The religious person can say pretty anything in spite of any evidence to the contrary and be respected for that point of view.
If
and only if their particular religion is one of the "acceptable" ones in the spot where they live. The Mormon guys down the road from me at Eldorado say it's fine to marry several 13-year-old girls, but the rest of the population around here doesn't respect their opinion much.
"The wretched world lies now under the tyranny of foolishness; things are believed by Christians of such absurdity as no one ever could aforetime induce the heathen to believe." - Agobard of Lyons,
ca. 830 AD
™ Version 4.2
