Why do some people in this forum appear to believe that

[Voltaire2]

it is acceptable to have a "pro-theism" position but unacceptable to have and "anti-theism" position?

[guillaumeb]

1. Ah yes, the "some people" post.

Feel free to post examples of this problem.

[Voltaire2]

3. Essentially all of your posts will suffice.

In particular every post of yours that references an imaginary 11th Commandment.

[guillaumeb]

4. Well, you have proven one thing:

that you totally missed the actual point of the 11th Commandment observations.

[Major Nikon]

7. Why don't you mansplain it for us then

The 11th Commandment to read:

Thou shalt not make any positive references to religion, religious beliefs, or theists in this group.

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/1218277262

Certainly looks like you are incessantly whining about anti-theism. If there was any doubt about that, the follow up sure clears up any ambiguity.

[guillaumeb]

21. No, you explain your partial citation.

Did you run out of paste?

Here it is:

An 11th Commandment is clearly needed.
One specific to the Religion group. One that would reflect the reality of many of the viewpoints and responses here.

The 11th Commandment to read:

Thou shalt not make any positive references to religion, religious beliefs, or theists in this group.

So when we look at the post in its entirety, rather than your partial citation, a different picture is seen.

[Major Nikon]

27. The same picture is seen

The point of the OP is some people in this group flatly refuse to believe there's a difference between criticizing "religion, religious beliefs, or theists", and the evidence just isn't that hard to find regardless of which picture you look at.

[guillaumeb]

28. The picture is clear.

To many of us.

And it happens constantly, along with new affirmations of the observation of the 11th Commandment.

[Major Nikon]

32. Ah yes, your fan club

Forgot about them.

[sprinkleeninow]

34. 'Some' may have ran outta 'adherence' like Elmer's Glue Stick. 😉

[I said 'have ran' bc I liked saying it improperly! 😆]

[MineralMan]

20. No, we all understand just fine.

We just don't agree with you. That's allowed here. There is no 11th Commandment. It's just a fig Newton of your imagination. You can post any pro-religion thing you wish. There is just no guarantee that people will agree with you. If they don't, they're free to reply and say so. Maybe you weren't aware of that...

[guillaumeb]

22. And many of us understand the tactics employed by some few here.

But they are quite blatant most of the time.

[trotsky]

37. "Tactics" such as disagreeing with a statement, and saying so?

Horrors! Those nasty non-believers!

[Mariana]

25. Yes, people who disagree with you get to post here, too.

How unspeakably awful that must be for you.



On DU, there are various protected groups for religious discussion, in which complete intolerance of differing opinions is practiced. Yet, here you are, complaining about the existence of the one lone group on DU where people who disagree with you are allowed to say so.

[guillaumeb]

26. You too have proven one thing.

More proof, if any were needed, about the 11th Commandment.

[Rob H.]

6. Now you've done it

Meta OP incoming in 3...2....

[sprinkleeninow]

33. Sometimes it's 'some' and sometimes it's 'most'.

What to do?😯

BTW: 'Allo, mon cher!"
Bon-Bon Bomboniere 😘

[guillaumeb]

39. Exactly.

Some posters prefer the word some, others prefer most.

I mostly prefer the word some most of the time.

[sprinkleeninow]

40. 😊 😉

[Cartoonist]

2. They love us.

They don't want to see us choosing the path to Hell.

I, on the other hand, don't mind them wasting their lives in pursuit of an imaginary dream.

[Pope George Ringo II]

5. They're basically the same as Trump supporters.

They take their religion seriously, but not literally. They have a huge problem with people who take their religion literally, but not seriously.

[Duppers]

29. I'm stealing your sentence.

Describes so many I know.

Thanks, Pope.

[Pope George Ringo II]

30. I can't take the credit. This is the origin of seriously but not literally, as far as I know.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/09/trump-makes-his-case-in-pittsburgh/501335/

Because, like Trump, we wouldn't want to take religion literally.

[Major Nikon]

8. Because that's exactly how religious privilege works

[Igel]

9. For the same reason that others in this foum appear to believe

it's acceptable to have an "anti-theism" position but not acceptable to have a "pro-theism" position.

