What offends you the most?

[scru]

Does something really offend you? Just realised I spelled atheism wrong. Sorry about that.

[GrimJack]

Thanks for allowing the choosing of more than one offense - I am not sure about what you meant on the pda thing. I think face-sucking in public is offensive but I think holding hands, leaning on each other, or walking arm in arm is okay.

Same with the religion question, I think burqas, turbines, scarves, yarmulkes, crucifixes, etc are okay but proselytizing, sign-carrying, large angry mobs, etc offend me.

[twomers]

I'm normally placid. Not sure if any of the above actually offend me ... just annoy me.

>> I think face-sucking in public is offensive
Why?
This reminds me of a quiz I was at before. There was a question about the irrational fear of clowns and I was thinking 'is there a rational fear' of clowns? I came to the conclusion that there wasn't. Heights, yes. Snakes, yes. Clowns... no.
How is face sucking offensive? I just don't see it is all.

[Ancient Dragon]

>> I think face-sucking in public is offensive
I agree -- a really long kiss in public is offensive, but short smack on the lips is not. And the standards of conduct among gays is (or should be) the same as straights.

But what offends me the most is heavy cursing, especialy the F word. I will not watch movies or stand-up comedians that use a lot of cursing or that include long hot sex scenes.

Another category: public drunkenness. They are pathatic people, and often drunks get mean. Drinking alcohol in moderation is ok for most people, but some don't know how or when to stop.

[GrimJack]

I'm normally placid. Not sure if any of the above actually offend me ... just annoy me.

>> I think face-sucking in public is offensive
Why?
This reminds me of a quiz I was at before. There was a question about the irrational fear of clowns and I was thinking 'is there a rational fear' of clowns? I came to the conclusion that there wasn't. Heights, yes. Snakes, yes. Clowns... no.
How is face sucking offensive? I just don't see it is all.

Dang it?! Now I gotta think about how I feel - I'll get back to you when I get it sorted out

The clown thing - there is more to a clown than funny clothes and face make-up; clowns are often the only people (besides relatives) who think that they can just walk up to a child and be 'funny' when, in fact, tiny children need their immediate environment to be safe-ish so they can explore out beyond themselves. Clowns often barge right into the kid's space w/o preliminaries. I may not be explaining this very well, but put yourself in the place of 2 foot tall human with limited experience with how the world works and watch a garishly painted thing only vaguely looking like a person that is 2 or 3 times your size barges right up to you and looms over you.

I think there is a rational fear of clowns - at least it might start out rational

[scru]

I actually agree with the excessive F word and vulgar drunks. I don't know why I didn't think of those.

The drunks are who really would win in this category, because they can be so many different types of offensive at one time without a conscience.

Another offensive thing is when I'm walking home with my girlfriend, there's this group of guys who smoke weed a lot and they actually tease her right in front of me. And whenever I say anything to them I get so blatantly verbally abused. We've actually come to avoid passing there at certain times of day.

[Infarction]

I voted for all of them because, while a small amount may be bearable, all of them in sufficient proportions (which for me is perhaps a bit little) start to get under my skin...

[Dani]

Does something really offend you? Just realised I spelled atheism wrong. Sorry about that.

I fixed the poll.

[jasimp]

The only one that really offends me is racism.

[sneekula]

Violence committed in the name of a religion. I have pretty well had it with this islamic crap.

[Infarction]

Violence committed in the name of a religion. I have pretty well had it with this islamic crap.

Not that the Muslims are the only one's who've ever done that...

[Dave Sinkula]

Not that the Muslims are the only one's who've ever done that...

Any recent (past hundred years or so) incidents you've got in mind?

[Ancient Dragon]

Lets not turn this thread into a flame war on religions. I think this is an interesting thread so don't spoil it by going in that direction.

[GrimJack]

Any recent (past hundred years or so) incidents you've got in mind?

How soon we forget!

Oklahoma City Federal Building - you can tiptoe around the groups and what they call themselves but Christian beliefs are 'fundamental' to their existence.

There, do you think that was enough gasoline? I could mention Waco, Idaho, and Montana but those would only be tossing candles in with the gas.

[Dave Sinkula]

How soon we forget!

Oklahoma City Federal Building - you can tiptoe around the groups and what they call themselves but Christian beliefs are 'fundamental' to their existence.

There, do you think that was enough gasoline? I could mention Waco, Idaho, and Montana but those would only be tossing candles in with the gas.

Lame attempt, but thank you for playing.

[Infarction]

Any recent (past hundred years or so) incidents you've got in mind?

I was mainly referring to the fact that Islam is not the only religion that's ever been blamed for grievous crimes. But I suppose we should digress, as AD suggested.

