Open discussion of the Christian Why We're Here thread

[Catholic_Lady]

I think we all know what part of the human body you are, Drich.

Huh, thought he was a certain part of a horse's body.

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True, and I admitted to have done it myself in my earlier post. But the point I was making is that I suspect that the theists often don't actually realise how they are offending people. If you have been indoctrinated to see that something about other people is sinful and disgusting, then you'll feel that on an emotional level and believe it to be true even if you cannot rationalise it. But if you then disregard everything that the person says to you and continue sprouting forth your own indoctrination then it can be extremely hurtful to those who have tried reaching out to you. You are basically telling them that they are worth less as human beings. I admit this is why CL has previously rubbed me up the wrong way in the past even though I know that she doesn't intend it. I also admit that's why I didn't hold back making my thread about how I theism childish even though I knew that theists wouldn't find it offensive (even though it was not the intention behind it)

^this^

The number one barrier between better relations between theists and well meaning non theists is the cavalier assumption on the part of theists that we need fixing and they are entitled to attempt it.  (The number one barrier between theists and angry atheists is probably unresolved resentment toward theists which rightly belongs to other believers in the atheists' lives.)

And my point was that plenty of atheists also think we need fixing. Just as one example, few months ago, Mathilda made a whole thread full of unflattering generalizations about how theists are immature and not properly raised. There are some who think we have mental illnesses.

The point of my post in defense of Neo was to say that plenty of people here are guilty of doing exactly what he did. So I think there's a bit of a double standard when Neo gets dragged through the mud for doing the same thing that plenty of people here have done.