[Vision2020] [Idaho Atheists] Everyone Deserves Death

[Chasuk]

On Tue, May 20, 2008 at 5:33 PM, Donovan Arnold
<donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I am unaware of any Ad hominem attack against Ralph, and if you are unable
> to find it, I am unwilling to accept your assertion that I did. I have done
> my best to stick with the facts.

That's fine.  I hedged my bets with the phrasing "I do seem to
recall," if you will read carefully.  I made no outright assertions.
Ralph can provide evidence of the ad hominem attacks, if they exist,
which shouldn't prove any problem, assuming the accuracy of my memory.
 There; I've hedged my bets again.

> Second, using "Xians" in place of "Christians", is offensive. A quick Google
> Search and you would know. Placing X in place of Christ, is offensive.
> Particularly people attacking my faith. You not thinking it so, or you
> saying it isn't so, doesn't make it any less offensive. You are NOT a
> Christian, so I don't see how you can say it shouldn't be to those of us
> that are.

I'm not disputing that YOU find the use of "Xtian" offensive.  I would
have been surprised if you didn't.  I'm asserting that it has
non-offensive historical precedent.  You counter with claims of myth
and urban legend.  Possibly, but I found it in a book published in
1945, so it is a myth older than this generation.

Do you think that the use of "Xtian" would offend Jesus?  I'm not
making jest here.  If it would offend Jesus, then it is is probably
worthy of taking offense over.  This is a rule as applicable to
non-Christians (and even nontheists) as it is to Christians.  I rather
suspect that Jesus would have pitied someone who took offense at
something so trivial, especially when that offense is ostensibly on
his behalf.  He would probably prefer that you were offended about the
poor who were not being fed then matters of mere nomenclature.

> Third, I believe that Ralph is specially using that term to be intentionally
> offensive to those who's faith he doesn't share.

Probably.  I shamefully admit that it is sometimes fun to tweak those
who are easily tweaked.

Chas