So, recently I was talking to a friend and somehow we got to talking about religion and stuff. When I complained that religion is often put on a huge pedestal and that it’s really just a glorified opinion and should be subject to the same criticism as any other opinion, they told me that that was a really hot take.
According to them, belief and religion is more than just an opinion since it’s such a big part of people’s lives. I countered that opinions are also big parts of people’s lives and personalities. I mean, a huge chunk of your personality is based on your opinions, right?
We agreed to disagree but I kept thinking about it. I don’t get why religion shouldn’t just be treated like any other opinion just because people tend to cling to it. I get that it people are emotionally invested but that’s not just the case with religion but other opinions too. I would appreciate your thoughts to help me understand better, is it really a hot take?
The idea that opinion and the most solid faith of religious certainty are the same kind of thing is not necessarily unreasonable, although it’s unusually blunt as systems for classifying different kinds of belief go.
But not all religion is about faith, or about believing the right things. The one I’m guessing you’re probably most familiar with puts an unusual degree of emphasis on it, but even so there is a lot more to it.