[newgeezer]

Since you insist on prolonging your lecture, I'll respond.

If you are correct in your atheistic assertion that there is no God, how do you presume to define "politeness" for me or anyone else? Without God, there is no true right or wrong; such things are simply a matter of perspective or opinion.

Perhaps you're relying on majority rule, society, or some such thing. If so, you'll just have to consider the possibility that I'm ahead of my time. No matter how harsh or impolite one might be toward you, you'll really have to wonder if it's just a preview of the 22nd Century society's politeness.

If we're trading reading recommendations, try Romans 1.

[MineralMan]

"If you are correct in your atheistic assertion that there is no God, how do you presume to define "politeness" for me or anyone else? Without God, there is no true right or wrong; such things are simply a matter of perspective or opinion.

Perhaps you're relying on majority rule, society, or some such thing. If so, you'll just have to consider the possibility that I'm ahead of my time. No matter how harsh or impolite one might be toward you, you'll really have to wonder if it's just a preview of the 22nd Century society's politeness.

If we're trading reading recommendations, try Romans 1."

One need not believe in a deity to learn about being polite. Politeness is something that transcends religious beliefs, and you'll find that most every culture and society values polite behavior.

My mother taught me the basic rules of polite society before I was 5 years old. Play nice with others. Don't comment on people's appearance. Respect the beliefs of others. And above all, "If you can't say something nice about someone, keep your mouth shut."

What is going on here violates those basic rules. A man who has the respect of millions of people, on religious and secular grounds, is dying. As you may suspect, I disagree with the man's theological ideas, but this is neither the time nor place for a theological discussion. Out of respect for our fellow human beings, it is a time to express sympathy for their loss. If one cannot do that, in this thread, one should maintain silence. There will be other opportunities for you to wax eloquent about the errors of Roman Catholic doctrine.

As for your supposition that the 22nd Century world will abandon polite behavior, I hope you are wrong. I will not live to see that century, but in the 21st, I will continue to do as my mother taught me. I've found it to work very well in my relationships with a wide spectrum of people. Perhaps you've found the opposite to be true, but I doubt it.

As I said, there will be ample threads for you to discuss your disagreements with Roman Catholic doctrine. This is not one of those threads. This is a thread about a dying man and the feelings of those who respect and revere him.

Common courtesy is a good thing, I think.