Why is there so much negativity against religion in General Discussion?

[Knightraven]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Turborama (a host of the General Discussion forum).

I see that there are groups here for the discussion of religion, or lack of, on the site. Yet, there are people posting things that are hurtful for many here on a Forum that clearly states no religion is to be discussed. The group that is being attacked is answering back and this is causing a feud.
It is of course just my opinion, but to say such hurtful things in a main forum where you know it will hurt fellow users that are of the same political though is non-productive. It is of no propose save to cause trouble.

Why is it being allowed?

[Gman]

1. It's the ever so much smarter than everyone else atheists here

who really seem to enjoy belittling people of faith. They're so damn smart, I"m so honored to be in their disgusting presence.

[CAG]

10. +++100

but be careful, you and I will be blocked soon!!! Only the atheists are allowed to say believers are stupid around here; if a believer says it about an atheist, you get locked

[Gman]

12. I'm surprised a jury hasn't canned it

I'm sure it will shortly. Go figure. Double standards abound here at DU.

[Evoman]

54. Nice.

It's great to be call disgusting just because I'm an atheist on DU.

[Nye Bevan]

2. Because the Pope is in the news.

Anti-Catholic diatribes will be allowed in GD for a few days until Francis fades from the headlines.

[Knightraven]

9. I can understand discussing the news.

Yet to use language that is to hurt fellow users for their beliefs is not news. Why is hurting those with that belief allowed?

[CAG]

15. and evidently when the atheists get a new pope, then FINALLY believers will be able to

be snarky and turn the tables and question the intelligence of nonbelievers. Until then we just get blocked and locked.

[Iggo]

47. Exactly.

When we finally get our own pope, I'll welcome your ridicule and scorn.

Aw, heck. I welcome it now!

[pnwmom]

32. Don't kid yourself. They happen in G.D. all the time.

They don't need any excuse.

[RedCappedBandit]

4. Karma?

[JVS]

24. Karma is a moronic superstition.

[RedCappedBandit]

28. Yeah, so is all religion

[amuse bouche]

42. Superstitions

are creepy and harmful to humanity

[freshwest]

5. Juries are giving being rude a pass on several things, this is one of them.

[amuse bouche]

44. I disagree

Juries have been on a witch hunt, even deleting threads in safe haven forums-Atheist group

The poutrage is phenomenal

[Lint Head]

6. There is a Religion forum but sometimes religion and politics mix. Especially when church

and state collide. The churches should be taxed if they are going to determine political candidates, issues like gay marriage and birth control.

[Knightraven]

17. Much of what is being said is plain hurtful.

It is not a discussing of issues as much as it is an attack on members of the site. There have been many that has nothing to do with the issues but to attack believers of that religion. It is not right, in my opinion, to use issues to do that. Go after the issues not the believers.

[Logical]

7. Why is religion different than anything else people attack here? People..

Attack the south, atheists, gun owners, feminists, reality tv, hunters, ufos, Beyonce, pot, smoking, unions, etc. My question is why anyone would let a random poster on a Internet forum hurt their feelings? Why is religion off the list more than anything else?

[quinnox]

8. because hosts seem to be OK with it

I guess since it is big news, they are allowing all the attacks on catholics and religion. And there are always some atheists who see this as an opportunity to religion bash, because their arrogance is at a breath taking level.

[immoderate]

11. Maybe its because its reactionary?

And that's rationalized with superstition, homophobia, and misogyny, that's protected by the government?

--imm

[Buzz Clik]

13. Good question. Lots of spillover lately.

And, having no self discipline in such matters, I swallow the hook every time.

[ZombieHorde]

14. "Why is there so much negativity against religion in General Discussion?"

Because so many DUers have been harmed by religion. Some DUers live in very religious areas, and they have to hide their religious feelings while hearing everyone else's, so they come here to vent.

[Dawson Leery]

26. +1

[Knightraven]

31. So it is fine to hurt others due to you being hurt?

Not very logical.

[Skittles]

36. stop whining

what you have to put up with is NOTHING compared to what the victims of religion have to put up with

[Knightraven]

45. My dear, those of my religion / lifestyle has been burnd for it.

Many are still assaulted for it.

[Skittles]

60. I am not your dear

and honestly, if you have real faith you would not give a F*** what others think

[Knightraven]

61. Same could be said of athest.

Why do they make it a moral duty to put other down due to believing is something they do not? Why do they care that other believe? Why do they feel the need to bash those of faith in the public forum instead of keeping it in the Atheists & Agnostics group?

