Slur-mongering

[ThorHammer]

Looks like a case of both sides seeing what they want to see.

[Mrs. M]

Originally Posted by pramjockey

I have to disagree with you, Mrs. M. While there have been a couple particularly nasty left-wing people (gone now) on this site, the vast majority of the unpleasantness comes from the right.

I don't know, pram, I've been attacked or ridiculed over and over for my religious beliefs by people still on the forum, even though I respect others beliefs or lack of. There's also still quite a few left (on both sides) that can't make a single post without crap like "stupid Democrats", "dumb Repugs", etc. If we could just get rid of those people.....

[Mark_Twain]

Originally Posted by Mrs. M

I don't know, pram, I've been attacked or ridiculed over and over for my religious beliefs by people still on the forum, even though I respect others beliefs or lack of. There's also still quite a few left (on both sides) that can't make a single post without crap like "stupid Democrats", "dumb Repugs", etc. If we could just get rid of those people.....

Yet you still assert that I'm going to burn in hell, correct Mrs. M?

Of course, you can hide behind the Great Book.

[Mrs. M]

Originally Posted by Mark_Twain

Yet you still assert that I'm going to burn in hell, correct Mrs. M?

Of course, you can hide behind the Great Book.

This is exactly what I'm talking about.
I do believe in Jesus and He says that the only way to Heaven is through Him. However, if you choose not to belief it, I can respect that and you will never catch me ridiculing you for it. Too bad you won't show the same courtesy.

[Mark_Twain]

Originally Posted by Mrs. M

This is exactly what I'm talking about.
I do believe in Jesus and He says that the only way to Heaven is through Him. However, if you choose not to belief it, I can respect that and you will never catch me ridiculing you for it. Too bad you won't show the same courtesy.

Look, maybe you should re-examine your beliefs if you honestly think that everyone who doesn't believe exactly as you is going to hell based on some crap you read in a book or heard in a sermon. I'm not ridiculing you about it; I'm simply pointing out that you're missing a bigger point. You hide behind the Bible and state it's not you saying it. In the same breath, you admit to practicing this form of bigoted Christianity. If you honestly had any respect for others about you, you'd abandon this philosophy, as I can think of no bigger form of disrespect than being told (in so many words, in a kind of beat-around-the-bush style) that I'm worth less that you because I don't believe as you do.

[pramjockey]

Originally Posted by Mrs. M

I don't know, pram, I've been attacked or ridiculed over and over for my religious beliefs by people still on the forum, even though I respect others beliefs or lack of. There's also still quite a few left (on both sides) that can't make a single post without crap like "stupid Democrats", "dumb Repugs", etc. If we could just get rid of those people.....

It's so hard to say. I have to admit that I'm sensitized to one side vs. another. Based on that, it truly seems like the majority of the unpleasant posting (insults, condescension, gross generalizations, etc.) come from people who identify themselves as right-leaning. Then, of course, there's some who are just nasty, and claim no affiliation one way or the other.

I'm willing to admit that I could be entirely wrong. It has happened more than once over the years.


Thing is, there's at least some of us here who can take someone else saying "I think you're wrong and here's why..." without (mis)interpreting it as a personal attack. That's when the real discussions actually happen.

[Mrs. M]

Originally Posted by Mark_Twain

Look, maybe you should re-examine your beliefs if you honestly think that everyone who doesn't believe exactly as you is going to hell based on some crap you read in a book or heard in a sermon. I'm not ridiculing you about it; I'm simply pointing out that you're missing a bigger point. You hide behind the Bible and state it's not you saying it. In the same breath, you admit to practicing this form of bigoted Christianity. If you honestly had any respect for others about you, you'd abandon this philosophy, as I can think of no bigger form of disrespect than being told (in so many words, in a kind of beat-around-the-bush style) that I'm worth less that you because I don't believe as you do.

Umm, in case you don't realize it, born-again believers base their beliefs on the Bible.
You want me to abandon MY beliefs because YOU feel they're wrong. That's really a joke, isn't it?

[Mark_Twain]

Originally Posted by Mrs. M

Umm, in case you don't realize it, born-again believers base their beliefs on the Bible.
You want me to abandon MY beliefs because YOU feel they're wrong. That's really a joke, isn't it?

Any religion that posits itself as superior to others is dangerous. So yes, you really should re-examine your personal philosophy. Some of your brethren have dangerous ideas in mind for people like me. I'm a live-and-let-live kind of guy. I frankly couldn't care less if you worship a golden calf, a somber-looking Christ-on-a-crucifix, or the God of Abraham. But I used to attend a hellfire & brimstone church. I know what your people say behind closed doors. I wish the shit that goes on in those places was nothing more than a joke, but it's dangerous.

And I've got news for you. I don't pretend to be superior to you. I don't pretend that I'm 100% correct in my personal beliefs. I don't feel the need to proselityze anyone who doesn't believe as I do. But I do feel strongly that people should mind their own business when it comes to religiosity. And that goes double for those who try to blend their religion into our form of governance. I'm ever-vigilant for these sorts of threats.

You, on the other hand, do feel that your faith is superior. You are 100% certain that yours is the only true faith. And proselityzing is a central tenet of your belief structure. It's but a short leap to the eradication and/or subjugation of "others." A dangerous belief system indeed.

[Mrs. M]

Originally Posted by pramjockey

It's so hard to say. I have to admit that I'm sensitized to one side vs. another. Based on that, it truly seems like the majority of the unpleasant posting (insults, condescension, gross generalizations, etc.) come from people who identify themselves as right-leaning. Then, of course, there's some who are just nasty, and claim no affiliation one way or the other.

I'm willing to admit that I could be entirely wrong. It has happened more than once over the years.


