(December 31, 2011 at 1:42 pm)Shell B Wrote:(December 31, 2011 at 1:36 pm)whateverist Wrote: If we all spent less time congratulating ourselves for our insight and disparaging others for disagreeing we could have more interesting conversations.
Really? I just love these "wouldn't the forum be so much better if everyone was Jesus" moments. You try having an interesting conversation that consists of "Dinosaurs and people lived together" and "Well, sir, I politely disagree." "You're going to hell." "Well, I disagree with that too." ad infinitum. People aren't disparaging others for disagreeing. They are disparaging others for supporting hate-filled dogma that should have been discarded centuries ago. When someone inserts a religious bias that is detrimental to the forward momentum of mankind, you bet I'm going to chew his ass out. This is already the most theist welcoming atheist forum I know of. I don't think we need to take it further than that.
It's always interesting and enlightening to see how ones attempt to communicate fall short: "wouldn't the forum be so much better if everyone was Jesus" moments". I don't think my motivation is anything like that. My motivations are almost always selfish. (Screw Jesus.) I just am interested in hearing the truth behind what people say. Any time you disagree with someone there is usually plenty of obvious shit to call them on. But if the shit I call them on isn't what motivated what they said, what's the point?
People are so complex. We should know that, after all we are people too. It is so easy to go wrong but I believe in most cases that happens while we are trying to get something right. So rather than roast them for the mistakes I'd like to understand their intentions. That doesn't mean I don't get pissed off too. There are disingenuous theist jerks who I won't waste my breath on. So when you feel the need to breath a little fire I feel you.
