A truce between Atheists and Non-Atheists?

by palmtree67 699 Replies latest jw friends

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  PSacramento

  PSac and Loz: Pretty thoughts, but we've been throwing those platitudes around at each other for many months now and it's gotten us nowhere.

  I think we need something more concrete to work on than just "Respect and love everybody."

  Q has come up with 4 very practical and concrete ways to have discussions that would eliminate a lot of discord.

  You are both of the non-atheist persuasion. What would you like to see change? What practical and concrete ways of posting would work for you?

  I hope I'm making sense here.

  When you say "Just respect and love everyone" it kind of sounds like you just want to be patted on the head when you share a thought, and just want to be listened to without any challenges.

  Hi Palmtree :)

  Everything starts with babysteps and without mutual respect as a base, there is no way to build on anything.

  I say respect each others opinions as you would want yours respected. I didn't say anything aboiut NOT being challenged.

  Any opinion not worth defending isn't worth having.

  But there is no need to be rude, condesending, crude and insulting in the process of questioning the beliefs of others.

  An example would be calling beleivers and /or their beliefs deliusional, stupid, idiotic.

  If they are such, there is no need to pint them out as being such, if they have some merit then you only looking like a crude and venemous person and whatever point you may have had was overwhelmed by the HOW you expressed it.

  That goes for both parties of course.
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  Lozhasleft

  What's wrong with simply respecting the poster but agreeing to disagree with their beliefs/nonbeliefs? In terms of concrete ways, ok, some believers have very different ideas/thoughts to my own, many I disagree with, but I don't challenge their person. I try to Granth them respect to choose their own beliefs without insult to their mental state, identity, intelligence. I think many of us believers realise that our experiences aren't acceptable as facts to everyone but it doesn't negate them for us. We are all equally entitled to voice what we think or feel without scientific proof arent we? For me the difficulties start when there are insults or name calling to undermine the poster as opposed to the post?

  Loz x
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  palmtree67

  For me the difficulties start when there are insults or name calling to undermine the poster as opposed to the post.

  Thank you. Now that is something concrete and practical!

  I think the difficulty to your practical idea is, as Q pointed out in #2........blatant bias.

  Do we scream and yell when someone from the opposite POV does those things and then "cheer on" when someone from our own POV does the same thing?

  I'm not trying to assign blame, I see this happening on both POV's......I'm trying to get everyone to see how they each contribute to the problem here and take responsibility.
• 

  THE GLADIATOR

  palmtree67 “I think we need something more concrete to work on than just "Respect and love everybody."

  Q has come up with 4 very practical and concrete ways to have discussions that would eliminate a lot of discord.”

  Is there such a thing as concrete ideas when it comes to the nuances of discussion about belief?

  The Watchtower Society has tried for over a century to set everything in concrete, yet it has it has an unenviable history of making constant changes.

  A well informed mind and good manners may be all that is required.
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  palmtree67

  Is there such a thing as concrete ideas when it comes to the nuances of discussion about belief?

  True, not when it comes to discussions about belief.

  However, we are discussing TACTICS of discusssion here. And yes, I think there *are* practical and concrete things each side can do to make things run smoother here.
• 

  talesin

  Some people have no filter, and that won't change. One of my pet peeves is the scornful way that some atheists speak to believers. No, they are NOT idiots, and many of them do study science. The fact that they choose to believe in a divine being does not give anyone else the right to, in effect, call them morons.

  It makes the rest of us look bad.

  And it's not, as any Brit would know, good form.

  tal
• 

  tec

  Well, what do we have so far?

  Stop cheerleading bad behavior.

  Stop committing bad behavior.

  Unfortunately, bad behavior seems to be pretty subjective... and probably because of Q's #2.

  (I don't think name-calling and personal insults is subjective though. It happens or it does not happen)

  The posting guidelines are a pretty good guide to go by. Not perfect, because nothing is. But pretty good.

  Peace,

  tammy
• 

  palmtree67

  Tal, I was trying to keep this from being lop-sided.

  Also, was hoping to keep it productive.

  The whole, "Well, they did it first, so it's okay for us to do it, too!" school-yard mentality is getting us no-where. And BTW a markedly un-Christian POV, for those who claim to subscribe to it.

  I was hoping to get each side to take responsibility for what they do here.

  I guess I give up. In six pages, it's pretty obvious who is willing to do so and who is not.

  Carry on as you each see fit.
• 

  talesin

  Palm, I don't understand if you thought I was critiquing your thread, I wasnt. That was just me, saying what I wish some people wouldn't do.

  It would be a great help if people could address each other in a respecful manner.

  tal
• 

  PSacramento

  I think that atheists and non-atheist ALL repect the golden rule and as such, that is the best baseline to work from.

  Treat others as you would like them to treat you.

  Unless you wanna be called a delusional buttwipe don't call anyone that.

  Unless you want people attacking your personally and insulting you, dont' do it.