Am I the only one?

[Anonymous]

Am I the only one who is shocked and saddened by the religious intolerance on EC?

[InaRut]

(*hug*) No, I stand where you stand my friend.

[Anonymous]

No, I agree to an extent. I understand why people would say what they say, but at the same time we should be working towards tolerance not hate.

[Anonymous]

People have the right to state their opinion and attitude toward religion, but they could be a lot nicer about it. Some people are just plain rude

[step49x]

For better or for worse, I've actually been avoiding all the religion topics here.

[Anonymous]

religion is strictly set up not to have a competitor, when beliefs collide, so do their people

[Kimi]

OK, I haven't been here a lot for few days...and obviously didn't know what was going on so I had to go to Chit Chat sections to find out what the deal is...

I'm glad that I don't really follow any religion...

Although, when I die, I guess I'll be doing Buddhism way, because my family is buddhism even they don't follow it either...Which I think good.

Ooh, but they HATES gay:dry:

[Anonymous]

I haven't seen any real widespread religious intolerance as much as I've seen a lot of people posting that they aren't particularly fond of Christianity. So maybe you could claim there's some Christian intolerance happening.

I guess if I were Christian I might find that troubling but personally I'm always glad to see people question sacred cows and Christianity is usually a big one of those. And it seems pretty common that people who are Christian aren't particularly comfortable having their beliefs challenged, so...

[Anonymous]

I haven't seen any real widespread religious intolerance as much as I've seen a lot of people posting that they aren't particularly fond of Christianity. So maybe you could claim there's some Christian intolerance happening.

I guess if I were Christian I might find that troubling but personally I'm always glad to see people question sacred cows and Christianity is usually a big one of those. And it seems pretty common that people who are Christian aren't particularly comfortable having their beliefs challenged, so...

I found this (http://www.emptyclosets.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5945) extremely offensive. lol that probably would give who I was away so i won't bother posting anonymous. My explanation's there too.

[Anonymous]

^^ Me

[waitingsucks]

^^ Me

Arghh! It was me. lol

[davo-man]

I can definately see where you are coming from and there is a lot of religious (specifically Christian) intolerance. I'm not one of those people, and I respect all serious religions equally. I do find it interesting that people are bashing on religions when we are the ones who are hurt and offended when religious ppl use religion as a way to demean us. I do think that the poster about Christianity being a religion about zombies, canabilsm etc wasn't meant as an attack, more of a joke, similar to the thread that used all the stereotypes of being gay Here (http://emptyclosets.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3310)...well perhaps that wasnt the best example, cos that was funny but you know what I mean?...Like it was meant as a joke, but some people could be quite offended by it.

Anyway, point being, I have high amounts of tolerance for any religion, but find some of the opinions on here a bit strong, and in some ways hypocritical, but since Im not locked into any one religion I dnot get offended by it.

[CelebrityHead]

I too have avoided most religious topics as I personally am not religious whatsoever. I agree with Davo-man on this one, I think Negasta's thread wasn't an attack, but a mere light-hearted joke that could easily be misinterpreted as an attack on Christianity.

Religious faith should be personal, which is why I don't like people who force their beliefs on others. Sure, share your thoughts with people, but when they are used to attack another's faith, you can really upset someone. It is absolutely unacceptable when people are mocked for what they believe in.

[Anonymous]

I think the problem people have with religion is how people interpret and prioritise it. Love and tolerance is taught in all religions and it is emphasised to be the more important part of being religous along with forgiveness and lack or prejudice etc.

Then the zealots come along and believe that what is wrong with the earth is two men being attracted to each other. Not war, poverty, climate change, famine or disease but being gay.
Fair enough they think being gay is wrong but that should be a personal issue between God and the gay person. It isn't their place to stop homosexuality.

It really annoys me when the Pope uses his New Year message to moan about the lack of family unit rather than comment about how large proportions of the world is without clean water, food or is at war.

[Paul_UK]

Since some religions are intolerant of gay people - they regard practising homosexuals as sinners who are going to hell or need "curing" etc - it is no real surprise that gay people are intolerant of religions.

The problem is that people tend to assume that all religions have the same view, whereas in fact they don't. It is not easy to find a religion that accepts gay people without regarding us as, at best, in need of pity though.

It would help if a discussion about a specific religion, such as the one about the pope's new year message, sticks to that religion's position. It's when stuff about other religions ends up in the conversation that things get messy. Also some of the language we have seen especially in the pope thread but also in others is not appropriate regardless of the thread subject.

[Anonymous]

i think arguing about relgion is rude and ridiculus. no one can prove themselves. and being rude about it solves nothing. so what if they beleive this or that? no one really cares.