That's the thing about pushing on a 2-edged razor to cut into something.

However, I consider my retort to be an undefined bit of rhetoric. I have no definition for "unacceptable." Feel free to use your own, but be aware I have no clear idea what yours is.

It's certainly not a call for pizza delivery. It's not a call for banishment from the forum. It doesn't even lead to outrageous condemnation, at least not often. At the very best "anti-theistic" positions (like "pro-theism" positions) strike some as offensive when phrased so strongly that mental debility seems implied.

[Voltaire2]

10. Please post links to claims here that pro-theism posts are not allowed.

Well other than the repeated and bogus claim made by one poster here that there is an 11th Commandment that no positive posts are allowed. I mean an actual post stating that pro-religion posts are unacceptable.

[MineralMan]

19. Of course they're allowed.

So are replies to those posts. It's the replies that are the problem, I think. Sometimes they are not sufficiently full of praise for religion. That gives some people a sad, or even an angry.

[guillaumeb]

23. Well said. Nothing to add to that. eom

[Lil Missy]

11. "sigh" There's another forum for us atheists and agnostics.

Perhaps you could start this thread There’s.

[Mariana]

12. Since Voltaire2 is asking specifically

about discussions that take place in this group, it would be rather silly to post the question in some other group.

[Iggo]

14. This forum is also for atheists and agnostics.

[Lil Missy]

15. Ok, my mistake. I just get tired with the OP's started deliberately to poke arguments.

Apologies.

[Voltaire2]

18. I actually think that it is an interesting question.

Why is it, not just here, but in society in general, that opinions against religion are considered by many to be rude? Why is religion protected from criticism? Why do politicians, most leaders in our party for example, pretend that horrible reactionary religious leaders are above criticism?

For example, Billy Graham, a horrible reactionary person, died and was given a state funeral, although he held no government position, and his unofficial status as religious councilor to presidents was constitutionally dubious, as was his lying in state. Nobody dared speak up to point out what folly that was, nor that he was a leader of an evangelical movement that has helped destroy the institutions of the new deal, wreck social programs for the poor, and opposes basically everything our party stands for. Because?

[sprinkleeninow]

35. What the hey am I doing here...

I personally was somewhat miffed at the fanfare funeral arrangements for this person especially the lying in state thing.

And that's the truth....

[guillaumeb]

24. Like this original post? eom

[Iggo]

13. Because you're a big old meany, that's why. (n/t)

[Voltaire2]

17. yes that seems to be the case.

[Eko]

16. Sometimes Hank Hill has some good thoughts.

"Bobby, some things are like a tire fire, trying to put it out only makes it worse. You just gotta grab a beer and let it burn."

[fierywoman]

31. "Each to his own," as my grandmother would have said.

[ollie10]

36. Here's the rub

Last edited Tue May 29, 2018, 09:57 AM - Edit history (4)

If you want a serious answer to your question.

It IS acceptable to have a pro-theism position. It IS acceptable to have a pro-atheism position.

The problem lies when pro-theists attack atheists....and when pro-atheists attack theists.

It is quite possible to be a theist or an atheist without being a dick about it. All you have to do is ...don't be a dick

So if you are a theist, please don't tell atheists they are going to hell, or other disrespectful blather....

And, if you are an atheist, please don't insult religious people by calling religion illigitimate or stupid or other disrespectful blather .....

It's also true that, when you strip away the disrespecting of the other side's beliefs, some of us have very little to say.

[Voltaire2]

38. Interesting.

Theists shouldn’t insult atheists but atheists shouldn’t say bad things about religion.

Thanks for your honesty.

[Major Nikon]

41. Yes, very telling that

It’s no different from the “11th commandment” garbage that claims attacking an idea is no different than attacking a person. It goes to show how emotionally attached some are to their ideas.

[Voltaire2]

42. I think the author has no clue.

He was trying real hard to get his rules of decorum equivalent, and probably still cant figure out what is wrong or how it exactly illustrates the point of my op.