I’m asking about loud nation wide issues like abortion, evolution, capitol punishment.
Have you, or anyone you know changed their position, 180 degrees because of anything posted on these boards?
Long time ago, Esprit’s 4+ threads on “Ask the Gay Guy” caused me to change radically on gay rights. Probably not 180, but say at least 90 degrees. Does that count?
I changed my opinion on gun control (in the US, at least) because of something Bricker said.
IIRC, Bricker himself changed his opinion on gay marriage (and gay rights in general, I think) because of things he read here.
…
Short answer: I doubt many have.
Less short answer: I have often read posts and maybe found something that might make me think, or at least re-evaluate something. The purpose of the board is to fight ignorance, and often just some relevant info, or a link to some site, will at least stop me from continuing to believe something I previously assumed was 100% fact.
As far as the major issues you mention in your OP, nah…for the most part, those opinions/beliefs are based upon my own ethical/moral beliefs and are pretty much set in stone - for me, at least. Occasionally I will run across a thoughtful post that gives some serious credence to an opposing viewpoint that I might not agree with, but can respect and understand where that person is coming from.
I wouldn’t call it 180 degrees, but I know of someone here who at least softened their stance on gun control (and guns in general) after some local dopers treated her (and myself) to a trip to the shooting range.
The Dope has helped me form opinions that I can defend.
I haven’t changed basic views, but I’ve learned more and been better able to argue my positions thanks to things I learned here. I’ve also learned about things I’d never previously thought about.
And in some cases, that’s led to me being able to changing other people’s own opinions, or just educate them.
Two examples:
I’ve been able to explain the difference between a sinagogue and “a Jewish temple” (no, it’s the Jewish temple, There Can Be Only One, and why can’t there be one right now) much better than with what we were taught in class.
I don’t have it bookmarked, but there was a thread (which I can’t find but it was triggered by this Sampiro piece) about how prevalent anal sex is among gay males; I learned that many gays aren’t into anal any more than I am. And it’s amazing, but I’ve discovered that for many of my bigoted acquaintances, the actual hangup is not “being gay,” it’s anal… they suddenly become a lot more willing to stop looking sideways at the nice gay couple who just moved into apartment 3B once I point out that they may “just be doing the same things a bf+gf can do with her panties up.”
I’ve come around a bit on Mormons-as-nutty-cult, although I’m not sure if it was the Mormons on the SD or discussion about the South Park Mormon episode that did it, but either way it happened here.
Nope. I was in my late thirties when I started here and I still hate republicans.
Ooooh, maybe one change: I hate republicans more now.
I haven’t changed my position on any one major issue, but I’ve learned to approach some of my hot-button issues with more rationality than emotion. So I guess you could say some of my opinions have been tempered.
I think that my views on gun control in the U.S. have softened but not 180’d due to the Dope.
I wouldn’t say I’ve done a 180 but reading posts on the Dope has helped to clarify issues for me so that I no longer have any doubts about my position.
I am not sure but didn’t some poster invite some white supremacists from stormfront (or something like that)to defend their points of views, and one of them actually changed his views and became a poster here?
I thought he was an Ex-con
Yes, indeed.
No specific thread, but I think it’s likely the Dope that convinced me to stop labeling myself an agnostic and just go with straight atheist, and to abandon the last wisps of vague belief in paranormal phenomena.
My ignorance has been successfully fought on more than a few topics, but no 180[deg] changes here either, but some fairly substantial changes in angle on a few subjects.
I have radically changed my opinion on at least one topic about which I posted, but not due to influence of the board; excepting that I actually did a fair amount of research so I could defend my position if assailed - Only to find that I was wrong in my original position. So, I suppose that could kinda be laid at the SDMB’s doorstep, even though I challenged my own position.
I think there’s a big difference between “changed opinion” and a complete 180.
If you’re asking if anyone has changed their opinion on something due to reading the Dope, I would think it fair to say that almost anyone with a modicum of self-honesty and intellectual curiosity has changed at least one of their opinions to some degree due to things they’ve read here. Including me.
Not 180 degrees but my leave-all-the-immigrants-alone stance has changed to turning-a-blind-eye-only-hurts-illegal immigrants.
Unfair and uneforced immigration laws have made a permenant underclass that will continue to be underpaid to do shit work. But I have not swung all the way to build a wall, shoot them down and let them die in the streets for want of an ER.
Well I used to think little to gay marriage and such. While I still think little of gay marriage, I now would 100% support it if there was a vote here in Maryland. Just from reading this thread a number of people seem to suggest the same thing.