In general, yes by ambrosen (4.00 / 2) #33 Wed Sep 27, 2006 at 06:36:05 PM EST
but here, the ratio of atheist proselytising to religous proselytising is pretty high. I find that where belief systems clash here, it's generally the former who do it with rudeness, if rudeness occurs.

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Really? Where do you live? by ShadowNode (4.00 / 1) #66 Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 12:45:30 AM EST
Generally if I encounter proselytizing, it's religious. I don't know that it's possible to proselytize politely, it's rather rude by definition.

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I was talking about on HuSi. by ambrosen (4.00 / 2) #71 Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 03:58:04 AM EST
I'd say that this article counts as proselytism. Wouldn't you?

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No... by ShadowNode (2.00 / 0) #72 Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 04:05:20 AM EST
It was specifically directed at the non religious. Is a church sermon proselytism?

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It is if it's given in public. by ambrosen (2.00 / 0) #74 Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 04:41:53 AM EST


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Last I checked by ShadowNode (2.00 / 0) #75 Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 05:26:34 AM EST
Churches were considered public buildings. Most allow and encourage members of the public to drop by. Here, the first thing said was "God botherers please go away".

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If you go to a church, by ambrosen (2.00 / 0) #77 Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 05:50:57 AM EST
you know what you're getting.

When you say most atheists won't share their beliefs unprompted, I think it's fair for me to point out that in this place, the only place we all have in common, there is plenty more sharing of atheist beliefs and plenty more ridicule of people who don't share them than there is ridicule and sharing going the other way.

I don't object to the article, and I'm certainly not going to argue explicitly in favour of my own beliefs here, but I did step in to correct what I see as a misperception.

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You knew what you were getting... by ShadowNode (2.00 / 0) #79 Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 06:17:17 AM EST
After reading the first paragraph. You knew you weren't the nominal intended audience if you're religious.

That said, I don't think there's anything particularly offensive about ridiculing religious beliefs. Sometimes people need to vent, and it usually not trying to convert anyone, just annoyance about people pushing their religion where it does not belong. It's really no different than venting about spam.

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Exactly. by ambrosen (2.00 / 0) #80 Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 06:38:27 AM EST
The article's fine by me, and there's some interesting things to read in it and the discussion following.

My original point was that almost the only unsolicited proselytising I experience in my life was occasional hectoring of the religious here and in a few other places on the internet, and that's the point I was making. I didn't mean to draw this article into it, but I wasn't concentrating when I did.

Ridicule is always offensive to those ridiculed of course, but I accept that sometime it's fair game. Many times, of course, it isn't.

Anyway, I'll bow out here, because I don't want to take over the story explaining how my minor quibble was just a minor quibble.

[ Parent ]

fair enough by ShadowNode (2.00 / 0) #83 Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 07:37:02 AM EST
I'll roll my eyes along with you at atheists with the zeal of the converted.

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