Suppressing Disagreements Is Impossible and Absurd to Try

[Guest guest]

You said: " Take it off-list if you have a disagreement with someone. "

Why? Disagreements are how we learn. That's what a discussion IS --

people taking different sides on topics and giving their opinions and

citing facts and sources until eventually we come to a consensus or agree

to disagree.

 

There is nothing nasty about this. Responding as if there is simply

demonstrates a troubled reaction to normality.

 

If you cannot stand discussion and want only recipes, try the quickveg

group, the url for which I'm sure PT would be glad to give you. On the

other hand if you want to learn some things, and grow as a human being,

you could do a lot worse than sticking around here.

 

 

On Friday, July 16, 2004, at 06:54 AM,

wrote:

 

> Davida Jordan <davidaschoem

> A Plea to the Group

>

> I really enjoy being in this group and have gotten

> some great ideas and recipes from it, but I am

> considering leaving it because of all the silly back

> and forth snipping and general nastiness. Can we

> please stop it? It's not necessary! Take it off-list

> if you have a disagreement with someone.

>

> Thank you for letting me share,

>

> Davida

>

>

Next time you're confronted by a fanatic,

remember that another word for

believe is pretend. "

--W. B. Kek, ALA

 

Nice point. One aspect of religion that's

troubled me recently is that it is, more than

homosexuality -- more, many times, than

criminality -- a choice. At some point in your

life, you *choose* a religion. Then there are a

series of subsequent decisions: how to conduct

yourself in order to conform to your chosen

religion's views, how to *feel* about your

religion, how to inform others about your

religion, until you find yourself with a gun,

perhaps, pointing at the head of someone who

doesn't share your religious opinions, pulling

the trigger. At what point did murder become

okay, in your religion? It didn't. It became okay

in your head, because of the decisions you made.

And which you *can* if you *choose*, un-make at

any time. Don't blame God, or Allah. The

responsibility lies in you, and you alone.

 

--Terry Hickman, Omaha Beach Party