Hi, Livonia

Submitted by bos (United Kingdom), Apr 1, 2008 at 04:28

Without checking every comment i have ever made, I would suggest that I either want an answer to the question or feel that reflection upon the question illustrates my argument. If I 'snipe' (note its your word not mine and 'always' is something of an exageration) it is because i have found something objectionable and believe an essentially mild retort to be no further beyond the bounds of civilised discourse than they have allready gone.

But to make my position clear with regard to the comment you responded to, I too would be on board with your 'secular party'. Like the man I responded to I have no religiously based concerns about Obama's childhood islam, I dont even have a problem with offending religion per se. What I do find objectionable is when one religion is disparaged while another is insulated from criticism. I'm not as bothered by the religious people who do this (it is after all part of their belief sytem and tackling it would stifle rather than promote debate) But secular liberals (such as myself) should guard against promoting an environment that allows such an exploitable hypocrasy.

Finally while I certainly meant to disparage his comment, I think comments are occasionally read with a harsher tone than they were written with. (as well as a sometimes milder tone than they were written with) I know I have made both mistakes.

And I am generally confident in my position, but always open to having it changed. When I have any doubt about my opinion I find it even more appropriate to air it in a debate environment as one strand of developing and testing it. After all its important! all over the world people are dying for western public opinion, in some places they are dying just to get enough of our attention for us to make an opinion.

Finally (and absolutely no snipe intended) I have read some of your comments and you are also not immune to revealing agitation and resorting to sarcasm, so why did you ask me a question and then snipe at me?

Honestly i'm not sniping, there is no need for an exchange between us to be a fight.

Peace

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".