Yes, but none of this require overt hostility to religion (as opposed to just rejection). I think that as long as religious people accept the conversational norms and culture on LW, them bringing in some new perspectives (that are still compatible with overall LW norms) ought to be welcome.
I think I agree with not going out of one’s way to be rude, I generally think politeness is worthwhile (and have worked to become more polite myself in recent years).[1]
I also welcome people who adhere to any religion sharing insights that they have about the world here on LessWrong.
At the same time, I am ‘hostile’ to religions — or at least, I am ‘hostile’ to any religion that claims to have infallible leaders who receive the truth directly from God(s), or that have texts about history and science and ethics that are unalterable, where adherents to the religion are not allowed to disagree with them.
I am ‘hostile’ in the sense that if (prior to me working on LessWrong) a group of devout Hindus were becoming moderators of LessWrong (and were intending to follow their ethical inside views in shaping the culture of the site) I would’ve taken active action to prevent them having that power (e.g. publicly written arguments against this decision, moved to collect signatures against this decision, etc). I also think that if I were hypothetically freely given the opportunity to lower the hard power that religion has in some ecosystem I cared about, such as removing a Catholic priest from having control over an existential risk grant-making institution, I would be willing to go out of my way to do so, and think that this was good.
Perhaps a better term is to say that I ‘oppose’ religions with (IMO) inherently corrupt epistemologies, and do not want them to have power over me or the things that I care about.
Apart from that, there are many interesting individuals who adhere to religions who have valuable insight into how the world works, and I’m grateful to them when they share such insights openly, especially here on LessWrong.
I want to mention that I don’t wish to entirely police other people’s hostility. I was not raised in a religious household, but I’ve met many who were and who were greatly hurt due to the religious practices and culture of their family and local community and I do not begrudge them their instinctive hostility to it when it appears in their environment.
I think I agree with not going out of one’s way to be rude, I generally think politeness is worthwhile (and have worked to become more polite myself in recent years).[1]
I also welcome people who adhere to any religion sharing insights that they have about the world here on LessWrong.
At the same time, I am ‘hostile’ to religions — or at least, I am ‘hostile’ to any religion that claims to have infallible leaders who receive the truth directly from God(s), or that have texts about history and science and ethics that are unalterable, where adherents to the religion are not allowed to disagree with them.
I am ‘hostile’ in the sense that if (prior to me working on LessWrong) a group of devout Hindus were becoming moderators of LessWrong (and were intending to follow their ethical inside views in shaping the culture of the site) I would’ve taken active action to prevent them having that power (e.g. publicly written arguments against this decision, moved to collect signatures against this decision, etc). I also think that if I were hypothetically freely given the opportunity to lower the hard power that religion has in some ecosystem I cared about, such as removing a Catholic priest from having control over an existential risk grant-making institution, I would be willing to go out of my way to do so, and think that this was good.
Perhaps a better term is to say that I ‘oppose’ religions with (IMO) inherently corrupt epistemologies, and do not want them to have power over me or the things that I care about.
Apart from that, there are many interesting individuals who adhere to religions who have valuable insight into how the world works, and I’m grateful to them when they share such insights openly, especially here on LessWrong.
I want to mention that I don’t wish to entirely police other people’s hostility. I was not raised in a religious household, but I’ve met many who were and who were greatly hurt due to the religious practices and culture of their family and local community and I do not begrudge them their instinctive hostility to it when it appears in their environment.