[lagolinguini]

No it’s not the same. One of them is an institution conceived through organisation of people, laws, traditions and customs, the existence and membership of which is a choice. The other categories are associations made by accident of birth. I don’t have a horse in the race but it is important to understand that those situations are not the same. When people say stuff like ACAB they are free to criticise the existence of the police as an institution as they please.

[hiatus]

> The other categories are associations made by accident of birth.

Just because someone says you are a Christian because you were baptized or whatever doesn't make it so. Religion is just as much a choice as an occupation.

[haswell]

> Just because someone says you are a Christian because you were baptized or whatever doesn't make it so. Religion is just as much a choice as an occupation.

Hard disagree here. I didn't choose to be born to parents of a fundamental baptist cult. I didn't choose to be subjected to physical abuse in the name of that religion, or to be sent to seminars ingraining deeply harmful ideas about self and the roles of men/women. I didn't choose to spend my entire adult life in therapy unwinding the bizarre ideas that had been hammered into me as a kid.

Yes, you can "choose" to leave your religion behind, but many cannot choose to avoid the indoctrination, abuse and twisted mental models that can come from the experience.

I left my faith behind around age 18. 20 years later I'm still actively working on getting rid of the rest of the baggage.

[hiatus]

Okay but none of what you said refutes my statement. Being subjected to abuse is orthogonal to your religious identity.

[glogla]

> Religion is just as much a choice as an occupation.

That is a bit tricky.

Religion is definitely a choice if you're enough willing to make a choice, but most people just keep their parent's religion. People just believe what they were taught as children.

I'm atheist from atheist country so I don't necessarily get it, but it seems to be that way - see ratios of Muslim and Christians in Saudi Arabia versus Europe, for example.

Then there's more tricky cases where religion and ethnicity are heavily correlated or tied in even stronger way (e.g. Jews).

[hiatus]

> but most people just keep their parent's religion.

Is that not a choice? Choosing atheism is arguably easier.

[the_cramer]

They cannot be serious saying that now law enforcement is better than a bad one. The latter you can at least try to change by joining and being a good guideline on how to be.

I know that sounds idealistic... but what are the alternatives? - A "new" police? What should make this better on second try? - No Police? I cannot imagine what would happen with people - A police that plays within the rules? Now i extend my argument on law people involved. They also have many bad actors and again the only chance i see is to be a good actor.

I'd be delighted to hear alternatives.

[Lanolderen]

Only the one about blacks, no? Jew blanket statements that don't involve memes about noses attack the religion which is a membership to an organisation of people with traditions, laws and customs.