I think all religions should be discouraged because they spread falsehoods, and because they encourage people to behave foolishly and intolerantly. On the other hand, I think people should have the freedom to do what they please, even if silly, so long as they are not harming others. So where do I draw the line? The general principle is, I must judge behaviour the same way whether is it motivated by religion or something else. So for example:

• If I approve of large crowds of drunken footballers singing all nights long, I must also approve of the same behaviour at a religious festival.
• On the other hand, if I disapprove of kidnapping young girls and cutting off their genitals with a rusty knife, I must also disapprove of it when African immigrants do it as part of their religious rituals.
• If I approve of a man in a tutu, clown shoes and a pink wig handing out business cards, then I am obligated to allow Muslims to wear traditional dress and Jewish men to wear ringlets and little boxes on their heads.
• If I disapprove of child rape, and call for life imprisonment of violators, then I am obligated to treat priests who rape children the same way.
• If I approve of fans roaring for divine intervention to make their team win, then I allow people to pray in public for and to whatever they please, even unpopular deities like Lucifer, for even the death of the head of state. It will hurt no-one.
• If believe others should respect my burial rituals with silence, keeping distance and taking no photos, then I should respect the burial rituals of others, even if they make so sense to me.
• If I think it is acceptable for me to sunbathe topless, I am obligated to let anyone of any gender or any religion to do likewise.
• If I think I should not need to disrobe to appear in court, so I should not demand anyone else do likewise, accounting for the fact different cultures define disrobe differently.
• If I believe whales should not be killed, I should not make an exception because indigenous people believe sacrificing one would please the great creator.
• If I believe domestic animals should be killed humanely, I should not make an exception because people believe on religious grounds that animals should be killed in the same primitive way they were 4000 years ago. I would suggest to these people, if they are serious, they should also subject themselves to iron age dentistry and surgery.

~ Roedy (born: 1948-02-04 age: 64)