Sometimes, I wonder why I even bother.

[cleanhippie]

Just when you think things might be different....

[Ron Obvious]

1. Think of the lurkers...

You'll never convince some people, but others might overhear the discussion and find it helpful.

[progressoid]

13. +1

[Curmudgeoness]

2. What makes you think things will be different

when you are dealing with the same people over and over. What is it that Einstein said? Something like don't continue to do the same thing, over and over, expecting different results.

[Warren Stupidity]

3. It's entertaining.

[Warpy]

4. Whole lotta blinkered, pig ignorant dunderheads in that one.

Believers just can't seem to process the fact that there's no "there" there.

[mr blur]

5. Hey, here's a new pope, everything's different!

or maybe not.

[trotsky]

6. Guessing here that someone's self-imposed religious hiatus...

didn't teach them a freaking thing about being a better person, huh?

[cleanhippie]

8. Or about not being a *.

Last edited Fri Apr 5, 2013, 10:59 AM - Edit history (1)

[gcomeau]

7. Not sure about the exact context...

...but pretty sure I can guess the broad outlines. I personally bother for those reading along, usually not for the person I'm directly engaged with. (Although on rare occasions you find yourself involved with someone capable of actually subjecting their own positions to critical examination)

[Rob H.]

9. Seems a lot of religious posters have lifted pages from a now-PPR'd DUers playbook

over in Religion.

Step 1: Make a bold (and usually unsupportable) assertion.

Step 2: When called on said assertion, claim that what was said was meant in a completely different way, smugly put words in the mouth of the person who responded to make it seem as if the person responding is actually the one making a crazy claim, not them.

Step 3: When corrected (again), start parsing words in an attempt to make it seem as if the person responding just doesn't understand the "nuances" of their Sophisticated Theological Argument™. Dodge simple questions as if their lives depend on it. Bonus points if words like "militant" and/or "organized" are used in their retorts. Also, "What about Hitler/Stalin/Mao/Pol Pot?!!?" etc.

Step 4: Repeat Step 3 as many times as necessary, gradually growing more and more insistent and condescending until the person correcting them gets tired of wading through the river of horseshit spewing from their mouths and gives up.

Step 5: Declare victory after inadvertently confirming that not only do they have no idea what they're talking about, there was never any evidence, no matter how strong, that would've changed their mind, anyway.

[cleanhippie]

12. A few ARE zombies of PPR'ed members. There is also one of our own playing both sides, I think.

And that pisses me off.

[bravenak]

10. I joined this group cause you're so funny.

I don't really know what's up but I like it when you post stuff.

[cleanhippie]

11. Hahahaha! Ok then! Welcome.

[dimbear]

14. We're atheists. We don't expect miracles.

OTOH, we can and do present a rational alternative. Plus, we're entertaining.

[uriel1972]

15. It's been a week or two since I peeped in on the "other" group...

Just checked out the thread headlines. GAH, I'll just stay out of it.

Am I a coward or just tired of the same ol' same ol'. I don't know

[Apophis]

16. There's a poster there that reminds me of this smug douche

I go to school with. His assertions are always wrong but he always thinks he's right.

[Aquavit]

17. Yeah...

Sometimes I feel like the Nihilists are far too optimistic about life, too...

[Lordquinton]

18. The moment we stop bothering

is the moment "they" win. Every statement left to stand is a victory, there is no moral high ground in politics, or religion when it comes to not answering these days.

[defacto7]

19. Unfortunately that's the game plan they have set up.

It's ridiculous to think that ending a conversation is anything except ending a conversation because anything else is repeat, absurd or irrational. But the game is to keep blowing it back as if there really is something to say and not be the last to stop. To the religious, that is all they need to feel they won a argument. It's a swirling cesspool vortex that leads to irrational sociopathy.

You either play their game until the threads are unreadable or you just say your peace ONE time and quit or don't say anything at all. That is what they want in any of those cases. There is nothing in between when arguing with an irrational. If you are really lucky, you say one thing they can't get out of... after that, don't say a word even though they will.

I don't play any of it anymore. I just let them wallow is stupid.

[Lordquinton]

20. It's like the Ryan budget

Every time it gets rejected they take it and reintroduce it the next day, there has been legislation that has been around for decades just reintroduced over and over and over again, hoping that we won't notice, sometimes it's in a new package, often it's the same thing.

[cleanhippie]

21. Irrational sociopathy. What a great description of their behavior.

[cleanhippie]

22. And now I know why I DO bother.

Anytime I can get under the skin of a smug, privileged, irrational person, it makes it all worthwhile.