Thing is, there's at least some of us here who can take someone else saying "I think you're wrong and here's why..." without (mis)interpreting it as a personal attack. That's when the real discussions actually happen.

I think it has to do with who's saying "I think you're wrong...". If you were to post things that you see wrong with the right, we could have a decent discussion about it because it's not your habit to attack and use all the pet names that we see so often out of the extremists. Threads such as "Why Neocons Think That Way", when started by someone like Ajaxpress are meant as attacks and treated that way by others. Why? Because most of his posts are attacks in one way or another. It just boils down to the respect one has earned through their posting methods. You've earned respect, Ajax hasn't.

[Mark_Twain]

Originally Posted by Mrs. M

Umm, in case you don't realize it, born-again believers base their beliefs on the Bible.
You want me to abandon MY beliefs because YOU feel they're wrong. That's really a joke, isn't it?

And again, you didn't really address the points I made. You seem wired to do only one of two things:

1) State that the other side does it too, so if my side does it, it's fair.
2) Hide behind the selected items in the Bible that form the core of your belief system while simply ignoring those items that might contradict the central tenets of your personal faith.

[Mark_Twain]

Originally Posted by Mrs. M

I think it has to do with who's saying "I think you're wrong...". If you were to post things that you see wrong with the right, we could have a decent discussion about it because it's not your habit to attack and use all the pet names that we see so often out of the extremists. Threads such as "Why Neocons Think That Way", when started by someone like Ajaxpress are meant as attacks and treated that way by others. Why? Because most of his posts are attacks in one way or another. It just boils down to the respect one has earned through their posting methods. You've earned respect, Ajax hasn't.

And yet here I am posting again and again the problems with your faith. The primary problem is that it is disrespectul to ALL OTHERS. How can you say you respect ANYONE save your own brethren?

[Mrs. M]

Originally Posted by Mark_Twain

Any religion that posits itself as superior to others is dangerous. So yes, you really should re-examine your personal philosophy. Some of your brethren have dangerous ideas in mind for people like me. I'm a live-and-let-live kind of guy. I frankly couldn't care less if you worship a golden calf, a somber-looking Christ-on-a-crucifix, or the God of Abraham. But I used to attend a hellfire & brimstone church. I know what your people say behind closed doors. I wish the shit that goes on in those places was nothing more than a joke, but it's dangerous.

And I've got news for you. I don't pretend to be superior to you. I don't pretend that I'm 100% correct in my personal beliefs. I don't feel the need to proselityze anyone who doesn't believe as I do. But I do feel strongly that people should mind their own business when it comes to religiosity. And that goes double for those who try to blend their religion into our form of governance. I'm ever-vigilant for these sorts of threats.

You, on the other hand, do feel that your faith is superior. You are 100% certain that yours is the only true faith. And proselityzing is a central tenet of your belief structure. It's but a short leap to the eradication and/or subjugation of "others." A dangerous belief system indeed.

You've obviously not read enough of my posts in the religion threads otherwise you wouldn't have posted the last paragraph.

[Mrs. M]

Originally Posted by Mark_Twain

And yet here I am posting again and again the problems with your faith. The primary problem is that it is disrespectul to ALL OTHERS. How can you say you respect ANYONE save your own brethren?

Do I preach to you? NO. Do I tell you that you HAVE to believe as I do? NO. I'm entitled to my beliefs, just as you're entitled to yours.

[Mark_Twain]

Originally Posted by Mrs. M

You've obviously not read enough of my posts in the religion threads otherwise you wouldn't have posted the last paragraph.

I've read enough to know that what I posted is absolutely true. Earlier in this thread you stated that, according to the Bible, anyone who doesn't believe as you is going to hell. How is that inconsistent with the last paragraph of my previous post?

My mother is a born-again. I'm sure she prays for me often. But she's respectful enough to know better than to ever trot out some inane BS from the Bible as if it had any sort of authority whatsover. The Bible is a fraud, pure and simple. If you'd like me to take the time to walk you through its myriad problems (as well as its history), you need look no further than my very first post on this website. However, I've a feeling your brain has been laundered, folded, and tucked away and is thus not open to any actual debate as to the facts about Biblical history and why it says some of the (untrue) things it asserts.

If I'm wrong, I'll apologize and start a new thread where we can debate the veracity of the Bible.

[Mrs. M]

Originally Posted by Mark_Twain

I've read enough to know that what I posted is absolutely true. Earlier in this thread you stated that, according to the Bible, anyone who doesn't believe as you is going to hell. How is that inconsistent with the last paragraph of my previous post?

My mother is a born-again. I'm sure she prays for me often. But she's respectful enough to know better than to ever trot out some inane BS from the Bible as if it had any sort of authority whatsover. The Bible is a fraud, pure and simple. If you'd like me to take the time to walk you through its myriad problems (as well as its history), you need look no further than my very first post on this website. However, I've a feeling your brain has been laundered, folded, and tucked away and is thus not open to any actual debate as to the facts about Biblical history and why it says some of the (untrue) things it asserts.

If I'm wrong, I'll apologize and start a new thread where we can debate the veracity of the Bible.

If you'll read the other religious threads, you'll find that I've stated before that I can't be sure that any religion is 100% right or wrong, including my own. As an example, early Native Americans had no Bible, knew nothing about Jesus, but yet they worshipped things in nature, the sun, moon, etc. I don't think they all went to hell for not worshipping the Jesus they knew nothing about. Those that worship Allah definitely conflict with the Bible, but I don't believe that all Muslims will go to hell. Maybe I'm right and maybe I'm wrong but I'm not about to show disrespect for the beliefs of others by stating that mine is 100% correct. I'm content that having accepted Jesus as Savior I will enter Heaven one day and if I'm wrong and there is no Heaven, then I've lost nothing.