Belief systems (was Harry Haters and the Lack of Proof)

[David]

Annemehr wrote:

> I also would add that a belief system that holds that it is wrong 
to 
> use any type of "magic" at all is just as valid as Wicca; their 
> adherents hold different views, but as long as they *leave each 
other 
> alone* there is nothing wrong with that.  

I always think this sounds nice, but I'm not surprised that it 
breaks down so often in practice.

Most belief systems do have something to say about coercion: hardly 
anyone lives completely by the rule of 'live and let live'.  Most 
belief systems also declare that of course coercion should not be 
used in non-essential areas.

Where is all comes apart is that the systems disagree about what is 
a fitting issue for coercion.  They may apparently agree in 
principle that it's about prevention of harm to others, but the 
agreement is apparent only when the definition of 'harm' is relative 
to the belief system.

Thus, for example, heretics could be executed in the past not 
because they believed something thought to be incorrect, but because 
those beliefs were judged to inflict irreperable harm on those who 
heard the teaching.

There is often disagreement about what constitutes coercion or 
harassment: one man's patient explanation is another's 'ramming down 
my throat': if you examine news reports you will see frequent 
instances where proposals for discussion are treated by their 
opponents as attacks on them or their interests.

David