Why are non-religious people against bullying?

Answer 1

Bullying is wrong - whether one is religious or not.

Bullying is the violent intimidation of one person by one or more other people.

One either believes that might is right and that bullying is acceptable, or one believes that all people are to be treated equally by all other people.

In fact, non-religious people are more likely to be opposed to bullying than those who are led to believe that they and their opinions are in some way 'special'. That sort of thinking allows one to believe that one is 'superior' and therefore entitled to abuse others.

Bullying can also take more subtle forms when people of one faith, or no faith, or even anti-faith try to impose their views on people of another position.

Non-religious people, in my personal experience are the most likely to be involved in bullying, in terms of attacking those who believe and they do this in various ways, whenever they are permitted so to do. Thus the presupposition behind the question itself is not true in terms of everyday experience, including this site.

Non-religious people also have in some cases little or no constraints on either their language or on their behaviour in pursuing their goal of intimidating those who are of a different view.

Non-religious people may also act in a manner which deliberately intends to offend the sensibilities of those with whom they disagree (that is 'religious' people), and then refuse to acknowledge their offense when challenged and instead attack the person who has raised the issue. Such people seem to regard it as non-offensive when they engage in such bullying, in whatever form it takes, yet they regard it as offensive when such is brought to their attention. This is a total reversal of the facts of the matter. This also points to the fact that there needs to be sensitivity to the feelings of others, something which people who engage in such activity lack. Most bully's also do not wish to see themselves as such and thus will do anything other than call a spade a spade. This can make their behavior worse as they continue to engage freely in it, repeat their offense, and even continue to defend it as being legitimate.

Non-religious people sometimes may also act in a manner which is both condescending and has a pretense in some cases of impartiality when they are not at all impartial in both their manner and action.

As a religious person I personally do not regard myself as superior for any reason. In particular, it could be so described that I am religious precisely because I do not regard myself as superior. My religion involves the recognition that 'all people are created equal.' This has an effect on behavior. This does not mean though, that all opinions are equally valid or that I regard truth as relative. There is, however, a vast difference between expressing a view and attacking a person, which is bullying. Even further, systematic attacks on the faith and the facts connected with that faith, amount to an attack on the persons who hold that faith, especially when such persons are subjected simultaneously to tactics involving intimidation and abuse of power. This is quite a different matter from discussion on different point of view.

Certainly all bullying is wrong, in whatever form it takes. This includes if it is allowed by those who purport to not allow it. Even the R&S Guidelines on this site acknowledge that this type issue could be a problem which is why such a statement as follows is in the guidelines:

"Avoid belligerent preaching or forcibly imposing your beliefs upon others."

However, it is one thing to have such a statement in writing and quite another to heed, in actual practice, the legitimate concerns of people who are regularly subject on a daily basis, to bullying of various kinds. Such activity, when ignored or even countenanced, goes against both the letter and the spirit of such guidelines.

Most certainly non-religious people are against bullying.

As a religious person I am against it too. And I am against it precisely because I suffer daily from it. The implication in the very question itself, that religious people are not against bullying is totally false.

Probably non-religious people are against bullying for the same reason(s) I am as a religious person. It is offensive. It demeans humanity. It creates ill-feeling. It can even be harmful to one's health and physical well being. It is something everyone (well, almost everyone) is against in theory, or wishes to be seen to be against, but it may be different in practice. In other words, there can be hypocrisy in people complaining about something being offensive which is legitimately brought to their attention - this itself is 'adding fuel to the fire'. Bullying is harmful. Bullying also demeans both the person and the position of those who engage in it. Most of all, when bullying is supported or constantly ignored it continues unabated and remains undealt with. Those who engage in it thus feel encouraged and continue in ever more bold a fashion. Frequently those involved in bullying exhibit an inability to empathize with those they are bullying. They may also use various means to justify their actions. Such justifications and rationalizations usually involve further offense to the person or persons being attacked. They suggest, or state openly, that the person is not justified in feeling offended or attacked. Yet, quite hypocritically, if they are in the same position they complain most loudly. In theory, non-religious people understand all this and so are against bullying. But my personal experience, in the present, tells me the exact opposite.

Answer 2

You can find bullies at any age, but most bullying occurs is in middle school. Bullies can be boys or girls, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Most of the time they are having problems in school or at home or have been bullied themselves. Unfortunately, some people only feel better if they put others down.

Being bullied can make you feel alone, isolated, miserable, scared, sad, small, worthless, unloved, and stupid. Let's stop bullying NOW!