Reply #22: Let's see if I can answer all of these.

[kiahzero]

The phrases “respect for other faiths” or “I respect other faiths” get tossed around a lot, but what does it really mean when you say that? Does it simply mean that you respect the right of other people to hold and practice faiths that are different than yours? Or does it mean that you regard all other faiths as having the same validity as yours? Does it mean that you regard the gods of other religions as being as real as the god(s) you believe in (if any)? Does it mean that you regard the things other faiths hold to be true to be as true as the things your faith holds to be true, even when they directly contradict each other?

Yes, because what's true for my understanding of the divine doesn't have to be true for anyone else. For example, I've encountered a person who best connected with the divine through understanding it as one of the deities created for a Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting. She fully understood that the character was created in that sense, accepted it, but still went with it.

Does it mean that you tolerate faiths that you may personally find silly or not sensible without publicly condemning or ridiculing them? And is this really “respect”, or simply politeness?

I try to be less concerned with how "silly" a particular idea is, and how it affects the person holding it. An "ugly" belief can lead to beautiful actions, and an "intelligent" idea can lead to stupidity. :shrug:

Do you consider religions that practice missionary work and attempt to convert other people to be respectful of the faiths of those people, given that such an attempt at conversion is based on the implicit belief that “My religion is right and yours is wrong”, or at least “My religion is better than yours”?

Nope. I'm generally not a fan of evangelism.

If someone says that they have faith the Holocaust never happened

This is a different beast entirely - the question of whether the Holocaust happened or not is a matter of fact, not opinion. While I don't have a problem with harmless 'delusions' (to claim otherwise would be to claim that my senses are absolute, and therefore I am capable of judging when someone is actually deluded), when a belief becomes harmful to others, my respect ends.

or that white supremacy will eventually win out in America, do you respect those faiths as well?

Now we're back in the land of opinion. However, as I said above, when a belief becomes harmful to others, my respect ends.

Does faith have to be faith in a god or in something religious/spiritual in order to gain your respect?

Nope.

If not, do all faiths, religious or otherwise, deserve the same respect?

As it harms none, do as you will.

I hope my answers are at least interesting to read. Certainly good questions to ponder.