respect beliefs that make it perfectly okay to murder millions of unborn children by whim but not okay to put cold-blooded multiple murderers to death after a trial by their peers.
I don’t have to respect beliefs of those who see themselves as our “self-anointed betters”, those same “betters” having the morals and ethics of a Caligula.
I don’t have to respect anyone’s beliefs, particularly if they are the moral, ethical, and political antithesis of mine. I will acknowledge them, but I don’t have to respect them.