[extropy-chat] Putting God to Rest

[Lee Corbin]

Anna writes

> I don't see how from my post you got the impression I
> was going to go off in detail to what my beliefs are. 
> I was simply frustrated with the lack of respect. I
> apologize again, I clearly do not understand what the
> fuss is about.

You were right to kick up a fuss that your views
were not being respectfully handled.  I immediately
changed the tone of my own denunciations when I
realized that there was a crackpot among us.

It's very important to maintain at all times a civil
tone. Disagreements are fine, and even some in-joke
disparagement is fine (calling certain beliefs "asinine"
and so on)---and irony and sarcasm are fine too,
so long as no one is drowned out (which cannot
happen on a list).  But it is not fine to call people
or their beliefs "crackpot" or "stupid", etc.

And by now  :-)   of course you realize that I was
just joking above.  What I would seriously have
written was "I immediately changed the tone of 
my own denunciations when I realized that there
were religious believers on the list", and of course
I would never have used such a term as "crackpot"
in any serious way in mixed company.

> Then we agree, I don't recall in any of my posts my
> wish to discuss religion.  

Yes, you just were tired of the offhand putdowns by
us atheists of religious beliefs, and I don't blame you
one bit.

Lee