tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839327913025642485.post8247642368753982158..comments2023-03-25T03:29:15.159-07:00Comments on AGNOSTIC POPULAR FRONT: Seasons GreetingsDamionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14360566092148805751noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839327913025642485.post-46619036209616404022009-01-18T12:40:00.000-08:002009-01-18T12:40:00.000-08:00“Congress can't do anything about it...” If you re...“Congress can't do anything about it...” <BR/><BR/>If you read the original post carefully, you will see that I am not making a point about Congress, or SCOTUS, but about the ethical principle which O'Connor has put forth, of which the Volokh folks (as lawyers and law profs) ought to be aware.<BR/><BR/>“Besides, noninclusionary language is a fact of life, not some mere social faux pas.” <BR/><BR/>Why not both?<BR/><BR/>It would indeed be presumptive and at least a bit rude to assume that a homosexual is a heterosexual, a vegetarian likes steak, or that an OU fan roots for OSU. These are relatively minor gaffs, though, compared to assuming a Christian is a Muslim or a Jew, judging by the amount of shock and offense generating on the receiving end. Try it sometime if you don't grok what I'm saying. <BR/><BR/>“We're supposed to go through life in silence, lest we offend?” <BR/><BR/>No, we just try not to make unwarranted assumptions about people whom we hardly know. This is fairly basic etiquette, really. <BR/><BR/>“Dealing with one another AT ALL requires we take chances.”<BR/><BR/>Not really, no. We could simply ask polite, non-presumptive questions which do not assume facts not in evidence. <BR/><BR/>As for me, I don't much mind offending people, but it is surely hypocritical for easily offended people to expect that no one else take offense whenever they deal with sensitive subjects. <BR/><BR/>Again, if you'd personally take offense at being mistaken for a person of another faith (or none) then according to fundamental Christian (or Confucian) ethics, you should tread lightly when dealing with strangers who may be of another faith.Damionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14360566092148805751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839327913025642485.post-9426196143700980562009-01-18T00:45:00.000-08:002009-01-18T00:45:00.000-08:00I can attest to his frustration in everyone here a...I can attest to his frustration in everyone here assuming you attend church. It's fine if you believe you should go forth an preach the gospel, however, I have seen plenty of occurrences when someone here gets offended when we (I) have tried to sway them not to believe. All he's saying is if it offends Christians (some do, some don't - this isn't meant as a broad stroke), then it probably offends some of us too (not me personally, but I'm fairly easy-going).<BR/>And no, I wouldn't assume someone is heterosexual, or ask some random person how they like their steak cooked (maybe if they were ordering a steak at one of my cookouts?), or walk into a sports bar and proclaim the OSU cowboys are the best team ever (#1, they aren't, #2, in Norman, OK, that will get your ass kicked... Go Cowboys!)<BR/>Point being: For hot topics that people care deeply for (religion, politics, sports, etc), I get to know them a bit first before bashing my opinions at them. At least then I know if they welcome an opposing opinion / a good debate.Chasing Hanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15594641874946884772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839327913025642485.post-7929186718369951182009-01-13T12:40:00.000-08:002009-01-13T12:40:00.000-08:00Oh but you could just so easily quote other parts ...Oh but you could just so easily quote other parts of the bible where Christians are ordered to pray in their closets, for those that brandish their religion for all to adore are not genuine in their worship of god. And, I think it impossible to think that agnostichicagokie was supposing that all social engagments be ruled over by the government. <BR/><BR/>I think that it is difficult for many irreligionists to feel like citizens. Not being able to partake in a national catch phrase like "Merry Christmas" is far different than a regional thing like being a Dallas Cowboy fan. 'Cause, even when you're a Cowboy or a Sooner, you still know that there are a ton of people out there that you can easily fit in with. But atheists... we're more like a disease that must be shunned or else something terrible might befall the country.Amateur Archaeologisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17307568317286765766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839327913025642485.post-2869849758215341922009-01-07T18:11:00.000-08:002009-01-07T18:11:00.000-08:00Dude, I think you're overreaching a bit. While it...Dude, I think you're overreaching a bit. While it's certainly true that a Christian ought to do unto others as they themselves would be done by, I'd say that anyone who asks you what church you attend is doing precisely that--he is showing concern about your spiritual state, which is nothing less than what he would want you to show for himself. Besides, as anyone from the Bible Belt might readily attest, while the "Do unto others" adage is important, it is no less important than this other Christian adage: "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel."<BR/><BR/>The reference to Sandra Day O'Conner is not germain. The US Supreme Court ejudicates matters of law, not social principles. The establishment clause of the Constitution states the matter quite clearly: Congress shall make no law establishing any religion, nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof. That is, CONGRESS is forbidden to make a law establishing religion; CITIZENS face no such restriction.<BR/><BR/>Ditto for the social principal of interpersonal relations. Whether or not some shmoe wishing you "Merry Christmas" offends you or makes you uncomfortable, Congress can't do anything about it, because such an act would constitute prohibiting religious free expression.<BR/><BR/>Besides, noninclusionary language is a fact of life, not some mere social faux pas. Just as you might feel awkward at some Christian assuming you're a church-goer like himself, a homosexual feels awkward at being taken for a heterosexual, or a vegetarian might recoil at being asked "How do you like your steak?" or a Cowboys fan might cringe at the question "Are the Redskins THE GREATEST or what?" So? We're supposed to go through life in silence, lest we offend? Dealing with one another AT ALL requires we take chances. In short, it's IMPOSSIBLE to go through life without offending someone somewhere for whatever piddling offense might come to his fetid mind. Unless there's evidence you've been deliberately offended, I say: cut the other guy some slack.<BR/><BR/>To say otherwise is take on the mantle of victimhood; it is to try to control the behavior of others according to how you react to that behavior. Life's too short to waste on controlling things you can't control.Terry Mirllhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02620254889855451441noreply@blogger.com