# Advice on dealing with teenager's professed religious belief **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 4, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-dealing-with-teenagers-professed-religious-belief/556048 "2010-10-04T20:41:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-dealing-with-teenagers-professed-religious-belief/556048/81 "2010-10-09T21:17:07Z")
Yeah, but you didn’t get my position in the other threads either. Just because I’m outspoken, or pissed about a particular post or poster, doesn’t translate into an angry person, necessarily. I’m a pretty reasonable, soft-spoken, articulate guy who feels strongly about certain issues and about this issue in particular. Characterizing me as “angry,” “crazy,” “addled,” “long-winded,” “arrogant,” “provocative,” “left-handed,” “stupid,” “troubled,” etc. may make you feel good about attacking my positions, but it doesn’t add a thing to the discussion of my points. But if it makes you feel good, go for it. I’m used to the ad hominem by now. I just expect better of you, Sarah. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-dealing-with-teenagers-professed-religious-belief/556048/82 "2010-10-09T21:35:03Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > I’m a pretty reasonable, soft-spoken, articulate guy who feels strongly about certain issues and about this issue in particular. Yeah? When is that guy going to start posting here? ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-dealing-with-teenagers-professed-religious-belief/556048/83 "2010-10-10T00:20:28Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Yeah, but you didn’t get my position in the other threads either. Just because I’m outspoken, or pissed about a particular post or poster, doesn’t translate into an angry person, necessarily. I’m a pretty reasonable, soft-spoken, articulate guy who feels strongly about certain issues and about this issue in particular. Characterizing me as “angry,” “crazy,” “addled,” “long-winded,” “arrogant,” “provocative,” “left-handed,” “stupid,” “troubled,” etc. may make you feel good about attacking my positions, but it doesn’t add a thing to the discussion of my points. But if it makes you feel good, go for it. I’m used to the ad hominem by now. I just expect better of you, Sarah. Thing is, most of my interaction with you is over this issue…for some reason, I don’t tend to run into you in the threads where you are reasonable and soft-spoken. So, sure, I can believe it when you say you are those things some of the time, or maybe even most of the time, but here you really really aren’t, so how am I supposed to know? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-dealing-with-teenagers-professed-religious-belief/556048/84 "2010-10-10T01:47:13Z")
It’s a zen thing. He’s only reasonable and soft-spoken when nobody’s looking at him. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-dealing-with-teenagers-professed-religious-belief/556048/85 "2010-10-10T02:04:43Z")
At least being a religious martyr gets you something. An atheist martyr not so much. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-dealing-with-teenagers-professed-religious-belief/556048.md?page=4)