I am Intolerant of Intolerance.

[Solar Empath]

I can't help it. When I was younger I used to believe in pure tolerance but now... no way.

I dislike intolerant religions, exclusive claims of value and elitist clubs. In fact I automatically feel stubbornly superior to anything that falls into such a group.

I hate the KKK and think they need to be jailed.
I feel driven to argue with both Christian and Muslim doctrine.
Social Darwinism makes my blood pressure rise.

I believe that all humans who show respect to others deserve respect and are intrinsically valuable. Anything that interferes with that must be confronted.

 

[sookie]

I second mostly everything that I understood. KKK is tricky. You get into free speech. They have murdered people. This should not be covered or protected by free speech. What exactly is social darwinism?

 

[Stellar Affinity]

I agree completely. Did the discussion in the "Brits and beauty club" motivate you to start this thread? )

Anyway, like I said, I definitely agree. I feel like whenever I see intolerance, it really gets to me for some reason, like deeply. It's like someone will refuse to acknowledge another persons place in the world, refuse to acknowledge where they're coming from, wherever they're coming from--drowning them out. I believe that everyone, regardless, deserves the chance for their voice to be heard (in a rather gentle way, not violently and overly-aggressively (murder and other things is NOT gentle!) but trying to scream louder than someone else in an attempt to discredit them I feel to be wrong. As I get older (I'm only 19) I'm beginning to realize more and more that tolerance is a very good thing.

 

[Solar Empath]

What exactly is social darwinism?

Social Darwinism

I agree completely. Did the discussion in the "Brits and beauty club" motivate you to start this thread? )

Anyway, like I said, I definitely agree. I feel like whenever I see intolerance, it really gets to me for some reason, like deeply. It's like someone will refuse to acknowledge another persons place in the world, refuse to acknowledge where they're coming from, wherever they're coming from--drowning them out. I believe that everyone, regardless, deserves the chance for their voice to be heard (in a rather gentle way, not violently and overly-aggressively (murder and other things is NOT gentle!) but trying to scream louder than someone else in an attempt to discredit them I feel to be wrong. As I get older (I'm only 19) I'm beginning to realize more and more that tolerance is a very good thing.

Partly. And the various religious 'debates'.

I seriously can no longer tolerate the (not always) veiled sense of personal superiority spewed out by certain belief systems and philosophies. Sometimes I wonder if individuals who hold and espouse them really see others as human. It drives me crazy any more.

 

[sookie]

Social DarwinismPartly. And the various religious 'debates'.

I seriously can no longer tolerate the (not always) veiled sense of personal superiority spewed out by certain belief systems and philosophies. Sometimes I wonder if individuals who hold and espouse them really see others as human. It drives me crazy any more.

I think that what happens is that the belief becomes more important than people. I personally believe that people are paramont not the doctrine so to speak. Religion should serve humanity instead of humanity serving religion.

I hope that I have not offended you. If I have I would really reflect on it to see that it does not happen again.

 

[Moxie]

Religion should serve humanity instead of humanity serving religion.

Wow, nice!

 

[Solar Empath]

I think that what happens is that the belief becomes more important than people. I personally believe that people are paramont not the doctrine so to speak. Religion should serve humanity instead of humanity serving religion.

I hope that I have not offended you. If I have I would really reflect on it to see that it does not happen again.

Nope, you've never offended me. People here seem to have at least a basic respect for people.

And you are right. The intolerant doctrine trumps humanity. It cannot be borne.

 

[Stellar Affinity]

I seriously can no longer tolerate the (not always) veiled sense of personal superiority spewed out by certain belief systems and philosophies. Sometimes I wonder if individuals who hold and espouse them really see others as human. It drives me crazy any more.

Sadly, many of them probably don't. v.v

I wonder how many people could cling to such a belief also. Happily content with viewing people as being beneath them. Is it so hard to wake up and realize that they are human beings as well? I really do not think it's that hard to treat each person that you come across with respect *unless* they are giving you a hard time (which it would probably be smart to just walk away, or if that isn't an option, take action with maturity and again, respect). Sometimes I think it's just easier for people to look down on others...for many it really is.

And yeah I agree sookie. That really was good. o_o

 

[Wyst]

I believe that all humans who show respect to others deserve respect and are intrinsically valuable. Anything that interferes with that must be confronted.

Do you think that this includes humans who are Christians, Catholics, Hindus, Muslim, Wiccan etc., who live with respectfuly towards others?

What/whose rules of respect are you basing your convictions on that you come to this conclusion?

 

[sookie]

Wyst- I think if you put more of a framework around this question you might be able to have a real dialogue with Solar Empath. To me at least that is respect. I base that on my experience with others as a teacher (not metaphorically, a classroom teacher). Respect is letting someone say what they think and not agreeing but trying to see where they are coming from. If you live on this planet I think that you would be able to see at least a little where Solar empath is coming from.

I am frustrated by mock misunderstanding to create a situation where someone "loses" the arguement. This creates no value.

