Bebop
Practically Family
- Messages
- 951
- Location
- Sausalito, California
How could you take my reaction to what you said as "reading between the lines"? Your words speak louder than anything found between the lines. I quoted what you said exactly. If you want to be enigmatic and not have an opinion on religion, politics, or race, you are bound to have people "guessing" where you are coming from by reading what you write, not what you meant. I have no antenna for the word Atheist. I am not proud to be an Atheist anymore than I am proud to be white or brown eyed or to have two feet. Of what exactly should I be proud? (That could be quite an interesting thread). If there is anything of which I am proud, it is that I am "uninsultable" by anyone that does not know me, so feel free to tell me what you think. You are the one that lumped it in with other insults and I was just pointing out that it is not an insult any more than calling someone "brown eyed" or "gray haired". If I were brown eyed or gray haired those words would stick out when used as insults but I doubt you would use them along with "fag", "bible beater" or "right/left wing nut". "Atheist" being used in a less than flattering way is as possible as "homosexual" or "retarted" being used in a less than flattering way. It depends on the circle of people using it. As enigmatic as you may want to be, you lable yourself quite well.Harry Lime said:I don't think calling someone who is an avowed atheist and atheist is offensive or wrong other than the act of "calling" someone anything is wrong. There are those who would use it as an insult or slur. Say, in a conversation between two people of faith about God. One doesn't believe the other's views and says, "I see. You're an atheist." If someone practices a faith and the term is used against them it would be considered a slur. And offensive.
You do make my point though. Your antenna is up for that word and you are sensitive to it's use. You're proud of your label under that word and bristle that it could be used as anything other than a compliment. You bristle that it used even in an expository sense next to other words that you, in your mind, know have been used as stones. Your "I am guessing..." is a wrong guess. You still don't know my proclivities for anything. You're only guessing, which is conjecture, which is painting your own picture of me based on very little if any concrete evidence. You read between the lines and have drawn your own conclusions based on your own beliefs and life experiences, not anything I provided. You decided that I called you an atheist as an insult based on bupkus.
Context and character have everything to do with a words a meaning. "The N word" is widely considered one of the most offensive in our language, yet it's used by some in a context other than an insult. I would not suggest doing this on an internet forum (I would suggest not ever doing this anywhere but that's me. And Oprah..she's made this point as well). Likewise "atheist" can be used in less than flattering ways. Any label can be...which is my point.
You're an atheist. I won't insult you. I don't care what you are, what you do or what you look like, if and how you want to label yourself. I won't condemn your views or promote them.
Harry Lime