I thought your god was keeping you safe

[tackattack]

I can see the perspective that they're both protected classes, treating them the same. The only reason mst people don't connote the similarities is probably because of the longevity of use and historic context. This is a forum about God, which is an aspect of religion, therefore making the space an implicit that those words be used in the pejorative.

ie. If this were neonazi.com I would expect to see tons of use of the former and few of the latter. However doing a quick search of the forums, the 15 pages of threads with "christard" are relatively small compared to the 31 pages of threads containing "nigger". From my perspective, generally, I don't see see christard as offensive, just unproductive. I feel even less concern about the other word and neither are in my usually exclamatory vocabulary. I would say, as a site, that it's policed very well for discussion purposes and I trust the admins to do whatever they've been doing to maintain that, even if I personally might disagree with some of the rules.

Discussion is a social contract, and entering into that contract there is the implicit position of being able to offend and being open to offense. </2 cents>

[Shell B]

LadyForCamus, have you been not drinking again, because something's changed!  

J/k  Nice to see you.

---

Christard isn't remotely close to the n-word. To my knowledge, it won't be treated as such. You can complain about it, but religion and race are not in the same ballpark.

They don't need to be in the same "ballpark" to be considered in the same category.  I forget the exact quote, but someone said something to the effect that it's not a competition to see who has suffered the most.  If calling someone a Christard has the same effects on a Christian and for the same reason, just in a lesser magnitude, then it would seem inconsistent to treat them differently.  Are we going to take a poll to see whose suffering matters and whose suffering doesn't?

(And I would note that both religion and race form protected classes in the United States.  I'm just spitballing here, but maybe there's a reason for that.)

I don't think we're going to take this down the "ever insult should be treated equal" rabbit hole. Thanks anyway.

[Angrboda]

Whatever. Insults that are aimed at a specific class aren't the same as insults that aren't. But you do you.

[Cod]

They don't need to be in the same "ballpark" to be considered in the same category.  I forget the exact quote, but someone said something to the effect that it's not a competition to see who has suffered the most.

If for arguments sake it was a competition, who would you say had suffered the most? Black people or Christians in the US?

 If calling someone a Christard has the same effects on a Christian and for the same reason, just in a lesser magnitude, then it would seem inconsistent to treat them differently.  Are we going to take a poll to see whose suffering matters and whose suffering doesn't?

Christard has no historical significance.

(And I would note that both religion and race form protected classes in the United States.  I'm just spitballing here, but maybe there's a reason for that.)

And which group out of the two historically have enjoyed protection? Which group had to fight tooth and nail to be recognised as equal human beings?

[Angrboda]

Just to take a stab, I'd suggest that we don't base our response upon a comparison of relative suffering under some metric because doing so would be unethical. That's just a first try though, so don't quote me on that.

And for what it's worth, the Jews have been suffering and have not enjoyed protection for close to two thousand years. What metric are you proposing?

[madog]

I don't wish to insult anyone, however I don't personally lose sleep over religious zealots and evangelists as I do over other minorities.

Evangelism is a choice ..... Its a choice to follow and apologise for a book that promotes discrimination, hatred, slavery, genocide, etc etc etc .... against minorities such as Gays, other religions, atheists ... etc etc etc ...

I am afraid I have little sympathy for poor little apologists crying because someone calls them christard etc ... when they follow a book that wants them to go further than just name calling ... from ostracising to killing some of those they discriminate against ..... 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Choice for some, others are indoctrinated relentlessly from the cradle. My cousins are barely into this century socially and economically. The bulk of them will never attend college, and the ones that do are almost certain to attend a school with "Baptist" in the name.

[madog]

Choice for some, others are indoctrinated relentlessly from the cradle. My cousins are barely into this century socially and economically. The bulk of them will never attend college, and the ones that do are almost certain to attend a school with "Baptist" in the name.

Those that are just born and go along with their indoctrination are not the same as zealots and evangelists that come on atheist forums trying to save atheists 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Choice for some, others are indoctrinated relentlessly from the cradle. My cousins are barely into this century socially and economically. The bulk of them will never attend college, and the ones that do are almost certain to attend a school with "Baptist" in the name.

Those that are just born and go along with their indoctrination are not the same as zealots and evangelists that come on atheist forums trying to save atheists 

Really? The ones who are born into it and become the zealots and evangelists evangelists that come on atheist forums trying to save atheists are most often the problem.

[madog]

Those that are just born and go along with their indoctrination are not the same as zealots and evangelists that come on atheist forums trying to save atheists 

Really? The ones who are born into it and become the zealots and evangelists evangelists that come on atheist forums trying to save atheists are most often the problem.

??????   .... I particulary stated evangelist in my original post .... 

As to the above, it is either a fantastic point that sailed right over my head or it has nothing to do with what I have posted