I Respect Different Beliefs and Values

I take the time to learn about and respect your beliefs so why can't you do the same for me?
I find it really horrible when people take a bash at Muslim beliefs cause most of these people haven't even read the Qur'an or the Hadith. They have no basis of where they're getting their knowledge from and are basically going by what the media and the people around them are saying. It's ridiculous.
It is my duty to learn and respect the beliefs of others but it's not because I may want to, but because this is what Islam teaches us. Didn't know that? Yeah.
I'm sick and tired of this. It's almost as if I should feel bad for being a Muslim or be like, trying to appease people because of what I believe. That's so wrong.
I'm not stupid, you know. I am educated. I do have a mind and I can think. If I'm a Muslim, it's for a reason so if you think you can talk down to me or degrade me because of this, you've sooo got another thing coming mate.
It's like, have you never heard of critical thinking before? Or how about checking the validity of your knowledge and sources? I guess it's easy for me to say, since I live in the UK and religious education is compulsory here. As well we that, I've been taught to think critically and check the validity of my sources, studying history and philosophy. I still think this is something that other people should do. Don't take things on face value and don't automatically assume the same opinion as the people around you - think instead!
And, of course, there is respect. I try to be as respectful as I can towards people and I never try to offend anyone, even if I disagree with them. Respect and understanding are so important in today's society but I'm seeing worryingly little of it. It's like, I don't even know what to do anymore.
How can you treat me so differently to how I treat you? Is this an indirect way of you telling me that you want me to bash your beliefs too? Freedom of speech is valid of course but there is a line, and offence definitely crosses it, especially as I am personally so tolerant to everyone's beliefs.
Also, I'm sorry if this doesn't apply to you. I just feel quite angry right now and I just think this needs to be said.

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EarthlingWise

"but it's not because I may want to, but because this is what Islam teaches us."

That's quite sad. Isn't curiosity natural?

"Freedom of speech is valid of course but there is a line, and offence definitely crosses it,"

Your religion actually teaches you to have no tolerance for criticism towards your own rules and your deified master.

I have a feeling you don't acccept any form of criticism, so there is no line really, it's a no-no and you don't bother looking into the reasons for or legitimacy of the criticism.

KilljoyKitty

Lol! I said 'may'. Obviously I do want to be understanding and open towards people and their beliefs. That's the whole point of writing this. Even if I wasn't a Muslim, I would still want to understand and be open towards the beliefs of others and I think everyone should act in the same way.
You say that Islam teaches us to have no tolerance. Where does it say that in the Qur'an or Hadith?
And you think I don't accept criticism. Well, if it's valid criticism that's being rightly said, of course I'll take it. I am a reasonable and logical person. It seems to me that you're just assuming things about me because you don't seem to like what I'm saying.

EarthlingWise

I assume those things because you just gave an example of little actual tolerance for criticism when you implied the massacres of the cartoonists in Paris were somewhat justified. And because I've read too many verses from the Koran making it clear you can't say anything against your master as he embodies perfection, self-righteousness and truth. Everything about him is taboo. And the so-called love people have for him looks very much to me like ingrained fear and sectarian psychological dependency.

KilljoyKitty

I don't think that the massacres of the cartoonists were justified at all. In fact, I think that was horrendous. I do recognise that many people were actually offended by it and it was offending other races and religions as well as Islam. I also understand that the magazine didn't do it to be intentionally offensive towards anyone, but rather meant it in a more joking way. Despite this, some people did think lines were crossed, such as the people who launched that attack. I think that's the completely wrong way to deal with things that offend you or 'cross your lines'. You need to recognise that it wasn't intentional and instead of going and implementing an attack on the people offending you, you need to tell them with words that they have offended you and you don't appreciate it. The cartoonists probably didn't even want it to like majorly offend people and the attack on them was unjustified, in my opinion. Why did you think I would find that justified? :c
Because we have rules towards loving and respecting Allah as our master and creator, we are intolerant? We, of course, can't say anything bad but obviously others will. We can't stop that. The most we can do is make them understand and if they still don't, then that's them. It would just be nice if they weren't openly rude about it to our faces and chose to be tolerant, as Muslims should be towards others too.
I've never really thought that love for God looks like fear or any sort of psychological dependency issue. Sigmund Freud did say that acts of religious worship are similar to acts of minor mental health patients, like those with OCD, so maybe it's something like that? I don't really know. While I understand where he's coming from, I've never personally felt that so I can't say much.

EarthlingWise

Well, I think as long as people respect icons more than actual human life, we will have extremism. I won't develop because I think it's quite useless. Thanks for answering.

KilljoyKitty

Will you at least well me where you got the impression that I supported the massacres of the cartoonists?

EarthlingWise

Ok. I am not saying you supported it. But by calling their work an 'offence' and by saying the massacre wouldn't have happened if they had behaved ( by the way those cartoons were always respectful of believers and were actually making fun of fanatics and the way they used their master's name to kill), you are condoning the gesture.

KilljoyKitty

Hmm okay O.o still don't quite get it but thank you.