Religion
In reply to the discussion: About respect [View all]Act_of_Reparation
(9,116 posts)Your position is that friendliness wins one more allies than boorishness, and generally speaking I'm inclined to agree that honey attracts more flies than vinegar.
But there's a problem here you're overlooking: you're calling for calm and civility from a position of greater power along the relevant axes. You, a member of a privileged in-group, are chastening an out-group for the manner in which they choose to express their dissatisfaction with the status quo.
You're standing on my foot, and you're dictating to me the terms in which I must register my discomfort.
There are people here who cannot live openly as nonbelievers without endangering their relationships, their social standings, or their careers, who every day are made to feel unwelcome and unwanted in their own country, who have literally one place where they can vent their frustrations, and you're wagging your fucking finger at them for using strong language.
Frankly, I find this paternalistic codswallop in-fucking-furiating. While we're worrying about the concrete ramifications of daring not believe what the overwhelming majority of neighbors believe, you're crying about your goddamned feelings. About what some anonymous atheist said about your favorite deity on a fucking internet forum.
If I seem unsympathetic to your emotional plight, it's in part because I value justice above decorum. And it's in part because tone trolling is a time honored dominance game deployed by the privileged majority whenever someone dares question the status quo. Because these pointless discussions of language and attitude and tone distract from the real issues. Because it's the majority's way of saying, "I'm not listening to your complaints unless you frame them in a way I find personally tasteful."
And, honestly, if you think tone is the reason atheists stand alone in this country, you really have no idea what you're talking about.