Its perfectly acceptable to be rude to religous people...

[startrek90]

Definately going to get flamed here but oh well.

I get the feeling that this is perfectly acceptable to be rude about religous people. From reading the threads on this forum, and my experiences in RL, the amount of rudeness and sometimes plain nastiness is awful.

I am religous. I don't care if people are not, if they go to church or how they live their own lives or raise their children. As far as I am concerned as long as you obey the law, do what you want.

So far I have seen people imply that all religous people are closing their childrens mind, are ignorant, bigots.... its horrible!

I don't deny that there are people who are that way and use religion as an excuse.... but quite frankly you can be ignorant and rude without religion.

I am being unreasonable to be offended, but it really bothers me that its culturally acceptable to be rude to and about people of faith. You wouldn't do it to someone from a different culture or race would you? I have never bothered anyone with my faith so please stop taking it as an insult!

(Just venting, been lambasted in RL for daring to buy my son a Noahs ark toy. I thought it was cute with all the animals etc... but apparently I am raising him to be ignorant, bigoted and stupid. He will hate gay people and women and generally be a horrible person.....apparently grrr )

"Clearly when someone says they have a problem with 'religion' they actually mean that they have a problem with Christianity. All the others religions are fine."

Why are you saying this when lots of people have said exactly the opposite? Are you so very keen to be a persecuted Christian that your reading has become selective?

Why do you assume that I am Christian Hakluyt?

Why did I assume you are Christian? Well, i can't think of any other explanation for your very odd post-

"Clearly when someone says they have a problem with 'religion' they actually mean that they have a problem with Christianity. All the others religions are fine."

I assumed you must have a personal interest which coloured your view. Otherwise you must just have not read the thread.

It wasn't supposed to be rude! It may well be the truth. We simply don't know. I would say it has a pretty good chance of being the truth. Personally I would find it more comforting as there is nothing to worry about as you will be oblivious.
If there is life after death- there is a lot more to worry about IMO- you may have failed completely in whatever was the purpose.
I would prefer there to be nothing.

It just shows how you can be misunderstood- people read into my post so many things that were not at all what I meant!

So it a post death judgement is what makes you live a decent life?

What about taking responsibility for your own life.

You are still completely misunderstanding my posts- so much so that I don't know how to get my meaning across without leading to further misunderstanding.

I don't misunderstand- you just cannot see how arrogant your view is.

It is very hard to write posts and then have them misinterpreted to the exact opposite of what you actually mean!

Your interpretation of my view is about as far away as you can get- no wonder you think it arrogant! That is not my view.

Sorry- your view of my view is not what I mean!

Can you not see that saying that there is no deep meaning or purpose to an atheist's life is pretty offensive? Particularly when you say you wish that you thought the same because it would be easier?

It would be offensive if that is what I was saying! It really, really, isn't what I am saying, Hakluyt. I will have to give it some thought as to how to put it so that people understand.

Please do.

Anyone who objects to the Christianity bashing must have some personal stake in their opinion?

Nobody can just hold a civic spirited principle along the lines of 'live and let live'?

And apparently it is not ok to read exactly what various posters on a thread are harping on and on about (just as they always do when the topic of religious belief comes up) complete with the usual ignorant and ill informed references to the OT and the NT, and realise that what they have a massive chip on their shoulders about is actually the Church of England and its place in the English body politic.

"I've seen it here many times, particularly things said about Christianity.
"I would never do that to my kids as if the christening itself isn't horrid enough" ETC!

I mean, would you say this about a Muslim or Jew?"

I have never heard that particular sentence - it seems a very odd thing to say. It doesn't even make sense - have you missed out some words?

But I have never said anything about Christianity I would not say about Islam or Judaism. Except that neither Islam nor Judaism holds a position of privilege in this country or has the right to impinge in any way on my life. Therein lies the difference.

"Anyone who objects to the Christianity bashing must have some personal stake in their opinion?"

No. But anyone who reads the word "religion" and decides that it means "Christianity and Christianity alone" must, surely?

neither Islam nor Judaism holds a position of privilege in this country or has the right to impinge in any way on my life

There is the reference to the position of privilege that informs much of the anti-Christian zeal.

It is a pity that an intelligent person has managed to conflate a political settlement that has roots in the 16th century political context with religious faith on the part of individuals many centuries later.

I do not base my opinion of what has been posted here on my reading of the single word 'religion'. There have been many posts explicitly complaining about elements of Christian faith, including whatever afterlife there may be, positioning science and faith in eternal, irreconcilable enmity, etc.

'And of course it's not acceptable to be rude to people who haven't been rude to you first but it is unreasonable to expect people not to be rude about religion. Particularly while it still holds such a privileged position in our society.'

There it is again. In this statement we see confusion between legitimate political statements on the subject of secularism or a secular society conflated with a sense of entitlement to be rude to individuals who have been identified as worthy of the rudeness because of a religious belief they hold.

" I do not base my opinion of what has been posted here on my reading of the single word 'religion'."

You don't. But the person I suggested must have a personal interest in the matter did. She specifically said that when she saw "religion" she read "Christianity". I assumed you were responding to my post on that.

And no, I don't think you should be rude to individuals. But I reserve the right to be rude if I see fit about religions. Particularly when they impinge on my life.

"There have been many posts explicitly complaining about elements of Christian faith"

Is this not allowed? Is Christianity beyond reproach?

How very childish, BigDorrit.

You are being rude to individuals about their beliefs because you have a political opinion?
How pointless is that? (And how unpleasant.)

What do you hope to gain by unloading your anger on individuals who do not have the power to make the changes you want to see?

Or do you write rude letters to The Times?

Do you actually want to see a change or do you have some personal investment in things as they are so that you can feel smug and principled bout being rude?

Because if you want to bring about change the way to go about it is not rudeness.

Could we have a few examples of this rudeness? Because I suspect that the "you're Christian bashing and being rude" line is a very good way of shutting down any debate. It certainly always makes me hesitate- even though I am pretty sure I'm never rude to individuals. Although I might be rude about faiths.