Waldo Posted December 21, 2016 Author Share Posted December 21, 2016 Can I ask all atheists and non believers, are you offended to receive Christmas cards, in particular, Christmas cards with a religious theme? Angels, 3 Kings, mangers etc? I'll answer, without categorising myself to any particular narrow theological position... I wouldnt be offended in the slightest. I generally don't see Christmas as having anything to do with religion, it's more of a cultural tradition. Neither do I get offended by people being religious, in fact, some of the people I admire the most in the world are religious (though, that's not why I admire them). I'd no more get offemded by a card with an angel or a manger on it, than I would with one with Santa on it. What you said about new borns, they have no language, so can't think in words, for them does god exist? To extend this idea, you could ask, for humans, before we had language, did god exist then? Before we could think 'god'... It just illustrates how the concept of god, is a concept, and as such, linked to language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna B Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 What makes you think anyone would be offended? People seem to get offended by anything these days, and judging by the very strongly held opinions in this thread, I thought I'd just ask. I'm glad to see common sense seems to be prevailing. IMO it all comes down to the intentions of the sender. If no offence was intended, then generally speaking, none should be taken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melthebell Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 How've we got from Christmas cards to flags? Were some posts deleted? Prolly just cos I saw it last night lol, I wasn't following the chritmas card thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootsBooster Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 (edited) People seem to get offended by anything these days, and judging by the very strongly held opinions in this thread, I thought I'd just ask. I'm glad to see common sense seems to be prevailing. IMO it all comes down to the intentions of the sender. If no offence was intended, then generally speaking, none should be taken. Do people really seem to be offended by everything these days or is that just what certain newspapers and other media would have you believe? Have you actually come across anyone who's offended by anything or offended easily? Most of the 'strong' opinions on this thread appear to be simply that religious beliefs are nonsense/irrational/unnecessary (other than the initial claim of mental health problems in the OP). Edited December 21, 2016 by RootsBooster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin-H Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Do people really seem to be offended by everything these days or is that just what certain newspapers and other media would have you believe? Have you actually come across anyone who's offended by anything or offended easily? Most of the 'strong' opinions on this thread appear to be simply that religious beliefs are nonsense/irrational/unnecessary (other than the initial claim of mental health problems in the OP). I think it tends to be the religious who have the strongest held opinions. Religious people have to believe things that have absolutely no evidence, therefore no rational argument could change their opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harvey19 Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Do people really seem to be offended by everything these days or is that just what certain newspapers and other media would have you believe? Have you actually come across anyone who's offended by anything or offended easily? Very good point. Being offended on behalf of others. This remark is not related to the topic of this thread but a generalisation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phanerothyme Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 I'll answer, without categorising myself to any particular narrow theological position... I wouldnt be offended in the slightest. I generally don't see Christmas as having anything to do with religion, it's more of a cultural tradition. Neither do I get offended by people being religious, in fact, some of the people I admire the most in the world are religious (though, that's not why I admire them). I'd no more get offemded by a card with an angel or a manger on it, than I would with one with Santa on it. What you said about new borns, they have no language, so can't think in words, for them does god exist? To extend this idea, you could ask, for humans, before we had language, did god exist then? Before we could think 'god'... It just illustrates how the concept of god, is a concept, and as such, linked to language. Well as Wittgenstein wittily observed, "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent."* - until you have a language, whether that's mathematics, formal logic, English or Aramaic, that can encompass these concepts and make them transmissible, there's really no point trying. People do try, of course, and this is linked to religion. Of all the languages, literature, art and architecture probably come closest to expressing these concepts, but still very crudely. The link between religion and all three disciplines is very clear to me. We need more kids to go into semiotics, applied metaphysics and axiomatics, instead of all this STEM rubbish. *I believe he recanted the entire book this appears in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unbeliever Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Well as Wittgenstein wittily observed, "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent."* - until you have a language, whether that's mathematics, formal logic, English or Aramaic, that can encompass these concepts and make them transmissible, there's really no point trying. People do try, of course, and this is linked to religion. Of all the languages, literature, art and architecture probably come closest to expressing these concepts, but still very crudely. The link between religion and all three disciplines is very clear to me. We need more kids to go into semiotics, applied metaphysics and axiomatics, instead of all this STEM rubbish. *I believe he recanted the entire book this appears in. So abandon hard science and revert to pre-rational philosophy? Let me know how that works out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phanerothyme Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 So abandon hard science and revert to pre-rational philosophy? Let me know how that works out. Yeah, that's exactly what I was suggesting, Unbeliever. How's the humourectomy panning out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unbeliever Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Yeah, that's exactly what I was suggesting, Unbeliever. How's the humourectomy panning out? I have no time for the argument that real knowledge can emerge from sources other than hard science. It's taken hundreds of years to establish this principle and it needs defending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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