Quote:
Originally Posted by The Flying Mouse
The prayer was on the wall for 50 years.
Had it hurt anyone in 50 years?
Was it due to hurt anyone in the next 50 years?
So what was the big problem?
It might have brought comfort to some people, so it did a little good in the world, but who the hell was it going to harm?
If there were a lot more things that could do some good but no harm, we'd be living in a better world.
If there was something in the prayer that insighted racial or religeous hatred toward others, I can see the point in wanting it taking down. But a message of reasurrance? 
Why couldn't the prayer be ignored by the people who didn't believe in it?
Why is another persons views (in this case, religious beliefs) be such an affront to people with different views? (perhaps they are all forum users  ) |
I personally agree with your views, Mouse. Frankly, I think as a society, we have gotten
too "politically correct". However, I think we get on a slippery slope when we try to pick and choose what is "offensive" versus what is not. Some things are obviously clear, as in the vast majority of people would agree; others, not so much.
In a previous job I had in a managerial position, I was required by the company (as were all employees in a similar position) to attend "sensitivity" training. One of the key take-home messages was that when it comes to a "hostile work environment", what is important is not how a comment/action by one employee is
intended, it's how it is
perceived by the second employee. In other words, the company has to take all complaints of offense seriously.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Flying Mouse
I myself am offended when things like Christmas are deemed politicaly incorrect. There have been plenty of reports in newspapers over the years over different places in England that have decided to ban a public Christmas tree in case it offends other religions or non believers.
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My current job is in a service position, and I am always careful not to wish people a Merry Christmas, for example (unless they say it first), not because I'm forbidden by my employer to do so (I'm not), but because I try to keep in mind that not everyone celebrates Christmas. While I wouldn't personally be offended by someone basically wishing me well (for example if someone said "Happy Hanukkah" to me), some people might be. I usually stick with a generic "Have a nice day".
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Flying Mouse
Ultimatly, if somebody well known takes a public stance on an issue it is more than likely that there will be people who agree and people who disagree, and as we all have a differnent compass governing our political/religious/social views, it's not to be too surprising when it's discovered that some of the people who disagree are within his own fan base.
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True; I know there are many people in the Springsteen fan community who don't agree with his politics, and they're not afraid to say so. Yet, they're still big fans of the music.
Religion and politics are two issues that people feel very strongly about, and to discuss them is bound to cause disagreement.