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I have heard that imitation is the sincerest from of flattery . Thanks .
LOL You are MOST welcome. LOL
I really don't do it to mock or out of spite. It is mostly a test to see if what they are doing to others would bother them. It is as automatic for me as returning the ball in table tennis. I don't mind people choosing the game and setting the rules, but if people get upset by it then I have to wonder why they are playing such a game.
I really don't do it to mock or out of spite. It is mostly a test to see if what they are doing to others would bother them. It is as automatic for me as returning the ball in table tennis. I don't mind people choosing the game and setting the rules, but if people get upset by it then I have to wonder why they are playing such a game.
A serious question , since things have mellowed a little .
I chided you for going off on Stymie twice . Do you really see me pointing out your behavior in attacking Stymie as hypocrisy ? How so? How would anyone ever call out unacceptable behavior by others if the very act of pointing out others unacceptable behavior is somehow hypocrisy ?
A serious question , since things have mellowed a little .
LOL And mellowing out is a bad thing so you got to put a stop to THAT!
OK.... But like I said, it is unlikely we will ever agree about what happened...
Quote:
Originally Posted by wallflash
I chided you for going off on Stymie twice . Do you really see me pointing out your behavior in attacking Stymie as hypocrisy?
No.
I admitted I got things wrong on the first one. But I still refute your claim on the second one. And what I said about hypocrisy was nothing like this which is why I made a reference to strawmen.
My cases for hypocrisy were these:
1. "You are outraged at some offense you imagine me taking at your post as an excuse for taking offense at my post. What an incredible hypocrisy!"
If you are going to complain about people taking offense at what people post so easily then you should not take offense so easily yourself! For example, what if someone responded to the first post with, "Are you sure this is an appropriate response? Please go back and read it again." That very non-upset response is much more like to get a reply, "Oops I messed up on that one!"
2. "To complain about this is total hypocrisy, saying it is ok for Stymie to do it but not for anybody else."
Like I said, this is why I reflect things back at people to see if they take what they dish out, for how can they complain about someone doing the same thing they just did themselves?
Quote:
Originally Posted by wallflash
How would anyone ever call out unacceptable behavior by others if the very act of pointing out others unacceptable behavior is somehow hypocrisy ?
It isn't, but one might want to refrain from calling out "unacceptable behavior" if one is going to do the same thing themselves or... if it is in response to someone doing the exact same thing to them, then it would more appropriate to call both of them out on it.
The problem with "unacceptable behavior" is this is rather convention laden and highly cultural and thus it varies considerably from one community to another (and in some countries that means from one family to another). This certainly doesn't mean you should throw all standards out the window but if you make a standard then you should at least abide by it and be consistent, and maybe not get so bent out of shape when someone crosses one of these lines in the sand.
This is not another thread about the evidence or lack thereof for a god, so let's please not waste time going there . This is about some statements I routinely see here suggesting that the reason atheists and agnostics don't want to believe in God is because they want to sin. Which makes no sense in and of itself . But I want to directly address this oft repeated statement .
Do theists really believe that the only reason atheists and agnostics don't believe is because they want to sin?
Can theists truly not grasp that some people simply see no evidence of a God , and certainly none that might want a person to follow a particular faith, and see no point in believing in something like this without solid evidence ?
On what basis would a theist who believes this claim that someone like Stephen Hawking just wants to sin ? What evidence would a theist have that Sam Harris's atheism is rooted in a desire to pretend God doesn't exist so he can sin without guilt ? What about Dan Barker , a former Pentecostal preacher who decided he no longer believed ? What evidence would a theist have that Dan Barker left the faith so he could sin at will?
Is the concept of simple disbelief in invisible and silent supernatural beings really this hard to grasp , that theists have to resort to these kinds of allegations ?
There are as many reasons for this, as there are knuckleheads who believe it, Wallflash.
One of the reasons is a lack of faith on the part of the accuser. Some have such weak faith that the thought of someone having no need to worship a god scares them. The feel threatened by that. And make up possible reasons for an Atheist not believing. It's pretty silly to believe that way, but that's one of the reasons. I follow Christ myself, but I have some awesome Atheist friends I love unconditionally. I've learned so much from them. I consider that persecution, someone slandering you for not believing. I'm sorry you and other Atheists have to put up with that.
