(September 17, 2014 at 12:04 am)Celestine Wrote:(September 16, 2014 at 11:56 pm)Beccs Wrote: I usually offer plenty of respect and only respond with venom when venom is directed at me.
Sometimes fire is used to put out fire.
You must understand that often people are insulted by others that they meet before you, thus when they see you, they will assume that you are like the others that they have spoken to. It is then that they might approach you with some degree of hostility because they have been ill treated by others who call themselves atheists, that is why I said I was ashamed to be labeled with such atheists who so disrespect others. It is on this occasion that you should be the better person and try to put water on the fire.
On another occasion a person may insult or threaten you when they are backed into a corner in a debate. It is then that you should give them room to retreat and ponder on the intellect you offered, the fall of faith is a slow and gradual one that will not happen in a five minute discussion.
Do not confuse a lack of compassion with a lack of bitterness.
So, someone has been insulted by someone else in the past and that gives them the right to get in MY face before they know me and I'm the one who is supposed to back away?
No!
That's their failing, not mine. If they judge all people by some experience they've had in the past then there's something wrong with them.
And I should forgive them if they can't defend their position when they're backed into a corner and resort to insults? No. Once again, the weakness is theirs and I will respond in kind.
Are we supposed to surrender when faced with militant religion/religiosity?
Screw that. It's been tried and doesn't work. It just makes them bolder.
When militant Muslims rioted in my home town of Sydney, people just watched them. Even the police just contained them to one area and didn't really confront them. If the police had moved in and broken a few heads, or "moderate" Muslims had stood up and counter protested they may have got the message.
Instead they became emboldened and decided to go to Melbourne, where I live and have a home, to continue rioting. I had a sign made and had it sitting in my garage that said, "Your prophet is a pedo, come and get me fuckers"
Unfortunately they cancelled their plans.
You DO NOT bow to militancy. There are only so many cheek you have to turn before the pricks try to kick you in the arse cheeks.
Playing Cluedo with my mum while I was at Uni:
"You did WHAT? With WHO? WHERE???"
