Do say: “I don’t share your beliefs”
Don’t say: “Hahaha you stupid bastard”

I really can’t understand why people are struggling with this.

See I get what you are saying and I agree.

However I might consider being told I am going to hell by a religious person quite insulting too (I don’t I’d need to actual believe hell exists for this to bother me)

But certainly if I was gay then being described as an abomination or similar would probably be quite upsetting

A woman in a difficult situation seeking an abortion might hold a similar view.

So the religious can’t really have it both ways. Free to have a go at anyone who makes choices or leads a life contrary to their beliefs but somehow immune from insults thrown in their direction?

However I might consider being told I am going to hell by a religious person quite insulting too

Fair enough. But I’ve never read that posted on here by a Christian, but I’ve seen a hell of a lot of abuse thrown about by atheists.

Free to have a go at anyone who makes choices or leads a life contrary to their beliefs

No no no! I’m not saying religious people can insult whoever they like. My comments apply to EVERYONE.

Religious people shouldn’t insult, pity, criticise or denigrate atheists, and vice versa.

It’s just about being nice to each other. That’s all. It’s really not too hard is it?

Fair enough. But I’ve never read that posted on here by a Christian, but I’ve seen a hell of a lot of abuse thrown about by atheists.

As someone already pointed out, you get it shouted at you in the street reasonably often when you walk round a city centre. I don’t recall ever seeing any atheists doing similar.

It’s just about being nice to each other. That’s all. It’s really not too hard is it?

Someone got nailed to a tree for saying that once you know. Allegedly 🙂

Anyway, you’re just trying to impose your beliefs on others now aren’t you? 😀

I’m off to clean the car.

It’s just about being nice to each other. That’s all. It’s really not too hard is it?

Not at all

Rule No:1 “Don’t be a dick”

I’m just saying (as are you happily enough) it applies to both sides

As someone already pointed out, you get it shouted at you in the street reasonably often when you walk round a city centre

I also see people exhorting me to buy stuff, singing, playing musical instruments, dancing, pretending to be statues and rambling incoherently. I dunno if they are atheists or not.

If THAT is the excuse you use for having a go at any christian who happens to be reading STW, then that’s pretty weak.

It’s just about being nice to each other. That’s all

its the christian thing to do

If THAT is the excuse you use for having a go at any christian who happens to be reading STW, then that’s pretty weak.

That’s a pretty blatant straw man – weak.

We can safely say that most of the insults thrown on STW would never be voiced aloud in company anyway.

If THAT is the excuse you use for having a go at any christian who happens to be reading STW

I refer you to my previous post..

Berm Bandit – Member

At the end of it all my beliefs have no impact on anyone, live and let live etc.

…and thereby hangs the tail! The truth is that if none of the nonces thieves, murderers or adulterers operating under the auspices of religion chose to ponitificate about their faith, I very much doubt whether anyone much would comment on religion here or elsewhere. The problem is that they cannot just be content with finding the Lord, they have to bore the rest of us with their issues.

So for the record, my personal beliefs are my business and no one elses. If I choose to share them, and those I share them with wish to comment then thats fair enough by me, because I’ve opened that door. Trouble is the religionists can’t quite get that point.

I think you will find the majority of noise on this subject is one directional. I know of few if any non religious folk who spend much time on the religious. The religious however, seem to make it a priority the other way around. Therefore it should hardly be surprising when confronted with damning evidence of hypocracy that a few point a finger and say things along the lines of “but you’re not wearing any clothes”. Hoisted on your own petard seems to cover it.

ONCE AGAIN it’s fine to take issue with them, it is not fine to be nasty.

“As someone already pointed out, you get it shouted at you in the street reasonably often when you walk round a city centre.”

GOLF SALE, GOLF SALE

Bloody Golfist

Mols….

I’m doffing my cap to you fella… I know you’re not doing it, to stick up for us (you know we don’t need that or indeed possibly in a wider, much wider context deserve it) but are trying just to make STW (and maybe away from here) a better place …. for that you should be congratulated.

Good work

If I was told to my face by a religious idiot person that I was going to go to “hell” for being an atheist, I agree it would be a fine and noble and civilised thing to say something along the lines of: “I respectfully disagree with you my dear chap, although of course you are fully entitled to your opinion.”

But I might be more inclined to say something like “**** off you stupid **** and shove your ****wit opinion up your ****.”

