# Don't Ask ----- Don't Answer **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 6, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997 "2007-05-06T17:09:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/1 "2007-05-06T17:09:14Z")
This response: > [@don't ask](#): > > Probably because it has the intellectual weight of switching from over easy to sunny side up. to the question “How can you just switch religions?” posted in GD is rude, pompous and ignorant. For one thing, I thought Great Debates were supposed to try to be impersonal. I am sick to death of the constant suggestion that people who have any kind of belief in God or practice a religion must be doing so out of ignorance. You want to blast Christians for their homophobia? I’m right there with you. But don’t typecast all people of faith as intellectual lightweights. There’s an awful lot of history and literature you’d need to explain away. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/2 "2007-05-06T17:24:16Z")
I hate Christians because they don’t provide links to whateverthefuck threads they’re pitting. Damn Jesus freaks! ---
**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:** [May 6, 2007, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/3 "2007-05-06T17:30:41Z")
[Link to thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=419688) ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_fight_the_hypothetical)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/4 "2007-05-06T17:51:45Z")
[QUOTE=fessie] But don’t typecast all people of faith as intellectual lightweights. [/QUOTE] Suggesting that faith doesn’t require intellectual depth is not the same as calling someone an intellectual lightweight. One of the smartest people I know is deeply religious. Jeehov, in fact. edit: brevity ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/5 "2007-05-06T18:11:03Z")
[QUOTE=fessie] For one thing, I thought Great Debates were supposed to try to be impersonal. [/QUOTE] That response was in no way personal. Well, unless you _want_ it to be, I suppose. You disagree with the proposition that switching religions is as intellectually ‘heavy’ as choosing one’s style of egg frying? Then discuss why it is not so. Oh btw, the argument from popularity won’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/6 "2007-05-06T18:44:39Z")
What, you’ve never seen rude, pompous, or ignorant in GD before? ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/7 "2007-05-06T19:25:38Z")
Why would you assume I’m a Christian? Just because I object to typecasting of religious people as intellectual lightweights? Stepping away from the faith of one’s upbringing, questioning the beliefs one has taken for granted, and then choosing another way of looking at God and committing to practicing the rituals of that religion - that’s frivolous? A mere flip of a coin? I think it is the height of hypocrisy that people around the Dope are so rude about religion while making claims of intellectual superiority, progress, and open-mindedness. Yeah. Sure. It’s a fuck of a lot easier to dismiss people’s beliefs than to try to understand them. And if you want to argue for tolerance, you’d be a lot more effective if you practiced some yourselves. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/8 "2007-05-06T19:37:05Z")
On behalf of myself and everyone who is me, thank you, Fessie. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/9 "2007-05-06T19:48:39Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] On behalf of myself and **everyone who is me** , thank you, Fessie. 🙂 [/QUOTE] How many ya got in there, **Lib**? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/10 "2007-05-06T19:53:09Z")
[QUOTE=fessie] Stepping away from the faith of one’s upbringing, questioning the beliefs one has taken for granted, and then choosing another way of looking at God and committing to practicing the rituals of that religion - that’s frivolous? A mere flip of a coin? [/quote] Yes. Religion is ALL nonsense. There’s nothing to choose between them intellectually. Now in terms of practicality and self interest, there are differences between, say, a suicide cult and the Quakers; that doesn’t mean that one or the other has any more plausibility. Believing that God loves you is just as irrational as believing that your astral form will hitch a ride with a starship if you kill youself. ---
**Author:** ![citybadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@citybadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citybadger)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/11 "2007-05-06T19:57:26Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] How many ya got in there, **Lib**? 😃 [/QUOTE] **Lib** is Legion. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/12 "2007-05-06T20:41:33Z")
[QUOTE=citybadger] **Lib** is Legion. [/QUOTE] Damn. Stole my thunder. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/13 "2007-05-06T20:57:50Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] Yes. Religion is ALL nonsense. There’s nothing to choose between them intellectually. [/QUOTE] Okay, assume you’re 100% correct (do I really have to tell you to do that?). Assume that all religion is bunk and religious people are fools/brainwashed/whatever. Assuming that the brainwashed fools fully believe in this religion shouldn’t the choice be difficult? Say I asked you to stick your hand in an open flame. You’d probably refuse as you would get physically burned. The brainwashed fools have a similar problem. Going against one’s religion would result in a spiritual burn. That sounds like nonsense _to you_ but is deadly serious _to them_. Then again that whole train of thought involves perspective taking and I’m come not to expect that from you. Oh, and before you begin–I’m a theist and I’m being a dick to you because you frustrate me. If one looked up “willful ignorance” in Webster’s they’d find a picture of you. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/14 "2007-05-06T21:21:58Z")
Let Der Trihs be. He’s one of our best proselytizers. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/15 "2007-05-06T21:24:44Z")
[QUOTE=fessie] You want to blast Christians for their homophobia? I’m right there with you. [/quote] Right on, sister. > [@](#): > > But don’t typecast all people of faith as intellectual lightweights. Wait a minute… ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/16 "2007-05-06T21:26:33Z")
We love him. [QUOTE= Der Trihs] Ah, yes, the desperate, stupid attempt by the religious to create a false equivalance between their incredibly stupid, evidence free belief in God creating the universe and a natural event for which we have plenty of evidence. [/QUOTE] Even Crusaders seem rational next to **DT**. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/17 "2007-05-06T21:59:38Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Scrappy Hero Pup] We love him. Even Crusaders seem rational next to **DT**. [/QUOTE] Yes, because arguing with people on a message board is just as irrational as conquering people and chopping them up with swords. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/18 "2007-05-06T22:10:23Z")
[QUOTE= Der Trihs] Yes, because arguing with people on a message board is just as irrational as conquering people and chopping them up with swords. [/QUOTE] The difference between you and the Crusaders is that you don’t have a sword and access to enough friends with swords. Other than implementation issues, you’re pretty much congruent. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/19 "2007-05-06T22:15:35Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Scrappy Hero Pup] The difference between you and the Crusaders is that you don’t have a sword and access to enough friends with swords. Other than implementation issues, you’re pretty much congruent. [/QUOTE] Yeah, the difference between arguing on a message board and mass murder is just an “implementation issue”. Typical religious “Atheists are the Devil !” reasoning. ---
**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:** [May 6, 2007, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997/20 "2007-05-06T22:21:50Z")
[QUOTE=fessie] I am sick to death of the constant suggestion that people who have any kind of belief in God or practice a religion must be doing so out of ignorance. [/quote] What if we skip the suggestions and go straight to the definitive? It saves time, if nothing else. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-answer/402997.md?page=2)