[Skittles]

67. the word is ATHEIST

GET IT RIGHT

and I am SICK of all them - the religious and the non-religious - STOP WHINING!!!

[Knightraven]

68. It is not whining to defend people.

It is wrong to put down anyone due to faith (or lack of), lifestyle, or race. We are Democrats, we are better than this.

[Skittles]

71. WHY

do you expect everyone to respect an institution that openly practices and teaches misogyny, homophobia, over-population, etc.? WHY?

[amuse bouche]

40. If you

have a strong 'faith' who cares what others think of your superstitions

[Knightraven]

43. I think that question can be asked of you.

Why are atheist so insecure they must pick on those of faith?

[amuse bouche]

48. You call

it faith, others call it fraud.

[Knightraven]

49. You call it fraud.

Other call it eternity.

We, well I , can keep this up till dawn.

[amuse bouche]

50. I enjoy reality

You enjoy fiction...toodles

[Knightraven]

52. If you are so happy with your beliefs why attack others?

Atheists never have made sense.

[amuse bouche]

63. Oh atheists make more sense than any religion ever will

Religion does a great deal of harm to people and always has

People join it and use it to rationalize their bigotry and hate for others...like gay people and women

And as others have said...stop whining

[Knightraven]

65. I do not see it as whining as much as defending gay people and women.

Two wrongs never make a right, no mater what. To bash another belief/lifestyle is something we Democrats have fought for a long time. When we break down and start doing the same thing to different groups we loose the moral high ground.

So please stop making Democrats look bad.

[amuse bouche]

72. I disagree

You defenders of religion make democrats look bad by being complicit with groups that promote hate and child abuse. So Republican like. Moral high ground?

[Knightraven]

74. So you are willing to demonise a large group of people for the crimes of a small number of people?

What a narrow mind you have. That is similar thinking that put many citizens of Japanese decent into concentration camps.

[Le Taz Hot]

55. There ya go.

In many parts of the country, simply saying, "I'm a non-believer" or "I'm an atheist" will result in being ostracized from local society. Or worse. I love all this, "Oh, you talked bad about my religion and I have hurt feeling" crap when it's NON-PROFIT religion that keeps trying to ooze it's way into our Democratic society. And with the help of "believers" they've largely succeeded.

[NBachers]

16. The puff-chested atheist crowd is going through the tumescent growth stage of their "movement"

[Deep13]

20. Why thank you!

I feel rather flabby in the chest, but it is nice of you to say otherwise.

shokran kathir

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

18. [i]"We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent

"We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart." H.L. Mencken

[Deep13]

19. It's fraud. nt

[Knightraven]

21. It is ones belief that it is real.

I am sure if you talk to many Conservatives about the ideas of Liberals, they may say the same thing. Why attack those with the same political beliefs? All you do is make a house divided.

[Deep13]

27. Any philosophy built on a lie is ultimately authoritarian.

Besides, it's fraud. That alone is enough reason to be against it.

[Knightraven]

30. How do you know it is a lie?

It is just your opinion.

[tkmorris]

56. Good Knight, there are MANY things I cannot prove to be lies.

However, lacking any evidence to support them they must be considered as such. At the very least they are not worthy of being considered. I have yet to meet any believer in an organized religion who wouldn't be just as well served to believe in Leprechauns, or Unicorns, or Bigfoot,or omniscient green tree frogs that rule the universe. I for one will respect the opinions of others in direct proportion to the amount of intellect they invest in arriving at said opinions. "Because I think so" is an argument which will earn you nothing but derision from my corner. It is the reasoning of a toddler, and deserves no extra consideration simply because it is called religion.

[Knightraven]

69. I have yet to meet an atheist that has ever been able to support there argument either.

All I hear form them is "Because I think so".

[amuse bouche]

37. .

+1

[JVS]

22. Too many people hate Jesus.

Ok the problem seems to be this. People are not being respectful of other people's boundaries.

[pennylane100]

23. I am not sure what world you live in, but it is a little different from mine.

The new guy that was chosen today was selected by a group of old men, many of whom have either participated in or condoned child abuse. Are we supposed to pretend, as the church has done so well for the last several hundred years, that this did not happen. Or maybe we can pay lip service their most ridiculous facade that this has been acknowledged and dealt with appropriately.

