Taylor wrote:Ant; the original quote of mine did not imply Damen Linkers life was not worth living or that he should be kept from expressing any opinion he may have. If you interpreted it that way the fault is mine.
The implication of "the article should have drown in the cesspool" was my expressing disappointment with the articles content.
The implication of " it and the author lend a great deal of nothing to a life worth living" was about me also, I felt the time spent on reading the article was time wasted, its really no more or less than that.
As to the specifics of the article I found to be disagreeable I made them clear in a previous post.
I don't believe in god Ant, if that makes me an atheist so be it, but I have never referred to myself as one, on those occasions when the group I may be with bring up religion I simply say I don't believe in god, and go with the conversation, in my experience its been no big deal.
The partial quote you pulled about an emotional automatic response to a shit article was again me letting LevV know that I got his point.
One last thing, no one on this site is going to get a dishonest remark from me, I may not be fact laden but I have been around the block and I will tell people what's on my mind, which I thought was part of the point of a book discussion group.
I hope this has clarified my position.
Thanks for your reply. Sorry for misinterpreting your disappointment with the article. But I think you and I both agree that it could have been interpreted as brazen.
Consider if someone had expressed the following about an article by one of the current celebrity atheists:
Example:
The article should be burned and sent to the garbage. It's author, Richard Dawkins, lends a great deal of nothing to a life that's worth living.
The above is near identical to what you wrote. I must be honest with you because I too "have been around the block" and speak my mind. As written, the tone reverberates harsher than an expression of "disappointment." As an honest man, I suspect you'd agree.
If the example I wrote was written by me, the wrath of the atheist community we are participating in here would have rained fire and brimstone on me. A loud bark for a dogpile would have been sounded and I would have again found myself on the bottom of it.
Having said that, I am glad you clarified that it was more of a knee-jerk reaction and you clarified your feelings a short time later. And you did so in a direct manner that I greatly appreciate.
Geo posted that you served in the armed forces. You also posted that you swore an oath to fight for our/my freedom of expression. You then asked what I would do for you in return:
As it relates directly to our country's free speech liberties, I too value our right to free expression and am grateful to those that have served in our military to represent free speech, and many other values we hold dear as citizens of the U.S.
I must again be honest with you and saythat although I have not agreed with all our nation's military action, I nevertheless respect the commitment, sacrifice, and courage our service people demonstrate.
From 2010 to 2012 I had the pleasure of performing volunteer work for the Veterans Administration.
In that time I was a "sitter" for VA hospice care. I decided to spend time with hospice patients because sitting with patients and forming friendships was a more personal way to help.
I will never forget the personal stories some veterans shared with me at bedside. I met some very interesting men (and one woman!) One patient was a World War II vet!!
Hospice care is perhaps one of the most difficult volunteer programs, but I found it to me the most rewarding.
What I also can share with you is that in my experience with people near the end of their lives, It is not heaven they speak of the most. It is not, God, or Jesus, or apostles, or the bible, or Buddha, or Mohammed they talk most about.
They do not speak of items they purchased, degrees they earned, or arguments they won and lost.
It is the people they have loved during their lives and little moments that when shared never fail to put a smile on their face, no matter what tomorrow may bring.
It was those moments that I would realize again and again it was not I that was the "giver" It was I who had the pleasure and honor of being the recipient of meaningful memories.
And it didn't matter if a God was or was not present. What mattered most was that particular moment of sharing between two very, very finite beings of flesh and blood.
Thanks, Taylor.