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03-15-2012, 05:03 PM
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3,346 posts, read 6,165,863 times
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So my friend, tell me what is true? I'll re-word it to the "truth"
There's no difference between us and the middle east. Their governments accept all religions and our people are the most open-minded on the earth.
Ok thank you for the information about Egypt; maybe I should read more on it instead of being ignorant (no sarcasm). And ok if not Egypt that we sold our religion to; I'm sure we've (the western world which is powered by the US) done it some nation in the middle-east or Africa. And it's not about religion and this is rightful place for this thread because I want to know what Americans have to say about this. I'm a fair person; if you give me a good reason to prove that we aren't egocentric then I'll withdraw what I said.
Last edited by BMORE; 03-15-2012 at 05:17 PM..
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03-15-2012, 05:07 PM
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Location: Victoria TX
42,661 posts, read 83,284,427 times
Reputation: 36547
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Quote:
Prove it. To which laws are you referring?
Minus the part about middle-eastern countries having Christian minorities, this statement is demonstrably untrue. Persecution of Armenian Christians, Baha'i and others are well-documented in many middle-eastern countries.
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Anti-abortion for starters. Some states have an absolute ban on abortion, driven by the Christian majority's zeal to force everyone to adhere to their religious teachings. American Christians also demand executions for capital crimes, the only industrialized western country still in the clutches of that barbaric Old Testament practice.
There are one or two countries that have banned those particular sects, because of a long history of those sects organizing illegal movements threatening the security of the state or public order.
Please don't keep letting yourself fall into the fatal trap of using a single anecdotal example or two to paint a huge swath of mankind the color you wish to see them. |
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03-15-2012, 09:25 PM
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Location: Jefferson City 4 days a week, St. Louis 3 days a week
2,709 posts, read 4,845,228 times
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the Revolutionary WAr, plus being the most powerful for such a long time gets to your head after awhile i'd imagine...thus egocentrism.
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03-15-2012, 09:32 PM
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Location: Atlanta, GA
443 posts, read 857,214 times
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Originally Posted by BMOREBOY
Your right, we aren't the only nation that is that way but I'm sure we are the largest.
We'll say all this crap about how the middle-east is wrong for building/possesing nuclear warheads (we honestly don't even know if they have any, President Bush made up lies to NATO in order to go to war) but we have the first or second largest supplyof them. Then we have our navy in their turf but once they do it back to us it's a uproar. It's like we can't see what other people go through we'd rather just criticize them instead of actually making agreements. I guess I should say we're hypocrites too.
After all that when it comes to religion we can't accept others religion, for ex. I've heard someone say "Long as your Christian your going to heaven, I feel bad for those who are other religions" (that's not exactly what they said but it was very similar wording). Why can't we accept others religions? It's a little ridiculous, I'm not sure if it's like that everywhere in America because when I went to the West Coast I didnt ask anything about religion but I know in the south it's def. that way.
Btw I've been to the UK; I'm sure if any European country is that way it's because we influenced them to be.
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Not sure I follow - religious freedom is something that has been taken seriously here for a LONG time - before the US was a country even... |
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03-15-2012, 10:15 PM
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3,346 posts, read 6,165,863 times
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^I know the govt says we can practice religious freedom but a lot of the actual citizens differ. Like I said I've met people plenty of times that pretty much say if your not my religion then your wrong. Here's a classic one in NC: a Jehovah Witness person knocks on the door, your parent tells you not to open the door only because their Jehovah Witness and they were taught that Jehovah Witnesses are bad people. That is extremely egocentric.
We don't have to stay on religion though, I can say we're egocentric on race, other nations, in schools, etc. I know other nations are egocentric on those same topics but theres a difference between us and them. They (most other nations on the world) don't have such a great diversity of people as we do, it seems like we should be more open-minded towards things than we are. What I'm saying pretty much is I expect more out of us Americans than what we give. It's like seeing a cheap billionaire, you wouldn't expect him to be cheap since he's so wealthy. America has great diversity but a lot (not all) of our people are close-minded. I think this is the best way I can explain my argument, if any of you don't understand it so be it.
