THERE’S been much talk over the last few days about whether or not the SNP’s Kate Forbes is fit for the office of First Minister due to her membership of a church which takes strongly conservative positions on a woman’s right to abortion and same-sex marriage.

There’s a curious strand within the DNA of this argument which runs along these lines: "religion should be respected full stop". In an intellectually free society, such an idea isn’t just preposterous, it’s frankly tyrannical.

Like the majority of Scots, I don’t identify within any religion or believe in any key aspects of spiritual faith: 59% of Scots say they are non-religious; 51% don’t believe in life after death; 53% never pray; 60% never attend church outside a wedding or funeral. We’re a relatively godless nation.

Now, I don’t hold with the tyranny of the majority – as so many churches once did in the past when they were in the driving seat – but in a society within which most of us are either atheist or agnostic, "respect" for religion is a problematic ask.

"Respect" isn’t the same as "tolerate". Respect has a spectrum of definitions moving from "deep admiration" to "due regard for someone’s feelings". Does religion – and I mean all religions – or someone who believes in any form of god deserve admiration? From the perspective of history that’s absurd. Who respects inquisitions or sectarian barbarity?

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So should due regard, then, be paid to the feelings of those who are religious? It would be nice to treat everyone’s feelings with due regard. However, it’s a rather unfair demand when one group doesn’t pay due regard to the feelings of other groups.

A religion – any religion, not just Christianity – which, say, refuses women the right to control what happens to their own bodies is certainly not paying due regard, or respect, to large swathes of the female population. A religion – again, any religion – which condemns homosexuality, or won’t allow LGBT people the same right to marry as a straight couple, clearly isn’t offering due regard, or respect, to the feelings of gay, lesbian, bi or trans people.

The Herald: Should due regard be given to Kate Forbes's religious beliefs if the same level of respect is not afforded to LGBT people and women who are pro-choice?Should due regard be given to Kate Forbes's religious beliefs if the same level of respect is not afforded to LGBT people and women who are pro-choice? (Image: Newsquest)

It’s ironic that so many world religions are based upon "the Golden Rule", expressed in Christianity as "do as thou would be done to". Yet many believers engage in exceptionalism which demands they be respected while simultaneously disrespecting a host of other human beings.

However, the biggest intellectual problem with telling an atheist, like me, to "respect" religion is that you’re asking us to play weird games of cognitive dissonance with ourselves simply to be nice. I must lie to myself to save the feelings of someone I disagree with on perhaps the greatest question to confront humanity. That’s not acceptable.

Bertrand Russell, the philosopher, had a thought experiment in which he posited the existence of a floating teapot in space. Existence of the floating teapot couldn’t be proved. Would I respect someone who believed in this unprovable floating teapot? I’m afraid the answer is no.

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Now, I wouldn’t want to see them hounded or victimised in any way. I wouldn’t say they should be locked up in an asylum, deprived of any rights, lose their job, or be held up to public shaming. They should have all the freedoms and responsibilities that I and every single citizen enjoys. Just don’t insist that others feign respect for a patently daft idea.

Russell’s thought experiment has been updated to the "Invisible Pink Unicorn". One of the sceptics who framed this philosophical parlour game said: “Invisible Pink Unicorns are beings of great spiritual power. We know this because they are capable of being invisible and pink at the same time. Like all religions, the Faith of the Invisible Pink Unicorns is based upon both logic and faith. We have faith that they are pink; we logically know that they are invisible – because we can't see them.”

I cannot believe in Invisible Pink Unicorns, floating teapots, ghosts, goblins, witches or Nessie as there is no proof these creatures exist. A god is no different to the tooth fairy. It’s a fable invented a long time before I was born. I won’t believe in someone else’s fables. Especially those from the Bronze Age. Nor must I respect these fables, just as I don’t have to respect claims that the Earth is flat.

That doesn’t mean I hate anyone who holds such an idea, I just don’t respect the idea.

Now, I know my Bible pretty well. I was the child of a Northern Ireland Catholic-Protestant marriage, so I understand the beliefs of both of the main branches of Christianity. I’ve read the Bible cover to cover twice. My reading taught me that there’s not much in the Old Testament to respect. I don’t find a God who asks a father like Abraham to murder his own son, Isaac, worthy of respect. The Old Testament God is a genocidal maniac.

Here’s a Deuteronomy quote: “You shall not leave alive anything that breathes. But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you.”

However, there is much to admire in the teachings of Jesus, just as there is much to admire in many philosophies. Jesus, the man, taught peace and love. Unfortunately, in the two millennia since he died, few of his followers lived by his teachings. The religious often talk the talk. If they walked the walk, perhaps the notion of respect wouldn’t be so difficult.

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Religion isn’t like the colour of your skin or your sexuality. You don’t chose to be white, straight, black or gay, you’re born that way, and therefore deserve common respect. But, crucially, you opt to believe in a god. There is no real difference between being religious and being socialist or conservative. You made an ideological choice.

There is no reason anyone should feel compelled to respect another’s ideology. Again, that doesn’t mean persecution or prejudice, it just means: "don’t ask me to clap for your world view.

Religion is just an ideology. Hold an ideology freely by all means. Just don’t expect others to respect you for it.