Are you offended by blasphemy?

kentonio · July 17, 2012, 06:59

Given the mix of religious/atheists here, I'm interested to hear how many of you are actually offended by posts that you might consider blasphemous. Do off colour comments about god/jesus/allah etc get you all riled up, or do you just consider it par for the course?

Kidicious · July 17, 2012, 07:02

Can't be too offended or you wouldn't come here.

MikeH · July 17, 2012, 07:04

How many religions actually have blasphemy laws? I know the 3 middle eastern ones with the same god do, but what about some of the polytheistic ones?

kentonio · July 17, 2012, 07:06

Oohh good question. A quick google seems to indicate that Hindu's don't have it as a concept. Maybe if you have a pantheon of gods, blaspheming one might just mean you're supporting their rival.

Kidicious · July 17, 2012, 07:22

I guess you will have to try harder to offend us kentonio.

kentonio · July 17, 2012, 07:30

I'm just interested to see how many people actually get offended and how many just don't care.

You forgot to vote btw.

Kidicious · July 17, 2012, 07:32

Originally Posted by kentonio

I'm just interested to see how many people actually get offended and how many just don't care.

You forgot to vote btw.

You forgot banana option noob!

It's not that I don't care, but I wouldn't say I get offended because people might get the wrong idea.

MOBIUS · July 17, 2012, 07:36

So you do get offended, you just don't want us to know that you do.

Kidicious · July 17, 2012, 07:39

Originally Posted by MOBIUS

So you do get offended, you just don't want us to know that you do.

As I tend to not say anything about obvious blasphemy, yes. Any sin is offensive to me. If you aren't offended by sin that's too bad.

kentonio · July 17, 2012, 07:42

Is blasphemy sin?

Ben Kenobi · July 17, 2012, 07:50

Given the mix of religious/atheists here, I'm interested to hear how many of you are actually offended by posts that you might consider blasphemous. Do off colour comments about god/jesus/allah etc get you all riled up, or do you just consider it par for the course?

Not really, no. Nothing I haven't said or done myself.

Elok · July 17, 2012, 08:14

I guess it depends what you mean by "offended" and "blasphemy." When somebody posts something deliberately offensive just to be an *******, I mutter, "geez, what an *******." And then, generally, take pains not to respond to the troll. Especially not when it's Moby trotting out his one addle-brained excuse for an argument over and over again. If, OTOH, it's someone like you or gribbler asking a question about religion somewhat indelicately, I try to ignore the phrasing in the hopes of having something like an intelligent discussion--I assume the rudeness is largely unintentional or chalk it up to a marathon session with BK.

rah · July 17, 2012, 08:24

Not for the casual comments. Most people don't even know they're doing it sometimes. But when it's over the top, I find it a touch crass.
But then I feel the same for the other side of the coin. I'm ok with the casual comments but when some sanctimonious ass starts preaching, I find it annoying.

Dr Strangelove · July 17, 2012, 08:33

Originally Posted by kentonio

Oohh good question. A quick google seems to indicate that Hindu's don't have it as a concept. Maybe if you have a pantheon of gods, blaspheming one might just mean you're supporting their rival.

Isn't there a thread here on 'poly discussing actions taken against a "blasphemer" in India? Since Hindus make up the overwhelming majority of India's politicians it would seem likely that such a law would have to have been passed by Hindus.

MOBIUS · July 17, 2012, 08:37

Originally Posted by Elok

I guess it depends what you mean by "offended" and "blasphemy." When somebody posts something deliberately offensive just to be an *******, I mutter, "geez, what an *******." And then, generally, take pains not to respond to the troll. Especially not when it's Moby trotting out his one addle-brained excuse for an argument over and over again. If, OTOH, it's someone like you or gribbler asking a question about religion somewhat indelicately, I try to ignore the phrasing in the hopes of having something like an intelligent discussion--I assume the rudeness is largely unintentional or chalk it up to a marathon session with BK.

