(December 17, 2014 at 5:26 pm)Mister Agenda Wrote: And I you. I hope we'll be seeing more of you here. It's not been as fun without you.

Been needing to take my mind off things. I should stick around for a while and beat people with verbal sticks.

(December 17, 2014 at 5:27 pm)thesummerqueen Wrote:

(December 17, 2014 at 5:26 pm)Mister Agenda Wrote: And I you. I hope we'll be seeing more of you here. It's not been as fun without you.

Been needing to take my mind off things. I should stick around for a while and beat people with verbal sticks.

Sounds pretty fun and also old time swear words and sophisticated swear words.

That might happen too - I've been listening to some favorite old-timey classics and fantasy books and the pattern of speech is percolating into my writing. I keep writing "mayhap" instead of "maybe" and shit like that.

The first guy said it right. Not all atheists are the same, like there are nice loving christians that love everyone, there are christians that hate gays, ect.

(December 17, 2014 at 5:33 pm)Kloud Wrote: The first guy said it right. Not all atheists are the same, like there are nice loving christians that love everyone, there are christians that hate gays, ect.

Sure, sure. Few here will dispute that...

(December 17, 2014 at 5:31 pm)dyresand Wrote: sophisticated swear words.

Is that actually a thing? Seems to defeat the whole purpose of swearing, IMO.

(December 17, 2014 at 5:43 pm)Tonus Wrote:

(December 17, 2014 at 5:31 pm)dyresand Wrote: sophisticated swear words.

Is that actually a thing? Seems to defeat the whole purpose of swearing, IMO.

Says someone whose mother was a hamster, and whose father smelt of elderberries!

(December 17, 2014 at 6:17 pm)KevinM1 Wrote:

(December 17, 2014 at 5:43 pm)Tonus Wrote: Is that actually a thing? Seems to defeat the whole purpose of swearing, IMO.

Says someone whose mother was a hamster, and whose father smelt of elderberries!

I fart in your general direction!

(December 17, 2014 at 1:08 pm)robvalue Wrote: This was the link Chas:

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/d...reats.html

Dawkins letter is a little way down.

His letter was amusing.

---

(December 17, 2014 at 1:44 pm)Jenny A Wrote: Watkins then went on an anti-Dawkins mini rampage.

Make of it what you will. I make of it a tempest in a teapot and a sure sign that Dawkins is a male over 70 who doesn't suffer fools and expects other to share his thick skin; and Watkins is both over sensitive and has real grievances which she should emphasize instead of propositions in elevators from men who neither grope nor repeat the proposition.

I knew the circumstances. I would generally agree with your view on this, only adding that people seem to occasionally miss his point due to their own limitations.

I've been thinking about this, and I probably over reacted in some sense. I think all of this is just evidence that a lot of people are nasty, which is nothing new. Terrible, but already clear.

People in general mask their naked personality to a large degree when dealing with people face to face, at least without alcohol or "all their mates". On the internet it's so easy to drop that veil and become who you really are. Or perhaps go further, if that makes sense, as there is little holding you in check. I see the same thing on the roads, people would not generally act so aggressively and recklessly if they were face to face. People do what they think they can get away with, a lot of the time.

Anonymity has become a big problem, people consider themselves unaccountable for their messages. And the sheep mentality kicks in. Once a few people have had a go at someone, the rest of them feel safe to join the mob.

It's thoroughly disgusting, and I hope that some way is found to stop or at least address this cyber bullying. But on reflection I don't think this is in any way to do with atheism, just to do with dickheads, some of which happen to be atheist.