Aaaaa religion and politics!! LOL.....The recipe for killing a forum!! Also for splitting families, communities, and countries!! I've been watching how slowly its starting to creep back into CS.

Sometimes I think it can be discussed causing no harm but WHATS THE POINT!! To change peoples minds?...NOT...To puff ourselves up? I HAVE A LOFTY OPINION!! I AM RIGHT! Sometimes maybe just to stir things up because things get boring?.....Dunno..Dunno.....So what do you think? Is it so important to talk about? Why?....Kirk

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002

Answers

Opinions are like assholes..everyone has one and politics and religious topics tend to bring them out of the woodwork or turn reasonable people into one...sigh..T'is the way of the world I fear. Oh well, where would we be without such contentious topics? Pretty dang bored I betcha!

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002

What is sad is how people take the forums so emotionally serious that they lose perspective of the informative value of the internet while wrapped up in their infantile bickerings. If more people would adhere to the "starve the thread" protocol, everything would be better. I often wonder if the ones that keep fanning controversial topics actually think their rantings will affect others opinions. Few seem to recall that most come to the 'net for the anonimity of PC based communications. We all wear armour of unfeeling hardware in the cyberworld which can allow the security of a mouse click escape and also allows protection of our real world insecurities.

I always try to convey logic if responding to controversial threads, yet I never expect to convey that logic to anyone. Either they have the logic already or it will never penetrate their youthfully established, life tempered stubborness, which we all have and groom to fit our own perceptions. To be honest, I even feel answering this thread to be a wasteful use of keystrokes, however , it does help round out the discussion. Political and controversial discussions do at least make it easier to "know your enemy" and that may be why those types of threads will always occur.

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002

Those are two of the subjects that I really, really, really avoid. You can't change anyone's mind on religion or politics with intimidation and you can't change it with facts, so what's the point?

Wildman, (abstaining)

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002

That's cute Jay. I'll bet most everyone who contributed to the most recent debate thought of themselves as contributing logic.

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002

Well, I dunno! Personally I enjoy a lively discussion about religion now and then. Actually just had a decent one on Little BIts forum and while there was disagreement (as usual) at least it was pretty civil.

Its seems to wax and wane on CS. Maybe it corrsponds with the moon phase. Dunno.

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2002

Diane,

I'm quite sure they did, However, while I was profiling the posts to load data into my poll analysis program, I couldn't help but think back to my days of substitute teaching at the elementary school :>)

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2002

I too enjoy a bit of discussion or debate but when it turns into name calling its just sad. thats why i love when we have a bit of a discussion here..it livens things up a wee bit but its always respectful and civil..like grown ups should act!! My oasis in a world of juveniles..sigh :o)

Alison, mom of two bickering preschoolers who DEFY logic at every turn.

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2002

So long as the exchange remains civil then most anything can be discussed but it seems that civility is so often the first casualty in any skirmish over topics like religion and politics.

My personal policy is to never discuss my personal faith online and very seldom anyone elses and though I have strong political opinions more often than not I won't discuss politics online either at least not for more than two or three posts in a given thread. If someone is looking for information to persuade them to go one way or the other then information I'll supply but when positions harden and it begins to turn into a debate my interest quickly wanes. Life is too short to waste it in textual masturbation no matter how good it may feel at times.

......Alan.

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2002

Gee, Alan! Between the subject of "male members" on another thread and now "textual masturbation" here...well...are you okay :-)!!?? Just jokin'!

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2002

To quote Wildman: Doesn't it bother you that you're the only one that caught that? It bothers me because I probably have one of the weirdest minds around and I didn't catch the meaning and I wrote it!

Thhpppbbttt!!!

Hahahahahaha! : )

......Alan.

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2002

Okay...I've been mulling this over all night! And I still haven't figured it out. What does "Thhpppbbttt" mean??? I am just sooo not with it on this "computer speak" language :-)!!

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2002

Think fruit, as in specifically a raspberry. : )

.......Alan.

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2002

Gee - I always wondered how to spell that!

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2002

Ya know, Alan...sometimes I look at something so hard I don't "see" the obvious!!! Okay everyone...y'all can make fun of me now :-)!!

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2002