Religion
In reply to the discussion: About respect [View all]guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)You start out by "generally" agreeing about polite conversation, then disavow your position by framing me as being a "member of a privileged in-group" who has no right to have an opinion.
Unless you know me personally, how do you know my status? The only thing you can know at this point is that I identify as a believer, a person of faith. All else is supposition on your part.
My views on tone, on civility, on manners, are how I was raised, and how I behaved at my job, and how I treat my family, friends, and acquaintances. I worked as a union representative for over 30 years. I trained representatives as well. When having a meeting with a management representative, I was never rude, or loud, or anything but professional and polite. It gets better results, and results are what counts. Politeness is not synonymous with pushover, nor is it capitulation or deal making. It is simply treating people as you wish to be treated.
As to atheists being treated as outsiders by many of their fellow citizens, of course I agree with you. It does happen. Too many US citizens believe that this country should be a Christian theocracy. They believe this in spite of what the Constitution says, and because they have been taught a fictionalized version of US history where Jesus helped George Washington defeat the British.
But my objection is also about the habit of saying "all people of faith" or "people of faith" followed by whatever behavior is being condemned. ALL people do not agree about everything. ALL atheists do not agree on things, why then are all people of faith considered to be the oppressive enemy?
That said, I appreciated the passion in your post.