Which I think is entirely reasonable. 👿

@BB; But the noise on STW is very much the other way. Other than a few JWs that knock on the door every so often (maybe twice a year), I really don’t find myself being mentally assaulted by religious folk trying to persuade me to believe what they believe.

You do realise that there are as many if not more nonces, thieves, murderers (and other emotive terms of your choice) operating under no influence of religion at all don’t you? I’m sure you do, of course.

Woppit of course it is… to that particular person.

But not to the rest of us…. thanks vmuch

Ro5ey – Member

Woppit of course it is… to to that particular person anyone who says that to you.

While we are at it, latest news from the battlefront:

http://www.secularism.org.uk/media-round-up.html

You do realise that there are as many if not moremost nonces, thieves, murderers (and other emotive terms of your choice) who are operating under no influence of religion at all don’t you?don’t either pontificate at me or belong to an organsiation that does.

TFTFY

Can’t really understand why the concept is so hard to grasp to be fair. Its the pontificating whilst also being an arse that is the irritant, not merely being an arse of itself. Worse still, its those who are remaining silent while its going on. To be honest I find it unbelievably difficult to stomach the hypocracy of the vast majority of religionists, in this context. Think about it: Politician, Football Manager, CEO, you name it if you were in charge whilst there was wholesale abuse of privilige going on during your watch and you’d be gone……. Compare that to the Pope/Cardinals/Arch Bishops/Mullahs etc etc etc

{EDIT:} do none of you lot who are religionists actually read your own PR? Jesus turning over money lenders tables, treating the lowly and sick with respect for example, or is it a case of suffer the little children unto me, having a different meaning to the one I understood??

OK …. so, you see that no one on HERE as ever said anything of the sort to you… yet you feel free to spout YOUR (IMO) horrid options left right and centre

I’m not expecting you to do what I say – I’ve been alive too long to expect it

That’s exactly what you are doing when you say

Do say: “I don’t share your beliefs”
Don’t say: “Hahaha you stupid bastard”

Good work

Thanks, I do it for reasons of balance, I would be doing it to stick up for the religious if I thought they hadn’t heard it all before and couldn’t deal with it, which you seem to be able to do.

Good work

But I might be more inclined to say something like “**** off you stupid **** and shove your ****wit opinion up your ****.”

Which I think is entirely reasonable

I don’t. Not least because it’s just noise and will never make any kind of useful point. If you think being ‘noble and civilised’ is that difficult, then you need to pull your finger out IMO.

If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.

Can’t really understand why the concept is so hard to grasp to be fair. Its the pontificating whilst also being an arse that is the irritant

1) People on here aren’t doing that – if some religious idiot preaches to you against your will, take it out with him or her, don’t spread it about on STW. Incidentally I can’t remember reading any threads that started ‘This religious guy came to my door and started slagging me off when I didn’t let him in’.

2) As above, just because someone irritates you doesn’t absolve you of the responsibility to be civil.

That’s exactly what you are doing

It’s advice, not an instruction.

do none of you lot who are religionists actually read your own PR?

Lol.. yes of course they do.. do you think EVERY religious person is a kiddie fiddling hypocrite? Seriously weak arguing.

yet you feel free to spout YOUR (IMO) horrid options left right and centre

Left right and centre, eh?

“horrid options”, eh? 😆

Dead thread, yet?

Seriously weak arguing

I think thats the basis of my case, and I agree that yours is seriously weak.

Simply put for you. If you actively support an organisation so seriously and obviously riven with corruption as the Catholic Church, then you condone what they do and you are part of it.

Regarding pontification: My life has been totally shaped and dictated by religion and it is very much against my will. School, Government, State, you name it. I could stomach it were it not for the blatant hypocracy. If you can’t see that then frankly you are simply confirming the self delusionary and self propagating aspect of religion.

Lol.. yes of course they do.. do you think EVERY religious person is a kiddie fiddling hypocrite? Seriously weak arguing.

Oh the ironing.

Another huge straw man there.

If you actively support an organisation so seriously and obviously riven with corruption as the Catholic Church, then you condone what they do and you are part of it.

That’s a very good point.

If you can’t see that

I can. You seem to be under the impression that I am supporting religion. I’m not, I’m saying that it’s not good to insult people of whom you know very little, on the basis that some OTHER people loosely affiliated (and the church is a pretty loose affiliation as we’ve demonstrated) did something you don’t like.

