w00t w00t booyah

I have to say, that's one of the most revealing discussions I've ever read on LJ.

And that ain't a good thing.

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I guess I'm not the hag they'd like me to be?

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Well, let's just say it would be certainly more convenient for them if you were.

I mean, it would be one more reason in life to be a walking open wound, now wouldn't it?

As if they didn't have reason enough.

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dracowayfarer.livejournal.com

A rule I learned a few years ago and try to always keep in mind - don't tell other people how they are feeling. Especially on the internet.

On the other hand, this?

As a Christian, I believe that there are multiple paths to God/truth/enlightenment,...

This tells me someone hasn't actually read their Bible.

Also, holy crap I'm a Stalinist! Who knew?

Also also, for the record, I agree with you. Anger is actually a mask for emotional injury. It's a band-aid, not a conversational tool.

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rin-o.livejournal.com

...he whinged about being maligned while making a pointed effort not to explain how he was mistreated.

i'd say you pretty much called his bluff, and those people defended him in case they wanted to use that defense themselves.

y'know, whenever i hear some believer complain about non-believers acting better than them, they usually prove it in their complaints.......is it that only ignorent believers get targeted?

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We're officially Old Farts who don't get those young whippersnappers.

Now get the hell off my lawn!

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Not until they mow it first!

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I should add that anger does indeed serve a useful purpose some days.

There is an awful lot of Zen and Calm and HappyLovingPlace that takes place in

chronic_pain.

Which, OK, yes that helps to a certain degree.

But telling people in pain that they should be calm about it? Accept it?

Just...no. I am pissed off as fuck at my body for betraying me. For little by little, taking away the things that give me joy (I am almost inarticulate at the gaping wound that has been left inside me from knowing I will never fence again). For every person who sees me as a Thing. For being the doll with the arm that continually falls off.

And some days, that anger is all that keeps me going.

The day I am no longer angry is the day I no longer care. And on that day, I die.

I fight not to give in to the Black Dogs because I am angry.

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rin-o.livejournal.com

yeah, but you're mad for A valid reason. as far as we know Chimpy McWhinebitch was all pissy because some guy didn't want a chick tract or something.

seriously, if you're going to rant about something you need to be able to tell the people you're talking to what it is without looking like a tool.

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Interestingly, what set me off was:

"All < FITBs> are stupid!"

"Hey, I'm an < FITB >!"

"Oh, but you're not one of THOSE < FITBs >."

Patronize? Much?

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*nods* One of the most lingering emotions I have on Cliff's passing is my anger on what he had to endure...just to get out of here. Not to get anything he wanted, not to get another shot at getting better...just to be allowed to leave.

Still pisses me off.

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Oh, and most of my ranting about that is heard only by the cats - who are delighted to listen to me as long as it is accompanied by 1) pets or 2) treats.

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One interesting idea was the one about the difference between anger and losing one's temper (which quickly got shut down because nobody got who was actually doing what).

Personally, I think that anyone who doesn't have at least a modicum of anger is probably not paying attention. And anger, as has been pointed out, can be an excellent defense. But losing your shit usually isn't, especially if you're trying to be persuasive (which is quite your point, and so I'm preachin' to the choir here).

I am annoyed with loud, invasive pronouncements of dogma of any ilk, so I get what this kidlet is saying. But he's also taking it personally--which is silly, really. And going to a community for the sole purpose of saying, "These people are poopyheads and make me MAD!" is nothing more than pandering for external validation (which is what these types consider "fellowship"--not the least reason I don't do "Christian" anymore). When you didn't give the OP the necessary validation, they turned on you. Because you deprived him of feeling justified in his anger, and made him think that perhaps anger was not the appropriate response to what torture he had endured at the hands of the Nasty Atheist.

Shame on you! ;-)

When you walk around the planet long enough, however, you learn to reserve your wrath for more important things. They're getting that--that there are appropriate situations for anger. But getting dissed by an atheist is hardly high social injustice--it's just what they've been told is "persecution", and thus the knee-jerk whining.

How did you get to be the only reasonable Christian on the planet?

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Oh, there are reasonable Christians. Just like there are reasonable Jews, Muslims, Pagans, etc.

They're just one the ones not shouting jackassery from the mount.

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*nods* I claim to be well-brought along - but I also had a ton of good examples to follow.

And some really BAD ones to learn from, lemme tellya.

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The thing that's interesting is that these folks, belonging to a left-wing Christian community, are convinced that they are the reasonable Christians. And yet with very little provocation, they very quickly fall into The Mode. They aren't banging their Bibles, necessarily, and they give lipservice to the idea of tolerance and inclusiveness...but that only seems to last as long as there is some agreement going on.

It's easy to tolerate someone with whom you agree!

But oh man, step outta line, introduce a contradicting thought, and whammo--it's right back to the fiery pulpit. Only this time what they're preaching is their own viewpoint, rather than Yahweh's. But just as vehement, and just as unwilling to bend--or even consider.

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rin-o.livejournal.com

our collective beliefs save us from the vocal moral minoraty, eh?

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