General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Against my better judgment ... [View all]jtuck004
(15,882 posts)but they say it in all seriousness. Much like the "if you ain't with us you an infidel" crowd.
The fact that neither you nor I makes us an enemy of millions of "religious" people, and you can hear the hate preached 24 hours on our televisions and radios. They are inciting people to hurt others, and, frankly, don't really care whether they are "sarcastic" to anyone else or not.
If they stayed in their big box and did their thing, it would be fine. But they don't, and now religious freedom is being re-defined as the ability to penalize others for their behavior, like some common tyrant or dictator.
Which means they don't respect others at all, and if they can't do that, there is nothing noble or even useful in treating them with respect. Continually respecting, which they will see as capitulating, an opponent who supports your being killed so you can spend an eternal life burning in a fire is a losing proposition, and will get you hurt.
The most likely responses then are sarcasm, biting humor, and even a defensive posture. I think they might even be a good idea, just so you make sure and recognize an enemy that uses subterfuge and beliefs in voodoo-like ceremonies to win their battles.