Something that I have been noticing about my blogs thus far is my fear of offending someone reading them. Since religion is one of the magic three that you must never talk about (the other two being politics and money) I thought it would be an interesting topic to discuss here.
It's true an innocent conversation can lead quickly to a heated discussion, argument or even war. This is most prone to happen when two parties are discussing religion. Offending someone on the religious level usually entails disrespecting another persons beliefs, albeit the original intention. Often the reason for offense is just ignorance. I know I've done it before. Being raised in a secular household has meant that all my knowledge of the bible comes from 'Jesus Christ Superstar,' 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream coat' and 'Godspell' (My family likes musicals). After learning the hard way, I know avoid all talk of anything that could be remotely offensive, or at least, I try to. I certainly believe in respecting all religions and beliefs, but sometimes I think a theological debate could be educational and fun. I know I'm not prepared for it now, a certain level of religious knowledge would have to be attained first. But in an increasingly politically correct world, could the language barriers ever be broken down enough to have an honest discussion about religion with someone who doesn't hold the same views?
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I know how you feel. I'm always afraid of offending someone in my blogs, but I think that it's important to be able to discuss controversial issues objectively. It can be very interesting if you leave out emotion and concentrate on the argument.
ReplyDeleteI understand that too. My family isn't religious and I grew up with my older sister, who isn't so...tactful. She doesn't really worry about offending people. I think discussions on religion can be very interesting and useful, as long as all sides do be respectful to an extent, but also if people don't shut down or resort to stubborn "I'm right" arguments if they get offended.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above two comments. Also, this is one way in which public discussion can be helpful (i.e. a blog). It is a skill to learn how to talk about religion without pushing over into attack and denigrate mode. Good reflection..
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