Reply #31: I resent the notion that "very religious" equates to pro-life anti-gay [View All]

[Selwynn]

Your friend is a person who's particular very religious interpretations happens to result in a pro-life anti-gay stance.

I am a person who's particular very religious interpreations happens to result in a pro-choice, anti-discrimination stance.

There are plenty of very religious people who will be voting for Kerry precisely because of his stance on social issues.

Now, in some other thread I got into this insane conversation in which somoene was all upset about the way people point out generalizations and critique them around here. And I haven't lost the larger point of your post. But still, faulty generalizations are a real burden on progress. So I think its good to point them out when they arise.

So its not that your friend can't agree with Kerry's stance because he is very religious in general. He can't agree with Kerry's stance because his particular interpretation puts him at odds.

To respond to the substance of your post, I think that we have to learn when a discussion is worth having, and when it isnt. If someone is emphatically unwilling to listen to reason, then pursuing a subject with him/her anway is an excersise in needless stress.