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I really should learn to just not engage fundamentalist-types in conversation after all these years. No matter how respectful you try to be, no matter if the person is a good friend or family member time and time again, you will likely be ostracized and insulted just for asking simple questions and having a conversation about something THEY brought to the public arena. Fundamentalists complain about not getting to voice their opinions and receive respect but apparently, they don’t think anyone else deserves that either. They want to be tolerated and listen to but they don’t want to tolerate or listen to anyone else. They’ll get all up in arms if you insult them, but if they insult you….well that’s ok, apparently. I also realize I am being general here but it seems to be true of fundamentalist types more often than not.
I understand how ideas can be a threat to such people and I understand how talking about such things can be scary, but I never cease to be hurt by some of the things people say just because I voice a different opinion, especially when it is a friend or family member. It’s constantly disappointing to me how so many people cannot simply talk about things in a respectful and fair manner. And then we wonder why there have been wars and various acts of violence and hate in the name of religion?
I should be beyond this stuff at the point…I should not engage conversation with people that I know will likely have something nasty to throw my way. That is my failure. But, I just needed to rant about that for a second to people that may understand. Thanks for reading.
That’s a GREAT rant!!!
I have a saying that I keep in mind and will often voice when in conversation with fundamentalists.
It’s not an insult if it’s true.
The other key to these conversations is to realize that nothing a fundamentalist says is personal. They believe it to be true and their comments are based on fear and ignorance. Never attack personally. Stay with the facts and repeat the facts as many times as it takes.
You may never get an acknowledgment from them, but it plants doubt and may cause those who have higher personal integrity to search out the facts.
Fundamentalism can only survive when others are silent and their only defense is to bully others.
I got kicked off a forum a few months ago where I have dialoged for over 10 years. I got kicked off for saying that Christianity can’t hold its own in the free exchange of ideas and instead of countering with evidence they finally chose to kick me off. Ironically it was in the topic labelled, “How to dialog with unbelievers.”
My account was re-instated after 3 months but I have voluntarily said farewell because, while I’m grateful for the 10 years of dialog, everything has an end and I think I said everything I needed to say over the years. In those 10 years 2 moderators have come out of fundamentalism and I have a fairly large collection of private correspondence with those who are interested in honest conversation.
In most of the dialogs I had there what was ultimately the most convincing was the bad behavior of the hyper religious fundamentalists. It was interesting that I openly stated that Christianity was based on fear and the first response was fear based. This is so predictable by now that I find myself having the same conversation over and over. And often, while you may not change the fundamentalist’s mind, those who observe the conversation often shift toward less rigid views of the world because of the vitriol that comes out of those who claim to be the most spiritual.
Here here! Fundamentalists of any kind are the worse to debate with. I think it is worth acknowledging that such a term doesn’t solely belong to religion, but to Atheism and even Agnosticism (I have seen debates with the latter displaying fundamentalist attitudes). I see the term applying to people who hold perhaps ‘traditional’ views and are simply are not interested in contrary views, are not open to discuss their beliefs to any point where they may change their minds and if they detect that such a thing is happening, they go on the straight defensive and the insults start. To me, someone who just attacks people and their beliefs are wholly insecure about their own.
Sometimes the best thing to do is walk away.
There is no debate in their mind (at least that is what they portray) so why would they be able to really debate with another person?
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