Comments about ‘Talking about religion may solve world's big problems’

If the Deseret News did the kind of fact checking when doing its local stories that it did with this one, the names of all auto accident victims would be wrong, the addresses of the houses that burned down in town would be incorrect and the Doonesbury comic strip would be labeled, "Little Lulu."
Speaking of Faith is not -- repeat NOT -- NPR. There are three Public Radio distribution networks in this country. NPR is best known for Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Car Talk. Public Radio International brings in the BBC from Britain, This American Life with Ira Glass, etc. Then there is American Public Media, the national distribution arm of Minnesota Public Radio (which, incidently also created PRI, then known as American Public Radio, several decades ago. American Public Media brings you such programs as Marketplace and A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. It also brings you Krista Tippet's program, Speaking of Faith. Now, find the editor responsible for this and make sure he reads this comment. Maybe even go to the various network websites and print out their program offerings, so you won't keep embarrassing yourself.

Hans - I am not the best reader in the world, so I went back to check on Krista Tippett's program. Paragraph two of this article reads:

"Krista Tippett, host of "Speaking of Faith," which is distributed by American Public Media and airs on NPR, spoke at the Salt Lake City Library Nov. 10 about the increasing popularity of religious conversations."

I enjoy listening to her program on KUER (NPR station) in my comings and goings to various church meetings on Sunday morning. I had never really appreciated that American Public Media and NPR were two different entities. Thank you for pointing this out.

Conversation is good, preaching is bad.

For the most part religion has changed the world for the worst. It is a history of blood and destruction.

Those identity conversations FIRST caused most of the major conflicts.
Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Serbs, Israel and Palestine.

I think the former poster's comment is too broad. Yes, we are all aware of the crusades, the troubles in Northern Ireland, and radical Islamists conducting terrorists activities. Of course, in at least two of those cases religion is simply used as a tool by those with another agenda. What the former poster seems to ignore is the good that is done because of organized religion. One must consider hungry people fed, social programs supported, individual acts of kindness spurred by a Sunday sermon, etc... I live in the Middle East and have continually been pleased by the individuals acts of service done for me and others because somebody was trying to implement the tenets of their religion. I think the question of religion's value must be analyzed more carefully.

Best not to bring up the "religion thing" at the Thanksgiving dinner table. History is full of massive family fights occuring due to that topic.

Whether active in a religion or not, it has the biggest impact in world politics and war.

The United States was founded on christian beliefs and values but is under attack by antagonist and agnostics that think this government is denying them of certain beliefs and want to rewrite our constitution to satisfy every religion or non religion activist. The constitution was written in a way that allows freedom of religion and the values of Christianity which imparts fair and equitable justice for all. Religion or lack of it is imparted by activist they are being denied rights.

We cannot rewrite the constitution or it will destroy the very meaning of our constitutional rights. Being able to practice their beliefs isn't enough for them, they think everyone should practice everyone's individual religions. This is why we have wars and conflicts.

There are two things you never debate or argue among family or friends, religion and politics. The old adage of live and let live no longer applies and everyone wants to choose how you should think. Freedom of thought and speech has become an offensive concept many are denying themselves of and world leaders hate it.

Oh come on---

Most of those events you lay at religion's feet is really political leaders of the day using religion for their own power grab agendas.

You do know that horrific acts have also occurred in the name of scientific progress -- yet I don't see anyone denouncing all science.

Or how today, well-meaning environmentalists are being used and abused by the political elite to further their power grab. I guess being eco-conscious is evil too, eh?

People love talking about religion. The people that don't like a particular religion like talking about that the most. Even though I was raised in California and I was not used to starting conversations about religion, the anti-mormons here can't wait to bring religion up in conversations.

Conversations about religion are okay - telling people who are not members of your religion, or do not follow it exactly the way you do, that they are evil sinners - not so good.

There is a difference of discussing as enforcing ones beliefs and practices on others. I for one feel that organized religion is the cause of much turmoil in our world today

"Religion, Tippett said, teaches mankind 'what matters in life and in death, how to love and how to give service to one another.'"

Balderdash. You don't need to be bamboozled by supernaturalism to know what matters in life and how to love and give. Religion is a cancer on the world that will ultimately cause us to destroy ourselves.

"Speaking of Faith" may not be NPR, but it's why I don't support NPR stations that air it.

JR, in this very paper it was pointed out that organized Christianity led to the abolition of slavery, equal treatment for women, and the right to dissent. Compassion is such a prominent virtue because of Christianity. If you are concerned that the presence of religion leads to conflict, consider the results when it is absent: Hitler, Mao, Stalin.

"For the most part religion has changed the world for the worst. It is a history of blood and destruction."


Then how do you explain the fact that the biggest butchers of the 20th centurey were anti-religous fundamentalists?

Religion is not perfect - but neither are humans in general. Please fact check before exposing your intolerance

Talking about religion is fine.

Just don't be under the impression that everyone is going to agree with you.

THAT is foolish.

We humans need to learn how to discuss and disagree without arguing. Intelligent discussions exhange ideas without accusations and intimidation. Arguments deny the validity of differing view points and create more heat than light. We learn from discussions, we alienate from arguments.
I hope more of us can discus our religious beliefs,create light rather than heat.

"If you are concerned that the presence of religion leads to conflict, consider the results when it is absent: Hitler,"

Sorry, Hitler believed in God and thought he was doing His will. Read Hitler's writings if you don't believe me.

The biggest problem in my experience is that the average person I talk to about religion knows nothing about it. They do not go to church nor read scriptures but they will fight to the death over their ignorant opinions. I would love to have an open-minded and calm conversation about religion with anyone.

Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, et al, were not anti-religion fundamentalists, did they supress religion? Absolutely. They were interested in total control, but to put their misdeeds on athiesms doorstep is just as disingenuous as what you are claiming is done to religion. Truth is, total control, total domination and all the evils that come with it come from regimes who operate with ONE religion or the suppresion of all religion (not because athiesm is believed..control is the operating ideology).

Societies that allow free speach in which anyone can say and believe whatever they want thrive. This is not because MANY religions thrive...it is because ALL ideologies are subject to fair play in the marketplace of ideas.