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Get over yourselves and stop the pretended double standard nonsense. Ridicule is officially outlawed here, period. Report mockery and ridicule from whoever posts it. It will be dealt with. Report hatred and bigotry. It will be dealt with. If your views are so superior and logical and factual and reasonable . . . why do you need the ridicule and vitriol? You get upset that belief systems have concepts like sinner and damned souls, etc. THAT YOU DO NOT BELIEVE EVEN EXIST. How on earth can you take offense at being called these fictitious things you don't believe exist?
It is simple, that is my conclusion based on my experience and observations here. Yet you choose to get a bit personal in ridiculing me when you are completely ignorant (meaning having NO KNOWLEDGE OF) of the events and posts. You are judging me based on complete ignorance of the facts. Now where have I seen that level of judgment before?
Back here where I live in the real wurlde, respect is earned, not given, I guess in the UESA* the rules are different?
* United Evangelical States of 'merica
In my real world . . . disrespect is earned . . . respect is the default. Merely holding beliefs considered foolish does not earn disrespect and ridicule . . . So for dishing it out so routinely and continuously as you do . . . you actually HAVE earned it.
That is the day Atheists must walk the christian walk, capitalize the name of the deity, and show all the love and respect to a deity that does not exist as the most devout believer in the world, else we will be 'infracted'
('infracted' - is that similar to excommunicated?)
Are you going to be ok? Is there someone we should call?
You seem pretty upset by all this. You used bolds, caps, and even told us to "get over ourselves". It looks like you're taking this pretty personally. I'm not sure, why, since you aren't an atheist, and the new interpretations have little to do with you. One may wonder why you are so worked up.
Except to the extent that ridicule and mockery are pretty common arrows in your quiver, and so this might effect you, too, if it's applied neutrally, I don't know why you care so much.
I would also note the irony that there is a hint of ridicule and mockery in your quoted post. Telling someone to "get over yourself" isn't polite - you were the one saying we should be polite and respectful, right? Have you abandon that call already, or was it never sincere to begin with?
Mea culpa . . . good call. I should write . . . take a break . . read and then post. Sorry all.
If we analyze this rationally, CD's double standard makes good business sense. After all, CD earns ad revenues. To maximize profits, their goal should be to keep members happy; theists probably make up the bulk of posters on this site. If the theistic majority are offended by the nasty atheist minority, it is a rational financial move to crack down on the atheists.
If we analyze this rationally, CD's double standard makes good business sense. After all, CD earns ad revenues. To maximize profits, their goal should be to keep members happy; theists probably make up the bulk of posters on this site. If their theistic majority is offended by the nasty atheist minority, it is a rational financial move to crack down on the atheists.
But it is controversy that brings the crowds. The MMA draws much larger crowds than the ballet.
But it is controversy that brings the crowds. The MMA draws much larger crowds than the ballet.
You have a good point. But, I've noted over the years that theists are a different bunch when it comes to their religious beliefs. They threaten to not participate in things that offend their beliefs. Whether they actually follow through with those threats would be an interesting question to answer.
ETA: For example, does anyone know how much Disney was actually affected by the Southern Baptist boycott?
In my real world . . . disrespect is earned . . . respect is the default. Merely holding beliefs considered foolish does not earn disrespect and ridicule . . . So for dishing it out so routinely and continuously as you do . . . you actually HAVE earned it.
O I am fine being disrespected by woo woos as the feeling remains mutual. Yes I do like dishing it out when people make stupid assertions that they cannot back up 99% of the time.
Do remember I was a theist of over 30 years so like IIM, I know how theists think.
But speaking of respect, you, who claims to be an academic, seems to be devoid of logic in that you do not see the double standards. Atheists are seen by theist as something that crawled out from under a rock and we are supposed to shut up?
When the theists start taking the premise of prefixing their statements with IMO or "I believe", then maybe we will lay off. The problem is that you theists think that because you hold the majority in the UESA, you are right by default. Sorry bud, that is not how it works in the real world. If atheists were attending services Sundays to heckle the preacher then you would have cause for complaint, however this is an open forum meaning that various opinions are allowed to be expressed.
There is an old saying that "tact is telling someone to go to hell so that he looks forward to the trip"
I try that most of the time but sometimes we fall into the gutter to use the "gutter-speak" language that they can understand.
But you have proved my point that theists band together when it suits them and then go on their merry hypocritical ways bashing each other. One needs only read a few threads in the xian forum to see that w/o agreement amongst themselves, it is all really a front and a load of BS.
O I am fine being disrespected by woo woos as the feeling remains mutual. Yes I do like dishing it out when people make stupid assertions that they cannot back up 99% of the time.
Do remember I was a theist of over 30 years so like IIM, I know how theists think.
But speaking of respect, you, who claims to be an academic, seems to be devoid of logic in that you do not see the double standards. Atheists are seen by theist as something that crawled out from under a rock and we are supposed to shut up?