[bvtsjm116]

Hmm, it also bothers me =/

[Anonymous]

Am I the only one who is shocked and saddened by the religious intolerance on EC?

I'm not surprised at all. There's a reason why it's never a good idea to bring up politics or religion if you're not looking to start a fight. A lot of people really passionately believe in what they believe in, and some don't even like hearing about the other options out there. What's more is that these discussions are entirely pointless, as it's completely impossible for some guy on a forum to change someone else's political or religious viewpoint.

[Paul_UK]

You almost certainly won't change someone else's viewpoint, and should not go into the discussion trying to.

However if you can understand other people's viewpoints, even though they disagree with them, that is useful.

[Anonymous]

yeah I know what you mean. I have posted a couple of times in the religion threads but it seems like religion and the hating of religion is all people are talking about recently.

[greg]

If religion can show its intolerance towards me i feel quiet at ease in showing my intolerance towards religion, yeah religion is the cure all just ask those that suffered in the crusades/spanish inquisition. Sorry just wont have a bar of religion the world would be better off without religous fanatics. greg

[step49x]

I think the world would be better off without any fanatics, religious or not...

[Jerr]

If religion can show its intolerance towards me i feel quiet at ease in showing my intolerance towards religion, yeah religion is the cure all just ask those that suffered in the crusades/spanish inquisition. Sorry just wont have a bar of religion the world would be better off without religous fanatics. greg

Religion doesn't show intolerance... people do. Religion is what YOU make it. Yeah there are basic guidelines but I mean honestly... it is YOU who decides what to do with those guidelines.

Intolerance towards religion is misplaced intolerance. (That is to assume that SOME intolerance is good intolerance...)

[Ilayis]

Religion doesn't show intolerance... people do.

I fully agree with you on that.You see some people with signs saying God hates gays,even though God supposedly loves all no matter who you are.

My Grandfather is a Christian and I believe he said about LGBT,"I won't condemn it,but I won't condone it either."

We all have our breaking point,I just wish we never allow ourselves to get that far!

[Jerr]

There are some fantastic stories by Dan Kirk that go into stuff like this.


In one of the stories it really shows something I like and wish all would see.

A gay couple moves back to the home town of one of them. (The guy got chased out when he was found to be gay and is back because he inherited the house from his parents and things happened and him and his partner came back.) Well... these guys I believe egged and like just did all this horrible stuff to it... and one of the first people there was the new Paster/Preacher/what not (always get the names confused.)

They (gay couple) said although they wouldn't turn down the help they were surprised to see them there... Although he didn't agree with it he wasn't going to judge them based on that. Hate the Sin not the Sinner... it is up to GOD to pass judgment... we are just here to spread his word.


I know I probably mixed up a lot of that but Dan Kirk writes a lot of FANTASTIC stories and he always puts like philosophy and ethics in them. He always has a religious figure pretty much in it who ACCEPTS it. Saying how it is up to God to pass judgment and so on.

[Jim1454]

You're not the only one. I really don't see the point of bashing organized religion in EC.

There will be some of us here that actually see the good in attending church and following a faith - and to us these posts will be offensive.

Then there will be others that agree - they hate organized religion as well. So in that case they are 'preaching to the choir' (to use a somewhat ironic metaphor).

They ARE NOT going to find any right wing 'crazies' (for lack of a better term) here, because by definition they aren't gay and aren't going to be a supporter of gays.

So I do think it's a little counter-productive. It serves only to somewhat alienate members of a community that are here to provide EVERYONE with support and understanding.

[Urman]

You're not the only one. I really don't see the point of bashing organized religion in EC.

There will be some of us here that actually see the good in attending church and following a faith - and to us these posts will be offensive.

Then there will be others that agree - they hate organized religion as well. So in that case they are 'preaching to the choir' (to use a somewhat ironic metaphor).

They ARE NOT going to find any right wing 'crazies' (for lack of a better term) here, because by definition they aren't gay and aren't going to be a supporter of gays.

So I do think it's a little counter-productive. It serves only to somewhat alienate members of a community that are here to provide EVERYONE with support and understanding.

agreed some of the thing that are going on is just really silly and not necessary at all

[Katness]

No it saddens me too.

Actually. Having grown up in a very religious suburb I was extremely uncomfortable there. Which is why I would prefer to hang out on King Street in Newtown even if I was alone.

[Proud1p4]

While i am not at an accord with the church and do not see eye to eye with other religions,
it is my belief that we all have our own paths and should not seek to convert others.
That being said, my path dictates to "live and let live, fairly take and fairly give" thus, religion is something i never even bring up unless asked and even then, approach the situation with caution.