Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: djdaneh@pacbell.com (Dan'l DanehyOakes) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Bigotry? (Re: The Ongoing Inquisition) Message-ID: Date: 2 Jun 91 05:08:03 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA Lines: 92 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article jclark@sdcc6.ucsd.edu (John Clark) writes: >Usually when writing in groups other than soc.religion.christian I >use the abreviation of 'X-ian' which if one objects to this then one >should on principle object to BTW, IMHO, et al. Are you familiar with the term "paralogia?" It refers to the process of making a connection which appears logical but is not at all. If there were a person or group of people called By The Way or In My Humble Opinion, who objected to being called BTW or IMHO, then by all means I would object to these terms and eschew their use. (This would *not* apply, btw, to a group of people who took that name *now* for the purpose of objecting to it.) I refuse to use terms like "nigger," "wop," "kike," "faggot," "dyke," "castrating cunt," etc., [note: the previous list was not use but reference; if you don't understand the difference, ask a logician], because there are people whose real feelings are honestly harmed by their use. I'll get to a couple more such terms after this list... >Pagans feel a >certain amount of animosity towards Christians due to being labeled >'devil worshippers' 'satanists' which have great emotional content >in Christian circles but have very little to do with pagan belief >systems. Completely agreed, and I have no patience or tolerance for self-calling "Christians" who call these people such things. "Judge not, lest ye be judged." In some *specific* cases, as I believe I mentioned, I think some of these neo-pagans are not sincere but merely trying to shock and/or offend. That subset should not be upset when people display signs of shock and offense. But most of the neopagans and wiccans I've met (and, as I think I mentioned, I've met quite a few, in Berkeley and in science fiction circles) are quite sincere. I may believe they're *wrong* but that doesn't give me the right to condemn them -- and I don't. I much prefer their attitude to that of self-righteous peole who feel the need to force all others to conform to their belief system! >This is not to deny that there are groups which have turned >'Chritianity' upside-down and invented some religious 'rituals' >based on such inverse concepts. And there are also subsets of the neo-pagan/wiccan "revival" who don't believe what they're doing, but only wish to offend Judeo- Christian believers. I regard these people in much the same light I regard bigots of my own faith: whatever additional animosity I might feel because their bigotry is addressed toward a group I belong to, is balanced by what I feel toward those who pervert what I believe. >Furthermore, since Christians as >noted in the 'accept Jesus the only way for savedness' thread feel >that anything outside Christianity is somewhat Satan inspired, the >pagans can only be worshipping these demonic forces. "Christians feel this" is like saying "whites feel that blacks are inferior." It's a half-truth: which is to say a complete lie. Some members of any group feel that their group is right and everyone else is wrong. Condemning Christianity on this basis is hypocritical, unless one condemns every other belief-group (including neopaganism) on the same ground: *some* members of them all are bigoted fools. >Being an ancient Hippy I understand the guerrilla >theater aspects of most of this type of activity. Being just a *little* too young to have been a Hip, I envy you (Aaagh! Deadly Sin!:*) -- the distinction I draw is between those who do it as guerrilla theatre, which I enjoy even when it's my mind that's being blown, and those who do it as hate. A superannuated Hippy should have no argument with that! >The point of this is that many pagan preceive that Christians lump >them in with the last category of criminals using 'hocus-pocus' in >conjunction with criminal acts. If you are of such a mind then don't >be to surprised when you receive forceful negative reviews. I'm not. I'm not attacking anyone else; I'm defending something dear to me and speaking out against bigotry. Zat cool? Ah has spoke! -- Pansy Yokum The Roach