Tact, and the lack thereof
Or maybe this isn't about tact, and I'm just weird and oversensitive. So I'd really like to know what the flist thinks.
Although very much at odds with the Catholic Church as an institution and most of its representatives, I view myself as catholic and *gasp* I believe in god complete with miracles and all the trimmings. I don't consider myself bigoted (I love "blasphemous" jokes, like the one about the low-fat communion wafer and the slogan 'I can't believe it's not Jesus'), I don't agree with a large part of Catholic doctrine, from anti-abortionism to anti-gay and the need to convert the so-called infidels, because IMO that's bollocks. And dangerous too. I'm not full of missionary zeal. I think the Catholic church treats women abominably.
All that, however, doesn't cancel the fact that I believe in god and am deeply convinced that He would have a word or two to say about his representatives on earth. If he were anything like they portrayed him in the Old Testament, the Vatican would probably be a smouldering pile of ashes.
Anyway: Although I'm by no means ashamed of my faith, I don't wave it in front of people's faces.
But when somebody (and yes, I'm thinking of somebody in particular in my non-LJ life) doesn't miss a single opportunity to drone on and on about their atheism (I'd rather call it agnosticism, but let's not mince words) and how religion is for stupid people, and how believing in god isn't much better than believing in the bogeyman, then I have to say that I don't like that at all. As I see it, there's a not-so-subtle difference between scientific argument and ridicule, and while I heartily welcome the former, I really can't stand the latter. Apart from the fact that I think being an atheist requires a lot more courage than believing in god, I don't think that either of the two is a sign of stupidity or weakness. Both are choices, hopefully conscious ones, and that's that.
Going on about people being idiots, because they choose to believe or not, doesn't solve anything; it's offensive, and judgmental, and it shows a lack of tolerance I simply can't abide.
So what say you, flist? And how would you deal with a person who behaves like that?
Although very much at odds with the Catholic Church as an institution and most of its representatives, I view myself as catholic and *gasp* I believe in god complete with miracles and all the trimmings. I don't consider myself bigoted (I love "blasphemous" jokes, like the one about the low-fat communion wafer and the slogan 'I can't believe it's not Jesus'), I don't agree with a large part of Catholic doctrine, from anti-abortionism to anti-gay and the need to convert the so-called infidels, because IMO that's bollocks. And dangerous too. I'm not full of missionary zeal. I think the Catholic church treats women abominably.
All that, however, doesn't cancel the fact that I believe in god and am deeply convinced that He would have a word or two to say about his representatives on earth. If he were anything like they portrayed him in the Old Testament, the Vatican would probably be a smouldering pile of ashes.
Anyway: Although I'm by no means ashamed of my faith, I don't wave it in front of people's faces.
But when somebody (and yes, I'm thinking of somebody in particular in my non-LJ life) doesn't miss a single opportunity to drone on and on about their atheism (I'd rather call it agnosticism, but let's not mince words) and how religion is for stupid people, and how believing in god isn't much better than believing in the bogeyman, then I have to say that I don't like that at all. As I see it, there's a not-so-subtle difference between scientific argument and ridicule, and while I heartily welcome the former, I really can't stand the latter. Apart from the fact that I think being an atheist requires a lot more courage than believing in god, I don't think that either of the two is a sign of stupidity or weakness. Both are choices, hopefully conscious ones, and that's that.
Going on about people being idiots, because they choose to believe or not, doesn't solve anything; it's offensive, and judgmental, and it shows a lack of tolerance I simply can't abide.
So what say you, flist? And how would you deal with a person who behaves like that?