Losing Our Religion?

[fm93]

I once stumbled upon a left-leaning website that was sharply criticizing (in a satirical manner) a fictional conservative character, and I was annoyed at how they were inventing such a grossly distorted representation of conservatives. "No conservatives are THAT grotesquely narrow-minded and irrational. And even if someone WAS like that, other conservatives have enough concern for fairness to call him/her out. Please be more fair to the people you disagree with," I said. Then I started reading seer's threads in Civics, and I realized to my shock and horror that he's just like the fictional conservative character. I also realized to my shock and horror that the other conservatives here hardly ever bother calling him out, and in fact they actually seem to support him whole-heartedly.

[Adrift]

I once stumbled upon a left-leaning website that was sharply criticizing (in a satirical manner) a fictional conservative character, and I was annoyed at how they were inventing such a grossly distorted representation of conservatives. "No conservatives are THAT grotesquely narrow-minded and irrational. And even if someone WAS like that, other conservatives have enough concern for fairness to call him/her out. Please be more fair to the people you disagree with," I said. Then I started reading seer's threads in Civics, and I realized to my shock and horror that he's just like the fictional conservative character. I also realized to my shock and horror that the other conservatives here hardly ever bother calling him out, and in fact they actually seem to support him whole-heartedly.

Not really sure what this post has to do with the OP, but a lot of what you're seeing is hyperbole and exaggeration. It's attempting to get people to react. It's also easier to draw up lines if you can paint the other side in the worst light. If you were to sit down for a few hours (or maybe a few days) with some of this board's conservatives, I think you'd find that their views are not as extreme as you think they are. I think the same is probably true going the other way. Some people (on either side) do hold some irrational conspiracy theory type views of the other side, but a lot of that has to do with the talking heads in the media planting that in people's minds. And, of course, there are always bizarro exceptions to the rule where the guy on the other side really is that out there.

Honestly, as much guff as seer gets for being a radical conservative, I don't think he's legitimately as rabid as a lot of people seem to think. He likes to stir things up, and he can be stubborn, but I think some of it is an act. He's certainly not the most extremist person on the forum.

[Zymologist]

I once stumbled upon a left-leaning website that was sharply criticizing (in a satirical manner) a fictional conservative character, and I was annoyed at how they were inventing such a grossly distorted representation of conservatives. "No conservatives are THAT grotesquely narrow-minded and irrational. And even if someone WAS like that, other conservatives have enough concern for fairness to call him/her out. Please be more fair to the people you disagree with," I said. Then I started reading seer's threads in Civics, and I realized to my shock and horror that he's just like the fictional conservative character. I also realized to my shock and horror that the other conservatives here hardly ever bother calling him out, and in fact they actually seem to support him whole-heartedly.

This sort of thing happens pretty regularly around here with the liberals too.

[fm93]

Not really sure what this post has to do with the OP

That was a response to pancreasman.

but a lot of what you're seeing is hyperbole and exaggeration.

I hope so.

If you were to sit down for a few hours (or maybe a few days) with some of this board's conservatives, I think you'd find that their views are not as extreme as you think they are. I think the same is probably true going the other way.

I can definitely agree with that. I don't think my own views really differ that drastically from some conservatives, in that we genuinely aim for the same things but just have varying ideas of how to accomplish those. In a recent discussion with Bill the Cat, for instance, I found that while I still disagreed with some of his ultimate conclusions, I basically shared similar perspectives as him on several smaller points.

Honestly, as much guff as seer gets for being a radical conservative, I don't think he's legitimately as rabid as a lot of people seem to think. He likes to stir things up, and he can be stubborn, but I think some of it is an act. He's certainly not the most extremist person on the forum.

Perhaps. It's just so annoying how I can basically predict that whenever one non-conservative person says or does something odd, seer's going to jump on it and paint it as if literally everyone who disagrees with him is a part of some malicious crusade against him and some mythologized conception of American ideals or something like that.

This sort of thing happens pretty regularly around here with the liberals too.

True, but there are so many more conservatives on this site than liberals. The sheer numbers factor plays a role in the perception as well.

[Adrift]

True, but there are so many more conservatives on this site than liberals. The sheer numbers factor plays a role in the perception as well.

Maybe you just need a change of venue. Reddit, for instance, is radically leftist/libertarian to a nauseating degree. Not at all odd to see people going beyond gay rights advocacy and advocating child porn for pedophiles, praising sex workers as paradigms of feminism, state provision of hard drugs to addicts, serious comparisons of Israelis to Nazis, the total, and in some cases, forcible elimination of all religions and religious belief, and so on. It makes Theologyweb with it's handful of hardcore conservatives look like tame puppies in comparison. As someone who's pretty much an a-political moderate, the hyperbole and real extremism is annoying no matter which side I read.

[Zymologist]

Maybe you just need a change of venue. Reddit, for instance, is radically leftist/libertarian to a nauseating degree. Not at all odd to see people going beyond gay rights advocacy and advocating child porn for pedophiles, praising sex workers as paradigms of feminism, state provision of hard drugs to addicts, serious comparisons of Israelis to Nazis, the total, and in some cases, forcible elimination of all religions and religious belief, and so on. It makes Theologyweb with it's handful of hardcore conservatives look like tame puppies in comparison. As someone who's pretty much an a-political moderate, the hyperbole and real extremism is annoying no matter which side I read.

Politics suck.