Keeping the discussion on a religious note though, I do appreciate the OP putting atheism as an option. There are some atheists who are worse about forcing their beliefs on people than most evangelists of whatever religion... they're like GNU zealots or something, just with a different goal... :icon_twisted:

[Ene Uran]

Lets not turn this thread into a flame war on religions. I think this is an interesting thread so don't spoil it by going in that direction.

I agree fully with you!

We need to distinguish between legitimate religions and their extremist often murderous abusers. They are only a few, and unfortunately all religions have them.

[GrimJack]

I rank racism as probably the worst of the offenses but that may only be because it is often the most obvious, though it is now becoming closely wrapped in religious intolerance.

Here in Seattle a Sikh was attacked as a Muslim - this has to be a combination of 3 offenses, racism, religious intolerance, and stupidity. Sometimes, I think quietly to myself "if only ignorance were painful".

<but that would almost qualify as masochism>

[Jade_me]

Lets not turn this thread into a flame war on religions. I think this is an interesting thread so don't spoil it by going in that direction.

yup, i m agree with you AD...

[evilwrench1975]

I have to agree with almost all of you... but one thing you missed was how offensive overly-intelectual people are... being smart is one thing... but the ones that think they need to try to belittle someone else because of a higher level of learning in a certain subject are the true offenders of this world... if we just realize that everyone has the ability to contribute something differently, then we can begin to understand that there truly is no "better person" only the ones that chose to be worse.

[sneekula]

People that function only through intimidation.
The post about overly "smart-acting" people might be in reference to one of those cases.

[evilwrench1975]

thought that was about as un-intimidating as a post could get... maybe I was wrong... or not

[sneekula]

thought that was about as un-intimidating as a post could get... maybe I was wrong... or not

Sorry, I didn't mean you! Corrected my statement to:

The post about overly "smart-acting" people might be in reference to one of those cases.

[MidiMagic]

Part of the problem is that the news media often do not distinguish between the religion itself, and some crazed person high on some kind of brain-remover who commits a crime and claims to be doing it for a religion. Often the person making such a claim actually hates the religion he claims to be a part of.

[evilwrench1975]

oooooh, and let's not forget those who claim racism or religeous discrimination when they get caught doing something truly wrong... if it's a crime, it's a crime... regardless of your color or religeous preference or gender... don't turn the tables to make those enforcing the laws out to be the bad guys... take credit where credit is due

[Ezzaral]

I'm not certain exactly how one would "do atheism" in public. Have you ever seen anything that would qualify? I can't say that I have really, so that one is a bit confusing.

[evilwrench1975]

hmmm... I think possibly, by not believing in god in public... darn it, I did it again... did I offend anyone?

[EnderX]

I'm not certain exactly how one would "do atheism" in public. Have you ever seen anything that would qualify? I can't say that I have really, so that one is a bit confusing.

Offering continual smackdowns of anyone showing even the slightest modicum of faith and/or religious beliefs, regardless of how and/or if it affects the person giving the smackdown. Would this not qualify?

[Ezzaral]

Offering continual smackdowns of anyone showing even the slightest modicum of faith and/or religious beliefs, regardless of how and/or if it affects the person giving the smackdown. Would this not qualify?

I suppose it could, yes. I was thinking of public in terms of out on the street or in a mall or some such. I have seen some who preach their religion in such venues, but I haven't run across atheists doing so and therefore wondered what behavior was under consideration.

[twomers]

>> I think there is a rational fear of clowns - at least it might start out rational
Well... What I meant about a rational fear of heights and snakes (etc), is that if you do not respect them is in the nature (figuratively speaking), of a tall vertical height to hurt or kill you if you fall from it or a snake to bite you if (s)he feels like it. They are real and dangerous if you're not careful. They have a right to induce fear, which I believed to be rational fear. People can have an irrational fear of them too, I guess, but I find it more justified than clowns, say. Clowns are meant to entertain you...
I read recently that clowns were based in the Irish way back. They had stupid grins, rosy noses and cheeks cause they were drunk all the time. Bad cloths cause they were poor, and silly hair cuts because they were Irish... Not sure if it's true or not but amused me.

>> Dang it?! Now I gotta think about how I feel - I'll get back to you when I get it sorted out
Heh. Figured yourself out yet?

>> I actually agree with the excessive F word and vulgar drunks.
I think it comes to excessive use of anything. Be it food, drink, words, violence, anger, speeding, dating, laughing (sore sides :)), crying...

But then again, too much PC can get annoying too, right?

All the things mentioned... sure they're not good, but are they really offensive... ? I know the definition of offense - making someone feel hurt, angry, sad, etc... I dunno... most (if not all), of the aforementioned sentiments instill those feelings... but I always felt that offending someone goes deeper than, say, boisterously driven street-side jerks calling you names. Maybe it's just me... who knows.

Then again maybe I watch too many movies where offense reaches the limits.