(August 28, 2015 at 12:09 pm)Ben Davis Wrote:(August 28, 2015 at 11:34 am)Catholic_Lady Wrote: I just find it strange, because I come on here and see such horrible experiences y'all have had with people of faith, while my own experiences with them have been mostly very positive. I don't doubt y'alls claims, of course. It's a shame there are so many Christians who give off that vibe and act that way. That totally sucks. I guess I've been lucky not to have encountered many of them.
You almost certainly have encountered them, many times, without realising. Your experiences have been mainly positive because you're inside the bubble of the religion. Religions almost universally have plenty of benefits for the in-group but are automatically divisive with penalties for the out-group. This is the type of instiutionalised religious tribalism that leads to things like the xenophobia of fundamentalists. Because it's been ingrained to you, probably since birth, and so many people share your religion in your society, you may not have noticed it until it was pointed out to you. You may even have been horrible to non-believers without realising that you're being so.
I feel lucky that I was born in to a society that doesn't grant religion such privilege.
Respectfully, I don't think anyone here can tell me who I have and have not encountered, and whether I would or would not be able to get a vibe for what type of people they are. Furthermore, I'm not so cold hearted and unaware that I wouldn't "notice" that myself or my group were "being horrible" to other people.
I love ya, but I gotta be honest, I did not appreciate this comment very much.
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly."
-walsh
-walsh



