Needing a breather. (abortion)

[jeffrey]

I totally understand. All the same old same old bashing, gets old. At that point myself. And people that I thought were sincere turned out not to be. Oh, well. Turk, Our little Pagan group needs to meet up sometime this summer! We'll sacrifice a virgin or something! JUST JOKING!

[Shadow Wolf]

I have long stayed out of the abortion threads, and I'm starting to lean towards staying out GLBT threads, simple because they always can be summed up as bigots who claim it can be cured and many other primitive ideas vs. people who are GLBT and GLBT defenders.
And then thier has been an increase in "This is the only to Heaven" preaching. I won't point fingers, but I have gotten really p***ed over some of the Bible verse throwing.
I took a couple days off, a few times, but I just can't stay away long.

[dawny0826]

I feel like such a loser.

I've posted on so many threads that touch on the topics that have been mentioned.

[Feathers in Hair]

I hope I can convince you to feel otherwise, Dawny! I don't think any (or most) of us would say that we don't enjoy hyper-debate threads and that we're not pleased to have a place to listen to the opinions of others and to share ours! I think it's just that, from time to time, we all kind of need a time to gather ourselves or regroup. (Especially on certain issues that tend to come up a lot.) I don't believe anyone is saying that they dislike people posting in or creating those threads, though! Please don't feel bad! *huge hugs*

[s2a]

Originally Posted by turk179

I have been contemplating taking a break from RF for a month or two because lately I have been getting agitated and have been taking things too personally in certain debate topics. But I realized that there are two many people with funny and interesting threads that have nothing to do with debates that I would miss too much. So I am just going to avoid certain topics with words like GLBT (or any variants) and abortion in them.
So my question to you all in an attempt to make an interesting thread is, does anyone else avoid sensitive topics like these or take breaks from them for a while?

Please note: If anyone turns this into a debate I will run over to Feathers house, steal her tuna and flog you about the head and shoulders with it .

I feel your pain, though not necessarily in the same way, or for the same reasons.

I tend to actively avoid "in depth" debates regarding evolution theory/creationism, and abortion - not so much because of any personal aggravation/agitation - but because logic and fact rarely prevail over emotional appeals predicated upon faith and irrationally/ignorantly entrenched personal opinion.

Four words sum it all:
"Been there, done that".

I'm too old (and engaged in far to many other more interesting pursuits) to engage tiresome and futile debunkings of faith-based testimonies/opinions as presented "fact" or "truth". If someone wants to vehemently assert (in their faith) that the Earth (and surrounding cosmos) is only 6000 years old, then what overwhelmingly compelling empirical evidence is satifactory enough to dispell such a notion of pervasively willful ignorance? After 17 tears of online experiences (and yet more IRL), the best concession I've ever managed is tantamount to "Oh yeah? Well...", or "I know what I believe, and that's good enough for me". There's no point in providing a suitable atmosphere to sustain a a parachute that will never be used or opened.

I find it far more interesting to challenge the foundations of faith-based beliefs themselves, than to provide the volumes of evidence in support of scientiic fact/conclusions to someone that won't even bother to read or consider what the objective evidence implies beyond reasonable doubts. I have no interest in what you "believe" (or claim as "truth"); but the "why", of that "what you believe", can be not only revealing, but compelling on the most basic terms of confrontational self-evaluation and self-professed "understanding".

"Abortion is murder".

Is it really? By what standard? Instead of arguing whether or not the given statement is valid or true ("What is life?"; "When does life begin?"; "What is a person?"; "Is an undelivered fetus a person?"; "Does any/every killing of a person constitute 'murder'?"; etc.), I find it much more engaging to question the rationale behind the statement/premise itself (ie., "Why do you believe that abortion is murder? What standard of 'murder' do you apply in support of such a conclusion, and from what source?").

People "believe" a great many things (with great conviction), but (more often than not) fail to explain/justify/support the "why" of "what" they believe with self-surety, or any compelling argument whatsoever as to why you should believe what they believe to be "true". Even emotion (or faith) has it's logical foundations and precepts in ascribable motivations and behaviors. Humans are sentient, self-aware, and rational (for better or worse). Love may be undefinable, but it's not inexplicable, nor is it inherently irrational.

It's simple enough for a man to say (unequivocally) "I love my wife" - a claim that is virtually impossible to prove or disprove. But to simply inquire, "Why do you love your wife?", imposes a requisite explanatory rationale that is certainly subject to further examination and review. There may be no exacting "correct" (or compelling) answer to the question itself, but "I don't know why...I just do" tends to lend notable (and intractable) distinctions between existential "truths" and objectively derived empirical facts. I simply find that when people are willing (or instigated) to "think" more about the why of what they "believe (or not)" to be "true" - then, and only then - can the binding chains of unquestioning loyalty to petrified opinion be loosened or set aside.

I do not avoid "sensitive" topics. In fact, I embrace them for their contentious aspects alone. Topics and ideas that challenge our personal perspectives keep us human. I'll leave the traits of unconditional love , unquestioning loyalty, and unmitigated emotions to those that evince neither accountability nor responsibility for what the say, do, or "believe". I respect and remain jealous of a dog's life...but I'm not a dog, and I will have no master of my own mind.

[Bastet]

Originally Posted by turk179

...does anyone else avoid sensitive topics like these or take breaks from them for a while?

Yep, I avoid most debate threads these days, although when I do tip my toe in I tend to get oodles of frubals. Being the frubalholic that I am, you'd think that'd be an incentive for me to debate more, but it's not. I especially try to avoid any threads discussing homosexuality, because they're pretty much guaranteed to degenerate into a slagging match fairly quickly. That, and I take far too much of the crap spouted in said threads personally. So, it's easier for me to not even read them...although sometimes I just can't help myself (and usually end up taking someone's head off).

I've taken several breaks from RF, the longest was a couple of months. I didn't think I'd come back after that one, but I got sucked in again. Think my longest break since has been about a week, but I tend to stick to the "fluffy" threads mostly so it's not the stress-fest it was before.

[Ori]

Please don't leave Turk, you're a very appreciated part of this community, too many others have already left, don't add yourself too.

[Sunstone]

On the few occassions when I get worked up about someone's posts, it almost always seems to be because they are being rude and insulting to others. I suspect rudeness and insults are far more offensive to me than opinions I disagree with.