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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Re: Probably flammable, but I want to ask anyways
Retarded and gay are slurs against real people who have no choice other than to be who they are.
Jesusfuckingchrist is just an expression. If you want to go there, it's an expression using the name of a mythical creature, who supposedly ordered you not to use its name on pain of eternal torment - which, if you actually thought the order was true, would be an excellent reason to defy it.
I don't use religious swear words because the power of a swear word comes from it being a trangressive, shocking word. And unless you buy into ancient mythology as truth, then saying goddammit has as much power as saying potato.
It's just hard to believe that when you mentioned that "you must have to be a Christian to understand why it's offensive". I don't have to be black to understand why using the n-word is offensive. Honestly, it puts me in the mind of those petulant teenagers we all were once who were all "MOM. You just don't understand. YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND ANYWAYS BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT ME. GAWL." *hurr-flips and stormage to rooms commence here*
Wait does this mean I have to uninvite all of the Jews and Muslims to my Easter party because I'm cooking lamb and pork ribs on the same grill? That would be a shame since the party would be virtually empty without them. Seriously it would just be me and a a gay ex-Mormon.
I know a lot of pseudo-kosher keeping Jews and a lot of pork avoiding Muslims. None of them have a problem with other people eating or cooking pork in their presence. Some of them go to joints that cook nothing but pork to hang out with heir less observant friends. I guess I'm lucky that all of my religious friends aren't offended by people not of their religion not following their religious requirements.
Ok, so my response should then just be, "That's interesting. Thanks for sharing."
End of thread?
Sounds like my kinda party.
I figure it was to start a discussion, you know like the majority of the threads on this board are for.
You can interpret what she said however you want. Just like I could interpret that sometimes when people say JayEffCee they are purposefully trying to be offensive and inflammatory.
I don't think what I said there is any different than what some athiests said to get the same point across. Several athiests in this thread said that there is only power in the word if there is belief behind it. Saying the name of God is no different than saying potato to them, because they don't believe in Him.
How is that any different than me saying that you probably need to believe in Him in order to understand why it is so offensive? If you don't believe, you're looking at me thinking "it's just a word like potato, so what's the big deal?" Obviously people didn't understand why I was offended or they wouldn't be asking. But I think that if you view God as something sacred and holy, you understand why using the word isn't the same as saying "potato".
I have no problem with AW because her goal for this post was to share how she and some others find that using the Lord's name in vain is offensive. She didn't ask anyone to change; she asked for understanding.
Using the terms "JFC" and GDit" are highly offensive to me, but I know that is my problem and I can't tell others what to do. Although it is nice if they at least are willing to hear my point of view and respect it, even though they don't agree.
One thing for AW to understand is that even if many people on here do agree that a word or term is inappropriate or offensive, many will continue to say it anyway, even knowing that it offends others. We've seen that with the use of "retarded", even after a poll showed that most said they didn't like it being used out of proper context.
As far as using the Lord's name in vain, I see it as when we use the words "God" or "Jesus" or "Jesus Christ" when not in prayer or not in respectful discussion.
My personal opinion on this is because someone can always be offended by something. So people cut out what is most offensive to most people (retarded, gay, n-, etc), but aren't going to go around with an ever-expanding list every time one person has a problem with a word. I won't cater to the overly-sensitive.
You are in a tiny minority and have given no good reason for it. People don't agree with what taking god's name in vain is, whether it matters coming from a non-believer, etc. On the other hand, many people like getting to use a good, offensive swear out. In fact, that's the point.
So they will continue. If there was a huge groundswell from people giving reasons as to why this is so offensive, then perhaps you are right and people will eventually stop.
Part of the issue too, is that I think it's much easier to see the historical context between the other words being offensive. I am none of those things, but can see the problem behind them and the hateful way in which they have been used. Because I don't want to be associated with that prejudicie or someone who is hateful, I won't use those terms. However, even people that are Christian don't agree on the offensiveness of my swearing JFC! So I'm not being associated by society as a hateful, ignorant person by using it. Until that is the case, that is why I will refrain from one and not the other.
No one person gets to be the "that's offensive" police.
Actually, the atheists were saying that TO YOU it was offensive, but TO THEM it was not because of the fact that you have belief in God that they do not have. In order to find it offensive, you need to have belief in God. In order to FIND it offensive. Not in order to UNDERSTAND why it's offensive. They understand you find it offensive, but they are saying that as far as they're concerned, because they don't share your belief in God, it's not offensive and so just deal. Nobody said they didn't understand why you found it offensive.
