Very well said. My responses have become more structured as a result of being here. I have started to care a lot less of the opinion of skeptics and respond more calmly. I was used to conversing with like minded people before I got here and didnt realize such passionate nay-sayers existed so I was out of my element. The fact that most of the like minded people I like conversing with are aggressively opposed into silence didnt sit well with me as well, so I acted out. I thought the scientific, atheist, skeptical dictation of spiritual topics was pigheaded, especially in a forum that starts with Spirituality. Not playing the hurt card, just explaining.
Yes Chief, you are outnumbered, that is clear. Yet you still continue to participate, and the more you do so, the more meaningful your participation becomes, to yourself as well as others. You could have bugged out after the first month or so when your one liners played themselves out, but you stuck with it. You obviously find some value in being challenged, and that is the first step towards any progress. Appreciation for challenge is in fact the only way we can agree to disagree. Challenge is something I value, so I admire you when you do not shy away from it, and it encourages me to keep reading what you say.
You may treat my like an adult but you do not take my words seriously, imo. Do you think anything that I presented in this forum has any chance of being true? You take calling bullshit seriously, not my words. Its also hard to think that you are taking me seriously when MP thinks you are arguing with a three year old.
I don't think most of your ideas have merit, and to be fair most of them aren't yours. That doesn't mean I don't take you seriously. I believe you are genuine, not lying or playing me for a fool. You mean what you say. I have complimented you a time or two, even endorsed a few of your ideas, you apparently do not pay attention. When you say something in this forum, you are saying it to me as much as anybody. When you say something to me, I respond as honestly as I can. When you respond to what I say like a child, I call you on that as well.
And BTW you can't guess my motivation based on something MP said. He was not commenting on my motivation. you are not a three year old, and his point was that it's humorous that a conversation with you is practically the same thing, the main similarity being your arrogance and lack of self assessment.
]So the only seriousness I see is you calling bullshit and your intentions for calling bullshit are to prevent others from believing the so called bullshit because the bullshit doesnt sit well with your atheist, scientific world view, a worldview that you think should be adopted by more people, which is biased, imo.
I do call bullshit a lot, and you present bullshit a lot. Your description is not inaccurate until you get to the why. You are making an assumption, although it may be a reasonable one. But ask yourself, If I was really worried about other's beliefs not sitting right with me, wouldn't I talk only on skeptic forums. I enjoy discourse, challenge, it always teaches me something. I have never complained about you expressing your beliefs or defending them, just the way in which you do it and the arguments you use. I support your right to express and defend your worldview, just as I support my right to do so as well. Expression, words, are never force. Nobody has been forced to leave or cease participation in these forums because of what they believe, they simply find more value in other places when they find challenge here.
. I guess me saying this isnt changing anyones mind though, just thought I'd try to be genuine.