OT debate- Why is Racism taken far more seriously than other forms of discrimination?

Well, maybe I worded it wrong.

I'm offended by Christians and their ignorant beliefs, and how a lot of them try to make people feel guilty just for being human, and saying they'll burn in hell just for not following their religion.

I find it quite offensive in that sense. But I wouldn't try and get it banned.

I aint offended in the sense that I'm upset, but It's annoying and I used to be christian when I was a kid. I was a christian. I remember when I was 14. I used to feel so bad just for having sexual thoughts about women, looking at porn, or even fancying another girl. I remember how **** my beliefs used to make me feel.

Christianity is a ridiculous belief, and as soon as it's gone, the better.

 

Join the Salvation Army Tash and they'll give you a big drum to beat.

 

But surely that falls under free speech? Either you apply it to everything or nothing, not just the one's that you want to be able to say. I've also met plenty christians, but none of them tell me that I'm going to burn in hell, doesn't tend to come up in conversation if I'm honest. It's their belief but if they're not imposing it on people (because the ones that do are annoying) then it doesnt really matter surely?

Basically it just sounds like you're bitter about your 'experience' as a christian, otherwise it would be religion in general you would be aggrieved at.

And regarding discrimination, really none of it should be tolerated, be it against black/gay/whatever people, people are just more wary about racism because people people get in more trouble over it (and the whole white people owning slaves a few years back doesnt help in their eyes).

 

While I don't agree with religion as a concept, I think it makes human beings more interesting, as well as: killers, morally superior, charitable souls etc etc. Christianity has formed our cultural ideals at a very important level, and has created a very grounded sense of "good" and "evil" which pretty much informs all our western conceptions of the world. In ideal terms, I do think society should take some of the principles of Christianity beyond its overall usefulness.

If it's just the hellfire stuff that has you bent out of shape, remember that some people benefit from such a worldview because it keeps them on the straight and narrow. Obviously it is obnoxious to shout at others who don't agree, but that's a necessary component for religion as far as I understand, creating community and common purpose, and atheists tend towards the same habit for the same reason. Ideally, humanity should be the ultimate community, the "brotherhood of man", but there's something called discrimination which you alluded to at the start...

 

What an interesting discussion! Who said NU fans were a bunch of brainless morons?

Couldn't agree more, JPF. Words are powerful, and allowing people to make blatantly racist remarks in the interests of "self-expression" implies to those people that their comments are acceptable. It's the thin edge of the wedge -- once we let this kind of language go unchallenged, we appear to be giving tacit approval to racist attitudes.

Yes Tash, all discriminatory comments are undesirable -- I agree. So why are racist slurs "special"? Well, if you told me to "get back in the kitchen", I'd laugh in your face. I could afford to do that because I live in an environment where gender discrimination is not an issue. However, it would be a very different thing if I lived in a place where I was stoned for speaking to a man or beaten up because I had an opinion. In that case, discriminatory remarks about women would become a very serious matter -- in the same way that racist comments are, in my opinion, ALWAYS a serious matter. It is unlikely that persecution and violence towards old people, women, fat people, gays or even Christians (!) is going to erupt on a large scale in times of tension, but racism is always bubbling beneath the surface. We don't have to look far to see the evidence.

 

Well, if you told me to "get back in the kitchen", I'd laugh in your face.

Probably slap it a bit too. Oz ladies are very fit!

 

Racism is like sexism.. Works when they want it to and can only be directed one way.. Never hear of a white guy getting racially abused or someone being sexist to a guy.. Rant over!

 

Why for you say dat Honkie?

 

i think you should look at other beliefs before you start having a go at christians i think they are 1 of the more open religions,im not particually religious but iv never seen them with baby killer placards at wooton basset or christions targeting girls from other religions,oh sorry only white guys can be racist!
as for slavery, yea of course as a working class family we had butlers in every room,go look on pit disaster memorials 9 10 and 11 year old KIDS are on there in very recent events in our working class history and slavery wasnt started by brits try arabs !before i go i must say sorry to any 1 and every 1 that some 1 from this country has offendedin the past, in case your wondering about the rant,the line of the topic seems to be about christians or white people being bigots or racist if your going to have such a topic on a football site make it more open

 

I'm offended by the frequent use of the word 'ain't' throughout this thread. It's like Dick Van Dyke has started posting on this ridiculous subject.

Seriously though, perhaps the reason racist language is less tolerated is related to slavery, the holocaust, segregation, apartheid etc?

 

YES!!!!

Agent Bruce is smart. He figures if he compliments me, I won't beat him up!

 

Probably correct but it is one of my problems with the whole subject and one of the barriers to making progress with it. Too many live in the past. We're not still pissing and moaning about the Romans enslaving us are we? The bastards. Obviously its slightly different in terms of nations and races but really we need to be more positive in how we challenge racism for me. The past is the past.

 

romans? lets come right up to date NORMAN BASTARDS

 

You're wrong as usual Tash. Only little scum bags with little education say this ****. If I walked into work and said any of these phrases I would get the sack or a warning. The only time I would get away with it, is if I was having a little chuckle with some mates and not saying it loudly.

 

Maybe when ginger people are traded as slaves it will be taken more seriously. In the mean time I will continue to poke fun at them and figure out how they can do my garden without having to pay them.

 

Please show me the part of my comment where I said Christians shouldn't be allowed right to free speech?

I've talked on the topic of free speech, and how people being offended shouldn't be a reason to block their freedom to speech.

Despite the fact that Christians saying I'm going to burn in hell offends me, I think they should be allowed to say it.

What I meant by Christianity being gone forever, is as soon as people wake up and drop it like people have dropped other religions in the past, the better.

 

I'm not saying there are no good points to any religion, but it's basically fairy tales, and many people believe in it for the wrong reasons.

We should take some of the messages and stories that are in the bible to influence our own lives. That would be a good thing.

But taking the whole religion seriously, Is stupid. We should be past the days where we use gods, devils, demons, prophets ect as ways to make us feel more secure about things we don't understand or know.

We don't know how it all started. Science admits we don't know exactly, but we're working on it. Just because there's a gap in scientific knowledge, doesn't mean people should fill that gap with bullshit.

Whatevers going on in the universe, it's far more amazing than a crappy book spouting ****e that's blinding people from facts. Simple as.

But if they'd rather be happy, than right, then that's their choice.

 

I'm a catholic, not by practice but I was christened. I don't believe in God or any of the bible. But I think that Christianity although there is a lot of ****e spouted in the bible does give you some good rules of thumb to live your life by. I'm not saying you should follow them because you will be rewarded when your dead but do it because you want to live your life as a nice person. So whilst a lot of it is crap, I don't think you can dismiss it out of hand. It's the radical idiots that take religion to seriously that cause problems.

 

That's exactly what I'm saying though. Dismiss the fairy tales, follow the messages. This is what I meant by not taking it seriously.

Also just because you were christened, doesn't make you a Catholic.

I was Christened and I went through all that holy communion and confirmation ****e. I don't believe in it. I'm an Atheist. I'm just a Catholic on paper, doesn't mean ****.

 

Yeh well that's what I'm saying I was christened as a Catholic but don't really believe in it all. But without the fear of 'going to hell' there could be a lot more people who start committing crimes, eg. murders. Though there are a lot of negatives with religion I think we might do badly without it!