To think that belief in Father Christmas is not comparable to religious belief.

[Throughthelongnight]

Just that really. I have noticed that the expectation is that we all go along with the pretence of FC for the sake of parent's children's sensibility, but the same is not afforded where religious belief is concerned.

vini vidi vici

Yeah. Sticks and stones etc

My nephews were brought up as Christians but when they found out that Father Christmas wasn't real, they questioned all of their faith because Father Christmas is associated so closely with the Christian religion.

He's not the messiah. He's just a naughty boy.

Cool. So FC could be a force for atheism.

Redshifter, do you distrust the British now?

Kitten do you think that hurting someone's feelings is necessary at all? To what end?

Dione, what an awful thing to say. The British aren't all the same, you know.
I don't trust some of the buggers myself.
Hurting someone's feelings, well yes, sometimes necessary. I'd tell hitler he was a prick, even if he cried when I said it.

You can't really complain about people spreading their interest via the sword, crescent.
Hypocritical.
Spain and north Africa?

Redshifter, do you distrust the British now? No. And I have never distrusted the British people. I totally distrust David Cameron and his mates but I guess I am not alone there.

Crescent, your last post was a total whitewash. You should be ashamed.

And maybe I distrust British people like optimist and crescent

ts ironic to talk about the violence of islam and the violence of the Quran when 'our', i used the pronoun 'our', not 'your', on this island of britain, and specifically english history

It's not ironic to me.

And stop assuming that everyonr on MN is British like you.

All Muslims aren't the same Kitten. Do you feel it necessary to hurt the feelings of the Muslims here?

Red, do you distrust Muslims?

And I would love t hurt Camerons feelings and make him cry.

Sorry

I really am a heartless insensitive person aren't I?

Yes. Hurt feelings are a cop out. This is a debate, not the vicar's tea party.

Red, do you distrust Muslims? - No, definitely not.

I do distrust some religious people (whatever the religion) though

I have talked about ideas, not personalities. Ideas should be tested and examined, even if it upsets the people who hold them. Especially if they are dangerous ideas.

I have talked about ideas, not personalities. Ideas should be tested and examined, even if it upsets the people who hold them. Especially if they are dangerous ideas.

This. Exactly

(dione, thanks for this thing you do on all of these types of threads.)

I have never worked out exactly what that is- could you enlighten me?

Red and KittenI have no problem with debate. My intention is to find out if you think that it is desirable or necessary to offend someone because of their faith.

If they get offended by you having different ideas, I can't really help that. I could be offended by some of the stuff said here if I wanted, but I'm not trying to shut down debate.

Being offended and 'hurt' is a tactic, surely you can see that.

Dione - not desirable but sometime unavoidable.

And sometimes people are offended too easily.

Sometimes on this thread people have greatly offended me. They may not have done it on purpose but I was offended nonetheless.