Another huge straw man there.

Well it’s not meant to be, that’s the straw man that seemed to be underpinning your argument. I’m trying to point that out rather than allege that you actually believe that. It’s obviously bobbins which is why I drew attention to it.

It’s advice, not an instruction.

Isn’t that the Edinburgh defense?

No. Of course not. Why the hell would I be handing out instructions on here? I’m not your lifestyle coach.

Well it’s not meant to be, that’s the straw man that seemed to be underpinning your argument. I’m trying to point that out rather than allege that you actually believe that. It’s obviously bobbins which is why I drew attention to it.

Er…. no – you criticised an exaggerated version of what you think someone meant by what they said, rather than what they actually said – a classic straw man.

And also, my argument?

So, these religion threads are now going to be a thread where we ‘discuss’ what is or isn’t an insult, rather than the point at hand? That pretty much kills the forum then.

If you don’t want to participate in the central point of the thread because of the tone of the debate, feel free not to not read it or to report specific posts.

If you want to discuss etiquette, or repeatedly derail the discussion into other areas, why not start your own thread?

(Not that I’m aiming this at anyone in particular but this could apply equally to diet and exercise threads…)

No. Of course not. Why the hell would I be handing out instructions on here? I’m not your lifestyle coach.

Well in that case might I suggest that you work on your communication skills, as that’s not how you come across. Your comments on such matters come across in both tone and content as instructions as how everyone should talk.

Ok grum – apologies for losing track of who said what.

do none of you lot who are religionists actually read your own PR? Jesus turning over money lenders tables, treating the lowly and sick with respect for example, or is it a case of suffer the little children unto me, having a different meaning to the one I understood??

Let’s look at this again. The assertion is that Christians in general (because it says ‘do none of you…?’) don’t follow Jesus’s teachings, because.. what? Because there is bad practice in the church? Well, of course there is. But should they all be tarred with the same brush? Of course not.

Obviously I’m not sticking up for kiddie fiddlers, obviously I’m not condoning the bad stuff, I’ve said many times I’m not sticking up for organised religion. However Berm Bandit seems to be saying that everyone in the church is at it, as justification for being rude to any Christians who might be reading STW. That seems like weak reasoning to me, because you’ve got no evidence that the majority of Christians condone such behaviour.

Correct me if that’s not what you meant.

Simply put for you. If you actively support an organisation so seriously and obviously riven with corruption as the Catholic Church, then you condone what they do and you are part of it.

What is your evidence for that?

(What is your evidence for that?) oh now you want evidence 😆

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/religion

They/anyone can believe any crazy old crap they want but when they try and imnpose it on me
Does this happen often?

Can we have an answer please mr junkyard?

Correct me if that’s not what you meant.

Gladly.

Firstly, I don’t beleive I’ve ever been rude directly to anyone one on this thread, and indirectly no more so than me being consigned to eternal damnation, so a neutral transaction IMHO.
Secondly, I’ve made my point very clear several times, if you are a member of an organsiation and don’t at least speak up agaisnt its clear and frequent excesses you then condone it, so to that extent, Yes you are tarred with the same brush.

Let’s look at this again.

Well yes lets. Not in any way decrying the principles, a point I’ve also made clear previously elsewhere. I am however decrying the fact that as stated above by condoning you are complicit.

Finally, I am not now and never have denied anyones right to hold their own beliefs, opinions and views. What I have said however, is if you put them in the public domain thats your call, but you can hardly complain when by doing so the very obvious flaws in what you beleive are pointed out to you. As religion is unfortunately thrust down everyones necks in this country, I’m sorry if you don’t like it, but in my book thats open season.

Going home now, may your God go with you, meanwhile I’ll remain spiritually destitute.

Mr woppit – has anyone ever said that, or anything like that to you? Be honest, because the way you come across is that ‘religious idiots’ appear to be targeting you in particular, on what appears to be a regular basis.

TFTFY

To be honest, you made a bit of a hash of it.

But your one of your subsequent statements explains your attitude to the whole shebang, so fairy nuff.

As religion is unfortunately thrust down everyones necks in this country

It’s not though, is it? I find my neck free to support my head, and contain the passages necessary for transport of food and gases. It feels quite free from religion.