"WRONG WRONG WRONG"

Maybe this isn't the place for it, but as soon as I saw it, I was curious what it would feel like to type out those big, bold letters. Kind of empowering, isn't it? Like you get to be the one to set some dumb fucker straight, eh?

I also got to see a typo of mine. I'm not a great speller, but it's more glairing in the quoted section. Kind of embarressing, but there it is.

Actually, J, I don't think GRIM is a bigot though he made be rude. Perhaps I ought to go and re-read his posts, because perhaps I missed something. With as charged as this discussion is, no doubt forgetting something could become a big deal.

I'm a little vague, though. Are you calling me a bigot?

I apologize at the forcefulness of my manner, but if you'd actually bothered to read any of the threads you've decided to leap in and get all defensive about, you might've noticed that your (bogus) claim has been adressed at least once before, and I tend to dislike repeating myself.  

QuoteAre you calling me a bigot?

Can you point to anywhere in my post that I stated you were?  Are you just here looking for excuses to get offended?

I rather like your new avatar, J Arcane.  

Quote from: AkrasiaI rather like your new avatar, J Arcane.  

Thanks!

Quote from: Thanatos02When my parents have friends over, I'm instructed not to talk about my religious views or my political views because it could ostricize them. It's a really clubby atmosphere over here, so personal views are taken really seriously.

The same sort of thing happens in reverse in other areas where the politics are more liberal and the people not very  Christian.  The problem is the "clubby atmosphere", not religion.

Quote from: John MorrowThe same sort of thing happens in reverse in other areas where the politics are more liberal and the people not very  Christian.  The problem is the "clubby atmosphere", not religion.

Bingo.

Quote from: AkrasiaAfter 55 pages, I actually hope that the 10 Myths thread starts to fade away soon, let alone colonize other threads.  My bad.  (I just can't resist replying to people when they criticize me ... it's a sign of a weak character, I know ...)

To make it easier for you, I've stopped replying to you there, not because I don't have anything else to say or think we couldn't go another 55 pages but because, as you pointed out, we were both spending way too much time on what's essentially supposed to be a casual hobby discussion.

Quote from: John MorrowThe same sort of thing happens in reverse in other areas where the politics are more liberal and the people not very  Christian.  The problem is the "clubby atmosphere", not religion.

I won't bother to ask you to return to my post, because I think I phrased it poorly, but I rather agree.

Quote from: J ArcaneI apologize at the forcefulness of my manner...

It's ok, but I hope you'll remember that I read it even without the giant caps.

Quote from: J Arcane...but if you'd actually bothered to read any of the threads you've decided to leap in and get all defensive about...

I have.

Quote from: J Arcane...you might've noticed that your (bogus) claim has been adressed at least once before, and I tend to dislike repeating myself.

Then I had missed it, or misread. And, I don't care if you dislike repeating yourself, really.

Quote from: J ArcaneCan you point to anywhere in my post that I stated you were?  Are you just here looking for excuses to get offended?

Quote from: J ArcaneRambling paranoid diatribes about how all them nasty religious folk are out to get you are bigotry, period.

I didn't know if you were talking about just GRIM, referring to my experiances specifically, or were lumping us in together, so before I got irate I thought I'd ask. Why, do you go out of your way to offend?

QuoteI didn't know if you were talking about just GRIM, referring to my experiances specifically, or were lumping us in together, so before I got irate I thought I'd ask. Why, do you go out of your way to offend?

I was talking about GRIM.  AS I believe I have adequately demonstrated at this point, if I thought you were a bigot, I'd have no qualms about calling you such.  

All I've seen is you discussing your problems with living in a much more religiously conservative environment.  I got no beef with that, I feel for you, it sucks to be an environment where you feel your beliefs are not respected or even looked down upon.

Believe it or not, even as a Christian I sometimes feel very much the same even from those who supposedly share my religion, because a lot of my views are not in line with the common orthodoxy.  I've also spent a lot of time around people who belittle my religion constantly, because of my choice in hobbies, my choice in political leanings, and such things as that.

It was a source of much frustration and internal conflict for a very long time, until I finally found more people I felt I could be at home with, and in turn, learned to simply be who I am, believe what I believe, and not let other people's ignorance affect me.

My only issue with religion is that it's the popular club where I'm at. I suppose I mean that in the social organization, but I mean it more in the 'weapon' sense. Of course, most people are far more reasonable, but the non-religious are an easy target and, fair or not, typically are stand-ins for other popular bogymen such as liberals or a disenfrancised generation.

It's a complicated subject, in every case though. And a sticky one. I offered my experiances because many I know personally (non-religious, or just the wrong religion) blame Christianity and not the people who claim the religion for their problems. I'm not surprised that they tend to see the negative aspects before the positive, even if that's not fair.

Quote from: J ArcanePseudoephedrine is an atheist.  No one called him a bigot.

Indeed, I'm properly a "jerk" not a "bigot".

Quote from: John MorrowTo make it easier for you, I've stopped replying to you there, not because I don't have anything else to say or think we couldn't go another 55 pages but because, as you pointed out, we were both spending way too much time on what's essentially supposed to be a casual hobby discussion.

And I'm grateful for the armistice.  :cool:  

I agree that we could likely continue for another 55 pages (although our discussion primarily concerns 'meta-ethics' and 'moral psychology' now rather than 'atheism').  However, I think that I understand the overall structure of your position, so we would likely be focusing on various details at this point.

Quote from: droogI learned the other day that any private school in Australia that has a church on its land does not have to pay land tax.

And let's admit that's some lame bullshit right there. I'm a religious man (observing lent as we speak and not eating meat) and even I think the days of automatically not taxing religions should come to an end. I think religious groups need to prove their nonprofit status and report finances just like any other service organization, or admit they're cash cows and pay up.

Religion has often used its special status to hide its own corruptions without oversight from even it's own constituents, and that is a detriment to free society.

Quote from: JamesVAnd let's admit that's some lame bullshit right there. I'm a religious man (observing lent as we speak and not eating meat) and even I think the days of automatically not taxing religions should come to an end. I think religious groups need to prove their nonprofit status and report finances just like any other service organization, or admit they're cash cows and pay up.

Religion has often used its special status to hide its own corruptions without oversight from even it's own constituents, and that is a detriment to free society.

Religion is a bunch of people believing in an invisible magic giant who tells them they're better than everyone else because he likes them more, and that it's OK for them to attack, rob, murder or enslave people who believe in other invisible magic giants because their invisible magic giants aren't real.