Because you're a sucker for punishment that would like to believe all people to be rational, good human beings. You'd like to believe that reasonable debate can bring people around to something regarding a concensus and that everyone out there is deserving of having what they are saying listened to, thought about and responded to in a respectful manner.
Isn't it a pity that it's usually the assholes we remember?
A lot of the Atheists out there are worse than many of the rabid Christians. They have an equal amount of arrogance and an equal contempt for those not of their opinion. I have no time for either breed.
I used to get upset at what they thought of me (being a moderate, centrist-liberal pagan/polytheist who believes that all manifestations of God are valid) but then I thought... is their opinion really important to me? Am I likely to change their opinion/obesession? The answer is no... few people are ever convinced by argument. It requires a special person who is actually listening to what people say and thinking about it rather than just reacting via their belief structure. Rabid religious extremists (atheists included... anyone who spends so much time denying something comes awfully close to belief of some kind or another) are hardly likely to fall into that category, or they'd already be more likely to allow for the fact that they might be *gasp* WRONG and be less combative in their statements.
Do I have more important and valuable things to do with my life than care about the opinion of someone who will never seriously consider looking at my side of the discussion? Yes. Is life far too short to be wasting emotion on such encounters? Yes. Could they possibly be right? Yes... but that doesn't mean I have to like them or their way of presenting themselves or their ideas. Even if there is the chance they might be right, it doesn't change the fact for me that I might be right instead/as well.
no subject
Because you're a sucker for punishment that would like to believe all people to be rational, good human beings. You'd like to believe that reasonable debate can bring people around to something regarding a concensus and that everyone out there is deserving of having what they are saying listened to, thought about and responded to in a respectful manner.
Isn't it a pity that it's usually the assholes we remember?
A lot of the Atheists out there are worse than many of the rabid Christians. They have an equal amount of arrogance and an equal contempt for those not of their opinion. I have no time for either breed.
I used to get upset at what they thought of me (being a moderate, centrist-liberal pagan/polytheist who believes that all manifestations of God are valid) but then I thought... is their opinion really important to me? Am I likely to change their opinion/obesession? The answer is no... few people are ever convinced by argument. It requires a special person who is actually listening to what people say and thinking about it rather than just reacting via their belief structure. Rabid religious extremists (atheists included... anyone who spends so much time denying something comes awfully close to belief of some kind or another) are hardly likely to fall into that category, or they'd already be more likely to allow for the fact that they might be *gasp* WRONG and be less combative in their statements.
Do I have more important and valuable things to do with my life than care about the opinion of someone who will never seriously consider looking at my side of the discussion? Yes. Is life far too short to be wasting emotion on such encounters? Yes. Could they possibly be right? Yes... but that doesn't mean I have to like them or their way of presenting themselves or their ideas. Even if there is the chance they might be right, it doesn't change the fact for me that I might be right instead/as well.