This is a great discussion and all, and imma let you finish, but CAN I PLEASE DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION BACK TO THE KIDS AND RACE POST?
Seriously. Go back and read the last page now.
<a href="http://www.thenest.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Home D
AW, there are certain polite discourse things you can expect. You can expect us not to belittle your beliefs or say you're crazy. You can expect us to ask you politely about things. Sometimes people don't do this to you. It is very rude, and I find it unacceptable.
When I say Jesus Effing Christ, I am not thinking about your beliefs, Jesus, or even theoretical historical Jesus. I am trying to find a phrase to punch out what I want to say.
If I said you are a mothereffing Christian idiot, then I am being totally offensive and intending to hurt you. That is mean. That is something I wouldn't do to you. That is something I don't think.
While it isn't always across the board, intent is important. My intent when saying JFC isn't to hurt you or cause you faith anguish. It's just to curse because I like to curse.
It's just an expression to some, it's extremely offensive to others.
A (known) Christian can't go out and say, "Those crazy Muslims and their mystical beliefs!!" w/o getting attacked by someone saying, "Their right to believe in what they will, blah blah" While you might think that their beliefs are based in mythology just the same, the condescension isn't there. I hope that makes sense.
I don't see people being snarky and saying how cray-cray devout Buddhists, Hindus, etc. Are. Maybe sometimes Scientology or FDLS.
My point is, I'm totally fine with people thinking my beliefs are mystical mythical crap. However, I respect others rights and beliefs or non-beliefs in a way as to not insult them over their choice in those beliefs or lack there of.
So, while there are a ton of Duggar style crazies out there, I feel like this board, including AW, have been really balanced and made efforts not to be offensive. I've personally tried to make a point NOT to insult those who believe differently from me. I don't expect you to stop saying JFC, or Jesus, but when folks are making low insulting jabs at the serious faith of many on this board, it bothers me.
Zuma Zoom
I'm arguing that I don't feel they truly do. If they did understand, I would think they would be inclined to be respectful. When we truly understand the offensiveness of something, we generally change our behavior. I can say I understand why a gay person doesn't want me to use the word gay to mean stupid, but if I keep using the word I think it shows that I don't REALLY understand. Part of understanding is grasping the implications of something. If you're intentionally trying to be offensive I doubt you grasp those implications.
Uh. Wut? So...she wanted people to just go "Oh. Okay. Yes, I understand you find it offensive." and that's it? Not to stop using it? Like I said before, if you want to start a conversation about what's offensive, then do that without making it a personal issue with you. Going "Hey, I realized that people on here say JFC and as a Christian, I find it offensive. What do you think society has to do with the role in which words are considered offensive and which aren't? How do you decide how far you go in trying not to be offensive"? Not "don't you even care you're being offensive???? It makes me CRINGE. I hope it gets wiped out eventually. And let me compare my offendedness with gays as well for good measure."
Tone, people. It's all about tone.
I can actually understand all of this. But I do think some people use JayEffCee to be inflammatory or offensive at times.
A woman at work said that to me. Seriously.
Listen, if you don't understand that people oftentimes either are intentionally trying to be offensive, or just don't care, then I doubt you grasp the basic concept of humanity. Seriously. You seem to think that if they only understood, they'd just stop! No. That's not true. I can completely understand, and just not give a single f*ck about it.
Well, that woman sucks. So there's that.
Have you stopped to consider that perhaps people do understand, they just don't respect you and as a result don't really give a flying f*ck if you're upset?
Who "me?"
Here are my random thoughts on this thread in no particular order:
Props to AW for saying this, she knew there would be a crap storm she didn't care. I love me some AW
When I say OMG I am thinking Oh my goodness
I have used the saviors name in an inappropriate way when I am totally outraged by something. Think child rape. However its not appropriate and I am going to watch it.
6 pages? I didn't read everything, are folks getting defensive?
How do you interpret the passages in the NT that talk about evangelism? How can we evangelize if we don't talk about our faith?
Once again, I'm not arguing with you, just trying to understand how you interpret Scripture.
dup
But if she didn't add the mothereffing it isn't offensive. Because mothers are real people who have been oppressed in the past/present/future.
Out of the blue, or because of something you said/did?
Really? That's where you're going with this now? I'm fairly sure calling anybody an idiot regardless of the word they choose to put before it is an attempt to insult them.