In short, most definitely yes!
It is exceptionally rare that I ever hear that it is not OK to criticize someone's religion from anyone other than a theist. I am always told it is just "too personal" or "not right." I find those ideas to be outright nonsense. Why is it perfectly acceptable to criticize someone's ideas on medicine, politics (oh how nasty it can become!), or scientific theories, but someone's religion is just too delicate and special to be anything but praised? If I took something based completely on faith (absolutely no supportive evidence whatsoever) then I guess I would be quite sensitive to someone challenging my belief...because that is all it would be-a belief.
I am usually seen as "rude", "inconsiderate", "harsh", "arrogant" amongst a host of other not-so-pleasant adjectives and I do not find them all fitting. I might seem "harsh" and "rude" when I challenge nonsense ideas like Christianity and all that it entails such as the sky daddy, angels, resurrections, eternal salvation/damnation etc. if I am challenging someone who actually believes in such things. It all comes down to evidence and reason and the fact that those who believe in Christianity or either of the other two sky daddy superstitions just cannot bear reality.
In regards to the idea that the Bible and its teachings are not literal and have hidden meaning, well, let us just stop right there. Excuses only waste time and breath.
Any idea that challenges reason or tries to replace it by ridding of scientific evidence must and ought to be criticized, for it will be the higher reasoning part of the brain that will help us humans in life rather than the less-evolved, reptilian portion of the brain so commonly utilized by believers.
Please feel free to comment with any ideas you may have.
Thank you for reading.
