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What is problematic about these kinds of statements?
"The problem with atheists is..."
"The problem with the religious is..."
"The problem with atheism is..."
"The problem with religion is..."
Serious question. When you read a sentence that begins that way, what comes to mind for you?
In what ways are those type of statements a problem from the start?
What is problematic about these kinds of statements?
"The problem with atheists is..."
"The problem with the religious is..."
"The problem with atheism is..."
"The problem with religion is..."
Serious question. When you read a sentence that begins that way, what comes to mind for you?
In what ways are those type of statements a problem from the start?
Obviously, it's grouping people together and stereotyping them. And yes--it happens both directions.
I believe that as long as people hold different dogmatic ideologies, that some will see those who believe differently as a problem. I have no problem with anyone's belief or lack thereof. What I do have a problem with is when that belief causes a person to try to shame, condemn, scare, cajole, etc. someone into believing the way they do. Everyone should have the right to believe what they wish as long as they aren't causing harm to others.
The statements are a reflection of the same issue on both sides. Those of the atheism camp tend to be just are "religious" in mindset and outspokenness as the hardcore church nuts. Extremism can never be good. It's worth pointing out, but not worth trying to stop.
Those who engage in all of that have the option to avoid problems, but are too proud and full of themselves to make any constructive or healthy changes away from that.
Extremists ought to be in the same room without increasing blood pressure one unit. But therein lies the difficulty. They feed and support their extreme biases every day. Their unbalance will always be their undoing. But freedom allows all types, and we have no reason to waste time trying get them to see their ways.
Last edited by Thoreau424; 09-09-2020 at 09:39 AM..
Obviously, it's grouping people together and stereotyping them. And yes--it happens both directions.
Here's a place where we can actually agree...at least to some extent.
It does happen in both directions. That much is very true.
Stereotypes are a funny thing. When it's a negative stereotype, people sometimes get all bent out of shape. When it's a positive stereotype, rarely a whimper. If I said, "Christians are terrible people", I suspect you'd ride into the rescue. If I said, "Christians are good people", I doubt you'd argue the point. Yet, both statements are stereotypes.
Cultural norms are stereotyping. And yet, if you're in a multicultural environment, and you want to be successful, you'd better have an understanding of those cultural norms. Ask almost any international businessman or government official if you deal with people in Japan the same way you deal with people in Pakistan or with people in Nicaragua. You can't know every individual, but you can at least get off on the right foot if you understand some of the cultural differences. And those cultural differences are -- to a large extent -- stereotypes. My school had about a thousand kids, and that meant 2,000 parents. We were a very multicultural school. I couldn't possibly know them all personally, but I could usually get off on a good foot with parents -- even in difficult situations such as suspensions -- if I understood some of the differences i how to interact with different cultures, and yet that is based on stereotyping.
Humans naturally classify things. It's one of the things that the human brain does. It can be taken too far, and often is, but it is a useful tool.
Here's a place where we can actually agree...at least to some extent.
It does happen in both directions. That much is very true.
Stereotypes are a funny thing. When it's a negative stereotype, people sometimes get all bent out of shape. When it's a positive stereotype, rarely a whimper. If I said, "Christians are terrible people", I suspect you'd ride into the rescue. If I said, "Christians are good people", I doubt you'd argue the point. Yet, both statements are stereotypes.
Yes, it might surprise you to hear that I have met plenty of bad people in churches in America. Not all claiming to be Christians are nice, decent folks.
Having said that, not all of us are. Yet, you and others have no issue whatsoever with condemning all that you consider "fundamentalist". You and others have said some pretty mean things about me, in particular. Don't let the name fool you. I actually attend a Baptist church in a fairly liberal denomination.
What is problematic about these kinds of statements?
"The problem with atheists is..."
"The problem with the religious is..."
"The problem with atheism is..."
"The problem with religion is..."
Serious question. When you read a sentence that begins that way, what comes to mind for you?
In what ways are those type of statements a problem from the start?
The problem with this OP is that it does not resolve the problem.
On serious note though - I think, in general it’s a notion of speech where one tries to tell us the reason he or she disagrees with a certain ideology.
This expression could be right or it could be wrong.
We perceive things differently and we have different life experiences which are a factor of how we process information and arrive at a certain conclusion - in some cases, what could be a “problem” to you, could be a solution or escape route to others, and vice a versa.
It could be semantics too
Take a look at your own op, for example, it’s very interesting!
You seem to have a “problem with”, when someone says, “The ‘problem with’....”
Yes, it might surprise you to hear that I have met plenty of bad people in churches in America. Not all claiming to be Christians are nice, decent folks.
Having said that, not all of us are. Yet, you and others have no issue whatsoever with condemning all that you consider "fundamentalist". You and others have said some pretty mean things about me, in particular. Don't let the name fool you. I actually attend a Baptist church in a fairly liberal denomination.
But that's where you go too far...your own little stereotype. I don't condemn "all that [i] consider 'fundamentalist'". That's a stereotype you've placed on me.
What is problematic about these kinds of statements?
"The problem with atheists is..."
"The problem with the religious is..."
"The problem with atheism is..."
"The problem with religion is..."
Serious question. When you read a sentence that begins that way, what comes to mind for you?
In what ways are those type of statements a problem from the start?
Stereotyping, obviously. Another thing is that people like to compare their best with other people's worst. Yes, some Christians can be insufferably self-righteous and naturally that gets on the nerves of atheists or even a lot of less dogmatic Christians, but it makes no sense for atheists to say, "The problem with the religious is that they're insufferably self-righteous," when the statement applies to only some Christians. Likewise, some atheists can be annoyingly intellectually arrogant and that can be very offensive to theists. But it's also just plain stupid to say, "The problem with atheists is that they think they're so intellectually superior to us."
It's the extremists on both sides that cause the problems.
Stereotyping, obviously. Another thing is that people like to compare their best with other people's worst. Yes, some Christians can be insufferably self-righteous and naturally that gets on the nerves of atheists or even a lot of less dogmatic Christians, but it makes no sense for atheists to say, "The problem with the religious is that they're insufferably self-righteous," when the statement applies to only some Christians. Likewise, some atheists can be annoyingly intellectually arrogant and that can be very offensive to theists. But it's also just plain stupid to say, "The problem with atheists is that they think they're so intellectually superior to us."
It's the extremists on both sides that cause the problems.
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