 

[Wyst]

Wyst- I think if you put more of a framework around this question you might be able to have a real dialogue with Solar Empath. To me at least that is respect. I base that on my experience with others as a teacher (not metaphorically, a classroom teacher). Respect is letting someone say what they think and not agreeing but trying to see where they are coming from. If you live on this planet I think that you would be able to see at least a little where Solar empath is coming from.

I am frustrated by mock misunderstanding to create a situation where someone "loses" the arguement. This creates no value.

Fair enough. I'll phrase it this way.

Respect. What is respect? Where did it come from and who defines what respect is? Respect is something that is commanded in the bible - it's very clear what respect is and is not.

I find it interesting that anyone can take one thing they like from any belief system and use it as a their standard for how they judge people. Yet, they only take the things aspects they like and discard the rest.

Granted, there are many examples of Christians not being respectful - the first one that comes to mind is the Westboro Baptist Church - these guys do not have a biblical understanding of grace or the work of Christ.

Not everyone is perfect in their belief - Christ came to fulfill the law. It is through his obedience alone that we have any claim to heaven. Is that an exclusive claim? Yes.

 

[sookie]

Wyst- I really admire that you took what I said so magnanomously (spelling )
This says so much about you!! I cant find the Monkey that I am looking for. I am looking for the lil guy that bows.

Oh well, I bow to you and your willingness to dialogue about this!

 

[Sithious]

Wyst- I think if you put more of a framework around this question you might be able to have a real dialogue with Solar Empath. To me at least that is respect. I base that on my experience with others as a teacher (not metaphorically, a classroom teacher). Respect is letting someone say what they think and not agreeing but trying to see where they are coming from. If you live on this planet I think that you would be able to see at least a little where Solar empath is coming from.

I am frustrated by mock misunderstanding to create a situation where someone "loses" the arguement. This creates no value.

Yes indeed, you are great at turning your words into action

 

[gloomy-optimist]

Interesting stuff.

I really don't like to hold a group of people to anything. I try to keep my judging and intolerance on an individual basis -- mob mentality really does a lot in changing people from what they may normally believe/do/think.

My way of thinking: find the faults in the beliefs, not in the people that believe them. Brainwashing is much too easy, and people are vulnerable. It's best not to judge anyone until you know why they are there or how much of an asshole they are individually.

 

[muir]

I think that it is in the interests of certain people to keep driving wedges between people. The old divide and rule approach.

Various power elites have used religion to hold onto power. The neo conservatives in the USA for example have courted the vote of the church not only because it is a large voting block in its own right but also because it is part of Leo Strauss's philosophy that religion can be used to increase social cohesion and as a way of manipulating a population.

As i heard a stand up comedian say recently:
'There are 5 main world religions. That means 4 of them must be wrong. Imagine if when you die there are 5 gods standing in front of you each holding a card. You walk upto your god and they turn over their card and it says BLUFF!'

Religion is not sacred. It is a set of ideas, passed down from one generation to the next, which can be questioned like any others. The reality is simply this....we have no conclusive proof if there is a god or not or if there is a god what form that god is in. Anything which claims otherwise is conjection. We simply do not know.

There is no harm in believing in a higher power but i think when you start to give that higher power a name and you start claiming that you represent that higher power then i think that is an offence to humanity.

No one has the ear of god, no one has exclusive rights to god, no one has a right to claim god for themselves, no one has a right to create an exclusive club which alone has access to god.

I like the passage in 'Portrait of an artist as a young man' where the main protagonist is an alter boy helping with a ceremony in church. The priest is carrying a cup which is supposed to be carrying wine/the blood of christ, but he drops it, it hits the ground and lets out a hollow ring which echoes around the church. The cup was empty. He realises that the ritual was empty and meaningless and just an illusion to prop up a myth and it is the moment he loses his religion.

I think without religion we are free to create our own meaning in our lives and in the world. As for what happens when we die, we will all find out at some point. Religion does not free you it enslaves you. It also stops people from realising their common humanity.

 

[sookie]

'There are 5 main world religions. That means 4 of them must be wrong. Imagine if when you die there are 5 gods standing in front of you each holding a card. You walk upto your god and they turn over their card and it says BLUFF!'

This has always been my biggest fear!



ROFLMAO!!!!

Back to my paper that is due in 4 hours and 45 minutes

 

[youhemmein]

'There are 5 main world religions. That means 4 of them must be wrong. Imagine if when you die there are 5 gods standing in front of you each holding a card. You walk upto your god and they turn over their card and it says BLUFF!'

This has always been my biggest fear!



ROFLMAO!!!!

Back to my paper that is due in 4 hours and 45 minutes

Why are you so funny?

 

[sookie]

Because I know you guys in words and not in person. I am not so bold in person because people dont get my humor. I usually have to explain myself. Here you guys get "it." what ever "it " is. It feels safe here to let my inner goofyness out.

Plus I am trying not to have a nervous breakdown on my paper, lol.

 

[Wyst]

Because I know you guys in words and not in person. I am not so bold in person because people dont get my humor. I usually have to explain myself. Here you guys get "it." what ever "it " is. It feels safe here to let my inner goofyness out.

You! Get back to work on that paper!!

 

[sookie]

Back I go to my paper.