I have heard that imitation is the sincerest from of flattery . Thanks .
such flattery can can be embarrassing, if it is too blatant and done in public.
Quote:
Originally Posted by geekigurl
There are as many reasons for this, as there are knuckleheads who believe it, Wallflash.
One of the reasons is a lack of faith on the part of the accuser. Some have such weak faith that the thought of someone having no need to worship a god scares them. The feel threatened by that. And make up possible reasons for an Atheist not believing. It's pretty silly to believe that way, but that's one of the reasons. I follow Christ myself, but I have some awesome Atheist friends I love unconditionally. I've learned so much from them. I consider that persecution, someone slandering you for not believing. I'm sorry you and other Atheists have to put up with that.
I sometimes wonder whether they really believe that we are atheists because we 'just want to lead a sinful life' or it is just a handy bash to use against the Enemy. I even catch myself looking a a post and asking not "Does that stack up?" but "Which side is this guy on?"
Wow, my airbender comment took on a life of its own.
Not sure how it was construed as adversarial or mean spirited, but this is the Internet.
To return to the thread, some theists, me specifically, can understand why an atheist believes what they do. There is no need for me to press my beliefs or engage in debate. If someone asks, I'll tell them. If not, it's a moot point as life is too busy to engage in 'who is right'.
Wow, my airbender comment took on a life of its own.
Not sure how it was construed as adversarial or mean spirited, but this is the Internet.
It wasn't. I didn't understand the joke and I missed the apologetic nature of the last comment and took it as critical -- CRITICAL not mean spirited. Hard to understand, I know, since it started with the word "sorry." I wasn't paying enough attention. I made a mistake. I have admitted this. But some people just LOVE to jump on mistakes and make them out to be world ending events and grind the mistake maker into the dirt. It can be funny how atheists do this while complaining how horrendous God treated Adam and Eve for making a little mistake -- but then a lot of these atheists were fundie xtians not too long ago. Mistakes are not such a bad thing. Mistakes are how we learn.
It wasn't. I didn't understand the joke and I missed the apologetic nature of the last comment and took it as critical -- CRITICAL not mean spirited. Hard to understand, I know, since it started with the word "sorry." I wasn't paying enough attention. I made a mistake. I have admitted this. But some people just LOVE to jump on mistakes and make them out to be world ending events and grind the mistake maker into the dirt. It can be funny how atheists do this while complaining how horrendous God treated Adam and Eve for making a little mistake -- but then a lot of these atheists were fundie xtians not too long ago. Mistakes are not such a bad thing. Mistakes are how we learn.
Amen to that.
I didn't feel a need to respond to most of it as I'm not much into the back and forth. Things have a way of working themselves out when conflict or argument is not the desired result.
Actually I was enjoying your and Mystics conversation.
It wasn't. I didn't understand the joke and I missed the apologetic nature of the last comment and took it as critical -- CRITICAL not mean spirited. Hard to understand, I know, since it started with the word "sorry." I wasn't paying enough attention. I made a mistake. I have admitted this. But some people just LOVE to jump on mistakes and make them out to be world ending events and grind the mistake maker into the dirt. It can be funny how atheists do this while complaining how horrendous God treated Adam and Eve for making a little mistake -- but then a lot of these atheists were fundie xtians not too long ago. Mistakes are not such a bad thing. Mistakes are how we learn.
Apologies if you've once again misspoke but i can't understand a comparison between damnation of all mankind and (potentially at worst) jumping on a misinterpretation you made on an internet forum. These seem absurdly incomparable....as in, mankind isn't harmed by objections to your rhetoric whereas, if true, mankind was certainly harmed by the deliberate damnation of the creature of worship.
I mean.....is that another mistake? Or is it perhaps just another post-Jedi mind trick you'll claim in order to (righteously in your mind) potshot atheists? Seems like a case of mistaken atheist was at play all along.
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such flattery can can be embarrassing, if it is too blatant and done in public.