Your comments would be far more plausible if you stuck to what you yourself perceive to be the moral high ground. Instead, you find yourself right where you claim I'm supposed to reside...

Of course, I won't stoop so low as to claim you're trying to troll me, because if I disagree with someone I don't simply fall on the crutch of screaming 'troll' or 'anti-semite' or whatever other epithet or mud-slinging exercise someone resorts to when they can't defend their position in a more eloquent manner. What I would ask, however, is why you think it's perfectly acceptable to call me a troll when you're the one who's been following me through several threads lately and insulting me without any direct provocation against you...?

Elok · July 17, 2012, 08:55

Several threads? You pulled out your crippled dog in the other thread, and I remarked that the thread was now officially crap--though it already was, your intervention just made it stupid on both sides. Other than that, my last recollection of talking to you was when you made a smartass comment in the polymeet thread. And before that...I think we had a perfectly civil discussion on how to pronounce "Bron-yr-aur" a couple of weeks ago. That's it.

Aeson · July 17, 2012, 09:11

I am offended by the blasphemy of polls without banana options

MOBIUS · July 17, 2012, 09:26

Originally Posted by Elok

Several threads? You pulled out your crippled dog in the other thread, and I remarked that the thread was now officially crap--though it already was, your intervention just made it stupid on both sides. Other than that, my last recollection of talking to you was when you made a smartass comment in the polymeet thread. And before that...I think we had a perfectly civil discussion on how to pronounce "Bron-yr-aur" a couple of weeks ago. That's it.

Exactly. Since our perfectly civil discussion (I actually can't remember the last time I wasn't civil to you - but on this example I'm assuming it would only be because I was provoked), you've told me to go **** myself in Welsh (not that I took that seriously, in fact I was flattered that you took the time to look it up

), for my 'smartass' "Fine by me..." comment in your polymeet thread (I would come if I were able - how do you know I'm not in the D.C. area then as I have friends there!?), which is a SOP response on CG if you can't make it - I can't make it BTW...

Anyway, since then you've taken unprovoked insults about cripplefights; pincers and tentacles; and now outright calling me a troll with an addled-brain...

All I'm saying, and I can sum it up rather aptly given the title of this thread, is "Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone"

I shall pray for your redemption, Elok...

Elok · July 17, 2012, 09:43

I appended the smiley after the Welsh to show you I wasn't serious, Moby; Ecthy had already come into that thread and made goofy comments about what would work for him, and I figured you were following suit. Sorry if that was misinterpreted.

As for the more recent thread, you called me, and the majority of my friends and acquaintances, "naive, gullible idiots." I did not start that.

EDIT: For that matter, the majority of religious/atheist fights on here are started by the atheist faction (if you can call it that). At least, they are if you count threads started with the clear and express intention of making fun of the other side. If you count dickhead comments that jack unrelated threads, it's a bit more even. Generally the pattern there is BK/Kid saying something offensive/ludicrous/irrelevant, followed by somebody calling them on it, followed by a brief period of escalation before it turns into the usual blahblah Crusades blahblah Invisible Unicorn blahblah Dawkinswrotethisawesomebook...

Lorizael · July 17, 2012, 10:11

Personally, I find the idea of blasphemy to be ludicrous, regardless of the subject matter. I'm a Jew by heritage, but I believe it's okay to say the Holocaust didn't happen, or to make Nazi/Hitler jokes, or to say Israel should be "wiped off the face of the Earth."

I also think it's perfectly acceptable (and possibly even beneficial) to ridicule and make fun of current political leaders, the Fouding Fathers, the Constitution, human rights, abortion, ethnic cleansing, Richard Dawkins, Charles Darwin, third world countries, primtive cultures, race, homosexuality, and pretty much any other sacred cow you can think of.

Humor is a powerful tool for examining why we feel the way we feel about particular subjects, and using that tool to its fullest extent (haha) should never be considered wrong.