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03-15-2012, 10:18 PM
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Location: Viña del Mar, Chile
16,407 posts, read 29,695,634 times
Reputation: 16617
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMOREBOY
^I know the govt says we can practice religious freedom but a lot of the actual citizens differ. Like I said I've met people plenty of times that pretty much say if your not my religion then your wrong. Here's a classic one in NC: a Jehovah Witness person knocks on the door, your parent tells you not to open the door only because their Jehovah Witness and they were taught that Jehovah Witnesses are bad people. That is extremely egocentric.
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That's not egocentric, that's called not wanting to be hassled by someone pressing their views on you. If you answer the door to talk, they'll keep coming back.. I seriously think you need to go to the dictionary and look up the meaning of egocentric, because that is NOT the definition.... |
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03-15-2012, 10:21 PM
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35,097 posts, read 48,556,309 times
Reputation: 62561
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMOREBOY
That's really the only thing I can say. We (most of us, there are some exceptions) only think that if it's done our way it's right pretty much, from politics to religion. Why are we just about the only nation on this planet that has to be that way?
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Some Humans no matter where they come from cannot fathom that someone else might actually have an original idea of their own that is right for them and the way they live their lives. Others have more money than brains, others no common sense and others are just plain stupid. |
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03-15-2012, 10:23 PM
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Location: South Beach and DT Raleigh
13,737 posts, read 22,642,855 times
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Americans need to travel outside their country and culture. Being insular and exposed to only the media that reinforces our particular viewpoint is a very dangerous thing. To travel and expose oneself to other people and places has a profound way in bringing balance to arrogance. It won't work for everyone but it will work for many.
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03-15-2012, 10:24 PM
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Location: Viña del Mar, Chile
16,407 posts, read 29,695,634 times
Reputation: 16617
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMOREBOY
We don't have to stay on religion though, I can say we're egocentric on race, other nations, in schools, etc. I know other nations are egocentric on those same topics but theres a difference between us and them. They (most other nations on the world) don't have such a great diversity of people as we do, it seems like we should be more open-minded towards things than we are. What I'm saying pretty much is I expect more out of us Americans than what we give. It's like seeing a cheap billionaire, you wouldn't expect him to be cheap since he's so wealthy. America has great diversity but a lot (not all) of our people are close-minded. I think this is the best way I can explain my argument, if any of you don't understand it so be it.
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Your points just flat out don't make sense. It is quite normal for someone to expect someone with billions of dollars to not be cheap, there's nothing egocentric about that. It is called making a generalization based on what is normal and what you see on a regular basis. Once again, look up the definition of egocentric, you're waaaay off.
Seriously, I think you are the one with problems with generalizations here. You're making the same "egocentric" generalizations about your own country that you're complaining about.
I understand your argument perfectly, but basically what you're doing is making a huge generalization about the United States based on a stupid person's stereotype.. and then using it against us. I'm sorry, but it is just dumb.
Yes, the egocentric reference was sarcasm. |
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03-15-2012, 10:35 PM
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3,346 posts, read 6,165,863 times
Reputation: 1114
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Quote:
Originally Posted by burgler09
That's not egocentric, that's called not wanting to be hassled by someone pressing their views on you. If you answer the door to talk, they'll keep coming back.. I seriously think you need to go to the dictionary and look up the meaning of egocentric, because that is NOT the definition....
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Can you guys please read what I say! It's not because its a hassle; they don't open the door because of their religion. Did you read when I said " they were taught that Jehovah Witnesses are bad people"? if it was some Christian organization that came by the house once a month, we probably wouldve opened the door once or twice but after that we just wouldn't open it. With Jehovah Witnesses we just didn't open it at all because my parents said "they are bad people, they don't believe in blah blah and so on".
Definition of Egocentric
1. Having or regarding the self or individual as the center of all things
2. Having little or regard for interest, beliefs, or attitudes other than one's own. |
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