I kind of agree...but would you participate in an Iraqi or other Middleeastern ritual?
Also, one question that I truly don't know the answer to: Why is it offensive to atheists just to say "God" in any context, as in the Pledge of Alliegance? I'm not offended by "unicorn" yet I don't believe in them.
A lot of them don't. I would state the pledge in school because I understood that it had nothing to do with religious ideology and only pride in nation. But it's always made out as too big of a deal on both sides. People who get on everyone's ass because they say it offends them/official stating it HAS to be said (which was the case in my school for a little while). People fail to find middle ground, and expect the extreme to be the only side you should follow.
Anyway, reading over things from yesterday, my initial comment was not appropriate. Yes, it was mockery, Stocking. However, things were still blown way out of proportion, and a lot of comments seemed to only fit the "lol let's make sure to attack the odd man out!" saying I couldn't drop the subject (which is a two way street, and since the subject was pushed to this page it also shows that I couldn't have been the only one doing it), and others suggesting disagreements are implicit of intellectual degredation.
I've had to sit through several religious ceremonies. I respect their position and beliefs, but that still doesn't make their beliefs immune from criticisms. That being said, the comment I made was not constructive at all, and so the majority of my argument was moot from the beginning. But when you compare this to how some of the people acted in this thread, I don't really understand how you could all assume the side of the protagonist. The behavior in a hypothetical was far from being as destructive as some of the comments posted here. I know some of you will be playing the side of "well we can't be wrong, only lalam's wrong," but that doesn't mean you're justifying anything.
I'm sure I'll get a lot of stuff for saying this, but oh well. Really, I'm just saying that the same things you're all getting so upset about (which is really only about 6 people) is just as inappropriate as your attempts to argue it. Constantly mocking someone because you believe they've mocked someone else is extremely antiproductive.
I also find it weird that I never said grace at my grandfather's house. He was a very big part of his church, and yet I really never recall him mentioning it to us. Even when me and my brother were grown up catholic.
