I understand Fin's feelings. Essentially, it is my belief that religious issues should be avoided here. Religion can be deeply personal and it is entirely understandable that some people could be offended. I find it particularly irksome that some people insist on poking fun at the concept of religious belief despite knowing the distress this may cause, and also others who say that religion is the cause of all the world's ills. In the case of the latter, incidentally, it is not religion but rather the hijacking of religion by zealots that causes the problems. Those zealots know the football supporter mentality that lies just beneath the surface of so many ignorant people. You can unite a people through hatred, not through love. To achieve their own lust for power, zealots whip up hatred against other countries using religion as a tool. You need look no further than Al Quaida and the Taleban to see this in action. Therein lies the subtlety. Religion, unlike statehood, requires a certain set of moral principles and behaviour to which those who ascribe to it should adhere. If an individual holds these moral beliefs dear, then any perceived threat is seen as a threat to not only their way of life and those of their future generations. The threat comes not from the fact that others adhere to a different moral structure, per se, but rather that the contrasting belief will be foist upon them, by force. Hence, it is not religion that causes the problems, but rather those who use it as a weapon.
My late dad used to say that there are two things friends should not talk about: religion and politics. We are, I trust, all friends on here. Let's respect others' opinions. Recently, in addition to the hi-jinks over religion, there has also been a great deal of lampooning of Bush. I am not Bush supporter, but why do those who post such things assume that we all share their childish desire to mock?
I don't for one.
Let's keep it friendly....and vaguely car related.
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Topic: Offended (Read 4395 times)