No . . .you are supposed to report the abusive posts. Common sense should tell you that some things are just not doable. There are those groups whose beliefs are protected from logic, reason or facts by dogma and doctrines praising remaining ignorant of any "wisdom of man" as proof of the strength of their faith. They can probably never be reached. But by soberly and reasonably confronting them there are many more "lurkers" who can be reached and might see the light (in the case of my theist views) or the dark (in the case of your atheist views.)
Will the same rules apply when believers call us non believers heathens, and imply that we are evil baby killers just for not believing?
Personally, I think that would be a bad precedent to set. To be called something is really of no consequence unless there is a sufficient amount of evidence to support the theory. I think we handle those who call us "baby killers" fairly well without having to resort to their level in return. And, as an aside, despite there being about one moderator per every thousand posts made in all three forums, I'd say they do their best to filter out the unwarranted name calling.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaniMae1
Where does the line get drawn?
I'm not really directing this at you Dani as much as I am the Atheist forum as a whole:
I don't know how everyone else feels but if there's something I truly strive for it is to hold individual thought free of the "herd mentality" that pervades so much of the world. I'm proud to say I am an individualist (or at least strive to be) and I'm proud to think of myself as a free-thinker who truly wishes to come up with my own opinions free and clear of the hassles of having to follow along with what the group says just because the groups says it.
I'm going to have to say that when I read the initial moderator post that started all this ruckus, I thought pretty much everyone would "get it." Apparently, and sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case. So, forgive me for stepping up on my high horse and not following everyone's herd mentality about this but I'm going to have to disagree with the sentiments of most everyone on here. Allow me to explain:
Use of the "C-Word" is mostly used in a context to define a person based on their affiliation with a certain group (in the case we are discussing - Christians) and meant to be derogatory. It has the capacity to cause as much hurt as the words "T*welhead, K*ke, or Burkha Boy." It is a slur that has the capability to define an entire person based on one aspect of their life while also sublimating their humanity with the use of a word.
Now, I take great pride in trying to think of new, innovative and fun ways to absolutely criticizing religion. It deserves it with every iota of vigor people can put into it. It has caused more death, destruction, and harm on this planet than most ideas. It deserves to be taken apart, de-constructed, put in the kiln and baked away from humanity forever. There is no doubt in my mind that I firmly wish religion were eradicated from the face of this planet.
However, because I am a realist, I do in fact realize that will never happen. Unfortunately, many people harbor this feeling that if we can't call someone the "C-word" any longer, it henceforth puts us into a bind where any and all criticism of religion would thus be deemed a derivative of the "C-word."
Ladies and gentleman, I didn't see it that way at all. The "C-word" is nothing more than a meme that has emerged in the same fashion that the words "T*welhead or K*ke" emerged from. We can give all the criticism of the Muslim and Jewish faith that we want to - that hasn't stopped one iota. But, I guaran-God-damn-tee you that if one of us were to call one of the Muslims a "T*welhead" because he made a post in here about Allah, we would be infracted faster than you could say "The Muslim religion reeks with an effervescent odor of filthy, womanizing, male pig-headedness and machoism still abiding by the rules of the 5th century BC." OK, maybe not that fast.
Just because this meme is new to the scene does not make it more acceptable. That is part of how the herd mentality forms. That same herd mentality, might I add, that so many of you swear up and down you escape from and despise. But I look around and I see a bunch of defensive people thinking they're being shut down from any and all criticism of religion because they can't use the "C-word" any more. If you ask me, the "C-word" was never a decent criticism of religion in the first place. It was a boring, non-inventive, pathetic word made up in the laziness of the minds of people who truly could not think of a better point to attack religion with than by labeling any and all followers of it with a derogatory word.
Finally, before I step off my high horse, allow me to say one thing. I grew up in Tennessee and I currently live in Mississippi. I've heard the word 'N*gger more times than I could ever care to recall. It's a vile, disgusting, horrible word. But, somehow, the people down here think it's justified to use it because apparently there is a difference between "n*ggers and black people" as though that's an excuse for holding such deep prejudice.
For any of you who say that this new meme is only used to define people who are poor followers of the Christian faith (indeed there are plethoras of them) think about how that meme could so very easily mutate into the same meme that allows the ignorant, backwoods, redneck, anti-n*gger militia down here to call all black people n*ggers unless they come across an actual "black person" - whatever that is in their eyes. For example, even our President is called that horrid word by people down here so apparently it's a lose-lose situation.
I'm sorry. But, I'll attack religion in a much more versatile, intuitive, creative and intelligent way than deeming all of its followers a pithy, derogative word. It shows absolutely no class when we resort to name calling to get a point across. In fact, if you ask me, it only serves as an enabler to make them feel more isolated and more "clingy" to their own pathetically infantile digressions of an infinite celestial despot.
Last edited by GCSTroop; 11-29-2009 at 12:40 AM..
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