There are possibly hundreds of thousands of young lives that have been ruined by the sexual predators that have been allowed to commit these horrendous crimes while under the protection of the church. If the discussion of such crimes is no longer allowed as suitable for discussion in the general discussion forum of one of the web's leading progressive sites, we have certainly lost our way.

[Knightraven]

29. The majority of post I have seen is attacking the beliefs not the issues.

The sexual assaults are not being talked about. It is just pure meanness that has been posted in many. There is a line where one stops and that line is where one is made to feel bad about their religion or lifestyle. Especially when we are all here due to our political views.

And for the record I am not Catholic.

[CAG]

33. Knightraven, welcome to DU. I see you have a small number of posts

so I am going to assume (sorry if I'm wrong) that you are relatively new to DU. I wonder how many other people out there come to DU because they are either a lifelong Democrat, an independent who has recently turned left, or a republican convert who has seen the light, and who see the incredible amount of bigotry and snarkiness against anything or anyone regarding religion, and get turned off and think "well, democrats can be real a**&(les!"

[Knightraven]

41. Yes I am new to the site.

I have been spending most of the time reading the post under Ancient Wisdom and Pagan Spirituality and Astrology, Spirituality & Alternative Healing.

However after reading post 7, I take it that attacks on many things often. It makes me happy MY religion/lifestyle has not been in the news as of late.

[slackmaster]

25. External locus of control

The same reason a lot of things get dog-piled in GD.

[akbacchus_BC]

34. Religion is the root of most evil!

Not money so much!

[amuse bouche]

39. Couldn't agree more

[CAG]

51. And neither can lenin, stalin,pol pot,or chairman mao

[alittlelark]

53. +1,000

My experience to be sure.....

[HiPointDem]

66. no. the evil underneath is the same old lust for money & power.

[Zorra]

35. Many of us have been very seriously harmed by religion.

And many of us continue to be seriously harmed by religion.

[Knightraven]

59. Does two wrongs make a right?

I get bashed for my religion/lifestyle all the time. Yet I will not attack another's beliefs do to it.

[reverend_tim]

73. Well, I was not expecting an openly gay, liberal, pope.

This one is supposed to be an advocate for the poor. Maybe he can do some good. Perhaps even apply a dose of the good old Catholic gilt on the income inequality issue. As a recovering Catholic, I hope so. He is 76 years old. He will not be Pope long.

[BlueCheese]

38. It is a little odd.

If someone said the things about, say, Islam (or any other religion that doesn't exactly promote equality between the sexes or liberal views on gay marriage) that are being said about Catholicism today, I think that person would be ostracized more or less immediately.

[HiPointDem]

70. islam is attacked here pretty regularly.

islam & various forms of christianity are attacked here regularly.

buddhism, judaism, jainism, sikhism, wicca, native american religious practices, new age stuff -- are apparently ok.

[socialindependocrat]

46. There is a line - If you can propose something without proof then you can negate it without proof.

Something like that - anyway.

I was watching all those people at the Vatican and they all had this look
of accomplishment and relief on their faces because a new pope was chosen.

Then I thought of all those people spending time praying and giving money to the church.

Then I thought, what is the difference between that and throwing a virgin into a volcano?

And you're right - that's just an opinion - but, religion is just an opinion, too.

The biggest waste I see right now are the people in the middle east who are killing each
other because they have some religious belief. They suppress women. They rape and
they blow themselves up and they even offer to pay money to kill people that make
cartoons using their religious leaders likeness.

It gets to a point where I can't see the sense of supporting the whole institution.

There is a thought that if we take all the money that is spent on war that we will be able to
feed all the poor in the world. Apply that same idea to the money given to all the religions of the world.
I would be willing to bet that the religions pull in more money that the war machines.

If people want to go to church it is their right to do so.
The same goes for those people who want to vote Republican't
Same idea but one or both ideas piss a lot of people off.

What's the answer?

Live and let live?

[killbotfactory]

57. I know. I dont know why people insult the Branch Dividians..

Or the Heavens Gate movement.
Or the fundamentalist lds.

Everyone knows someone's beliefs are beyond criticism so long as the came to believe them when they were impressionable children.

[HiPointDem]

64. good question.

[Turborama]

75. Locking

Whining about DU violates GD's SOP