Freethought & Rationalism Archive

IamMoose · 01-03-2005, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquarius

No, I don't think so. To me, being open minded doesn't mean that you will believe every idea to come along -- that would just be foolish!

To me, being open minded just means that you will make an attempt to understand alternate points of view and consider them. But, you clearly understand Christianity, have considered it, and have rejected it. Many religious types (my dad calls them "religos"), on the other hand, are often rejecting without consideration or understanding. And certainly not respect.

Of course, there are narrow minded people on both sides of any coin, but I have not ever read any of your posts to come off as smug or narrow minded.

:wave:

Aqua

Thank you

reading that just cheered me up quite a lot

livius drusus · 01-03-2005, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IamMoose

Well I can only say that they bugged me first.

That doesn't make your put them all zoos nonsense any less thoughtless or cruel.

Quote:

I started posting on Christian message boards because I was searching for God. I have ended up loathing a large group of people whom I didn't know existed before. What does THAT indicate, do you think?

The fallacy of hasty generalization leaps to mind.

Quote:

According to one of the fundies who initiated this post of mine, I am going straight to hell.. that was her contribution today, though I have not and will not post on that forum again. So who was the aggressor first?

At least she's leaving her aggression to the god you don't think exists. The aggression you've recommended here, on the other hand, is entirely terrestrial. And dehumanizing. And spiteful. Her reading of scripture is the reason she said what she said. What's your excuse? Assuming you're older than 5, she was mean to me doesn't really cut it.

Quote:

You think I am facile? I wouldn't say so. I would be facile if I judged these people without ever having tried to talk to them, to understand them.

A person is not facile; an argument is. Specifically, your insistence that your experience with a handful of people you've encountered on internet discussion boards can in any way be extrapolated to some huge amorphous group you call "fundies".

Quote:

Well, I've spent five or six years on Christian message boards, trying to do just that. I went in feeling that i wanted the Christian God to exist.. that I wanted to find Him. I came out hoping that if He's out there, He'll come down and remove these fuckwits from the face of the planet asap.

Facile?

Don't forget vitriolic, dehumanizing and cruel. How does it feel to hope for even worse things than the so-called fundies you decry wish for you? Can I extroplate that into a judgement on all atheist fundies and wish you and your compadres could be rounded up, caged and/or eliminated from the face of the earth?

seebs · 01-03-2005, 05:06 PM

I think the key point here is the hasty generalization. You hate some people, who have identified themselves as Christian fundies. If you met this guy I know on another BBS, who goes by "jonesy", I bet you wouldn't hate him, but he's a fundie. Fire-breathing bible-believing fundamentalist... And one of the most humble and caring folks I've run into online.

They may be a little rare. Modern fundamentalism doesn't often encourage people to get past the quick soundbites. But... They're out there. And, as liv points out, you're sort of stealing the gimmick from the ones you're complaining about; condemning whole swathes of people.

Aquarius · 01-03-2005, 05:22 PM

Oh come on, Moose is just expressing frustration -- I am sure she/he did not mean that they should all literally be put in zoos, etc.

seebs · 01-03-2005, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquarius

Oh come on, Moose is just expressing frustration -- I am sure she/he did not mean that they should all literally be put in zoos, etc.

Many of the more outspoken fundies I know are, in fact, just expressing frustration...

livius drusus · 01-03-2005, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquarius

Oh come on, Moose is just expressing frustration -- I am sure she/he did not mean that they should all literally be put in zoos, etc.

The OP and follow-ups remain hateful generalizations no matter what emotions prompted them.

Meanwhile, I wonder how Moose would react to a fundamentalist suggesting all atheists should be caged or eliminated from the face of the earth. Somehow, I doubt "she was just expressing frustration" would be the response. As seebs points out, why should the "fundies" exempt from charitable explanations of their motives?

woodheart · 01-03-2005, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IamMoose

I just burned my bridges with one of the two mainly Christian boards I post on after some fuckwit posted that God had told Bush that he was going to be president, and God had told her that she had to vote for him or some such crap. These people should be in a zoo. I don't mind talking with intelligent, enlightened Christians and thankfully I do know some but when i meet people like the above - or people who believe that we're all about to get raptured, or whatever the fuck else - it makes me want to punch my screen as hard as I can. How can anyone LIVE such an unbearably narrow, SMUG little life?

I know how you feel. I live in the Southern US where you are surrounded by people like this. I hear that kind of crap here alot. Oh the earth is only 6000 years old.

All stuff that proves the earth is older was put there by God to test our faith and other shit like that. Come live in the Southern US for a while and you will see how bad it can get.

livius drusus · 01-03-2005, 06:33 PM

I live in Georgia and every Christian I've encountered has been kind, respectful and decent to me. Including the speaking in tongues types.

seebs · 01-04-2005, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by livius drusus

I live in Georgia and every Christian I've encountered has been kind, respectful and decent to me. Including the speaking in tongues types.

I think there's a lot of variance. I have met maybe a handful (2-3?) of mean Christians in meatspace, although I probably know a dozen or so online.

But even for them, there is hope. I have seen some pretty hostile, angry, people turn around. Turns out that, as with nearly any person, if you're kind to them, they react well to it.

IamMoose · 01-04-2005, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by livius drusus

That doesn't make your put them all zoos nonsense any less thoughtless or cruel.

The fallacy of hasty generalization leaps to mind.

At least she's leaving her aggression to the god you don't think exists. The aggression you've recommended here, on the other hand, is entirely terrestrial. And dehumanizing. And spiteful. Her reading of scripture is the reason she said what she said. What's your excuse? Assuming you're older than 5, she was mean to me doesn't really cut it.

A person is not facile; an argument is. Specifically, your insistence that your experience with a handful of people you've encountered on internet discussion boards can in any way be extrapolated to some huge amorphous group you call "fundies".

Don't forget vitriolic, dehumanizing and cruel. How does it feel to hope for even worse things than the so-called fundies you decry wish for you? Can I extroplate that into a judgement on all atheist fundies and wish you and your compadres could be rounded up, caged and/or eliminated from the face of the earth?

censored before the mods can get to it.

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01-03-2005, 05:06 PM	#23
seebs Contributor Join Date: May 2002 Location: Saint Paul, MN Posts: 24,524	I think the key point here is the hasty generalization. You hate some people, who have identified themselves as Christian fundies. If you met this guy I know on another BBS, who goes by "jonesy", I bet you wouldn't hate him, but he's a fundie. Fire-breathing bible-believing fundamentalist... And one of the most humble and caring folks I've run into online. They may be a little rare. Modern fundamentalism doesn't often encourage people to get past the quick soundbites. But... They're out there. And, as liv points out, you're sort of stealing the gimmick from the ones you're complaining about; condemning whole swathes of people.

01-03-2005, 05:22 PM	#24
Aquarius Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Kansas Posts: 805	Oh come on, Moose is just expressing frustration -- I am sure she/he did not mean that they should all literally be put in zoos, etc.

01-03-2005, 06:33 PM	#28
livius drusus Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Selva Oscura Posts: 4,120	I live in Georgia and every Christian I've encountered has been kind, respectful and decent to me. Including the speaking in tongues types.

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