Was anybody rude in this creationism vs. evolution exchange?

[Lord_Ashtar]

*Originally posted by Captain Amazing *
**

A long time ago, all the creatures of the world were given their powers. The rabbit was given the power to run fast, the bear to climb and crush things with its great strength, the fish to swim, and the bird to fly. But the bacteria was given no powers. Upset, it said to the Creator, “You have given the rabbit the power to run fast, and the bear, the power to climb and crush, the fish to swim, and the bird to fly, but you have given me no powers.”

Then the Creator said, “Be patient and watch.” The bacteria waited and watched. He saw Man come, and kill the rabbit, in spite of its speed, and the bear in spite of its strength, the fish, in spite of its swimming, and the bird in spite of it’s flight.

Then the Creator said, “I have given to Man the power to hunt and kill all of my other creations. But to you, I have given the power to hunt and kill Man. You may feed on Man, and he will sicken and die, and your sons will hunt and kill his.”

And the bacteria heard and was content.**

Very cool. Just curious, did you quote this from somewhere or come up with it on the spot?

[Joe_Cool]

Yeah, I kind of like that.

[Urban_Ranger]

*Originally posted by ultrafilter *
Unless you have deep emotional investment in the idea of evolution, and he knew it, his comment wasn’t rude. But at that point, you know he’s probably pretty emotionally involved with the idea of Jesus, so yes, your comment would’ve been rude.

I disagree with that accessment. While the reply of Revtim was intended to offend, so was his associate’s initial remark. Even without going into all the negative connotations of labelling evolution as a “myth,” his associate still implied that Revtim was stupid because he believed in a myth.

Why else calling Jesus of Nazareth a “myth” rude?

[Captain_Amazing]

*Originally posted by Lord Ashtar *
**

Very cool. Just curious, did you quote this from somewhere or come up with it on the spot? **

Nah, just invented it.

[SuaSponte]

*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose *
**You just want our opinions? Here’s mine.

No, he wasn’t rude. He was merely expressing an opinion on a new conversational subject (unless he already knew that you were a strong Evolutionist, in which case yes, his remark would have been rude).

Yes, it would have been rude for you to riposte with, “Oh, yeah? Well, I don’t believe in the Jesus myth, so there…” (Yes, I know that wasn’t what you thought you might say, but the “oh yeah” and the “so there” would have been implicit.) You had information about him–he prayed, so you knew he was probably a Special Creationist, and sure enough, he was.

by ultrafilter
Unless you have deep emotional investment in the idea of evolution, and he knew it, his comment wasn’t rude. But at that point, you know he’s probably pretty emotionally involved with the idea of Jesus, so yes, your comment would’ve been rude.

First of all, I strongly disagree with the concept that the rudeness of a remark is in any way related to whether you know that the person to whom you are speaking disagrees with the comment. If you meet a bunch of complete strangers at a bar and start off your conversation with “Boy, those Republicans sure are idiots,” are you not being rude? If anything, IMO you are being ruder (that word just doesn’t look right) when you assume that your audience agrees with you.

Second (and pardon if I am rude :D) this “emotional investment” or “strong belief” test is balderdash. Rude is rude. The person’s emotional investment merely predicts how offended the person is going to be by the rude statement, not whether the statement is rude in the first place.

Sua

[ultrafilter]

I’m starting to disagree with my original position. I can definitely see the merits of the arguments made by Urban Ranger and Sua.

[SuaSponte]

Ironically, ultrafilter, I was going to back away a bit from my post. I remembered an old Seinfeld episode, where, at a dinner party with his family, Jerry makes a disparaging comment about kids who owned ponies. It turned out that his great aunt had a pony in the Old Country.
Jerry’s comment was still rude, but it would have been ruder had he known about Great Aunt’s pony and still made the comment.

What I’m thinking is that rudeness is (close to) an absolute, but how rude a comment is depends on the circumstances. “Boy, those Republicans are idiots” is less rude when said at a Young Democrats convention then when it is said at a Young Republicans convention, though it’s still rude in either context.

Sua

[JS_Princeton]

That the Evolution vs. Creationism is a controversial subject at all causees me to lament the general ignorance of the world.

I think it is rude to parade one’s ignorance or intelligence as though either was something for which one should show off. Had the coworker said, “I’m not aware of the evidence that humans are animals,” that would not have been rude. Saying, “I don’t believe in the evolution myth” is rude because it is an indirect retort to a comment that human beings are animals. Such a comment belittles those who actually have the evidence and study the subject. It is rude, perhaps unintentionally so, but still is rude.

Likewise, parading one’s intelligence can also be rude. Saying, “I don’t believe in the Genesis creation myth” would have been a rude retort, even though it may be a more scientifically supportable belief.