Offensive Quotes

[maradnu]

Maybe I am a little bit touchy, but I ran into the following quote tonight.

"Christianity is completed Judaism or it is nothing." — Benjamin Disraeli

As a Jew, I find that EXTREMELY offensive.

As I recall, Ann Coulter got in a great deal of trouble for saying something like that a few months ago.

The remark was deemed anti-semitic then. What makes it okay for this site now?

What is next - various quotes from Christian ministers calling Islam a religion of hate? Perhaps others demeaning Buddhism or Hinduism?

[TONY BOY]

I don't see why you find it offensive, since it is more a historic comment, made by a Jew, who for whatever reason converted to the Anglican Church. It isn't meant as a "statement of fact", but tells us more about Disraeili, than anything else. There are a lot of offensive, or just silly quotes on this site. I just solve them, and move on. I say that as one whose mother's family was Jewish. If I thought about it, I would be offended by various "atheist" qoutes on this site. But I am not getting my theology, nor my philosophical education here, just entertaining myself. There have been some offensive quotes about the Catholic Church, and Christianity in general, here. So what? I just solve them and move to the next one.

[maradnu]

Tony,

I see many pro-Christian quotes on the site, and ignore them as we both do the occasional atheistic quote. There is a difference between that which promotes and that which belittles or demeans.

The fact that you do not profess Judaism plays no small part, I'm sure, in your feeling that the comment is just hunky-dory. Disraeli was a Christian of Jewish ancestry, (as you would seem to be) which did not give him any right to belittle the religion of his ancestors. The fact is, that the comment does attempt to belittle Judaism, to say that it is less than Christianity.

That it may be historical is of no consequence. Also historical are many other even far more offensive quotes.

Any comment which belittles or demeans another group, whether religious, racial, or whatever, has no place on a recreational site. Let bigots use their own sites to push that #$%&* to other bigots.

That has no place here. IMHO

[TONY BOY]

All I can suggest is: if you find it offensive, ask Stephen to purge it from the system. I notice quite a few Bible quotes, both from the Old and the New Testment, which aren't properly cited, but listed as "unattributed". To me, this is kind of offensive. If it is from the Bible, it should be noted as such. But to be honest, I just don't think about it. There are a few quotes calling popes and priests derogatory names. They are usually from someone like Shelly, or others who were anti-religious bigots. But we know that, and it is only a quote from them, not an endorsement, one way or the other. As far as I am concerned, anything from Milan Kundera should be purged from the site because he is not only stupid, but never makes any sense about anything. But that is just me.

[jdege]

Originally Posted by maradnu

Tony,

I see many pro-Christian quotes on the site, and ignore them as we both do the occasional atheistic quote. There is a difference between that which promotes and that which belittles or demeans.

I don't think that anyone who is familiar with Disraeli could reasonably interpret him as having intended to belittle or demean Judaism.

"In all these church discussions, we are apt to forget that the second Testament is avowedly only a supplement. Jehovah-Jesus came to complete the 'law and the prophets.' Christianity is completed Judaism, or it is nothing. Christianity is incomprehensible without Judaism, as Judaism is incomplete; without Christianity. What has Rome to do with its completion; what with its commencement? The law was not thundered forth from the Capitolian mount; the divine atonement was not fulfilled upon Mons Sacer. No; the order of our priesthood comes directly from Jehovah; and the forms and ceremonies of His church are the regulations of His supreme intelligence. Rome indeed boasts that the authenticity of the second Testament depends upon the recognition of her infallibility. The authenticity of the second Testament depends upon its congruity with the first. Did Rome preserve that? I recognize in the church an institution thoroughly, sincerely, catholic: adapted to all climes and to all ages. I do not bow to the necessity of a visible head in a defined locality; but were I to seek for such, it would not be at Rome. I cannot discover in its history however memorable any testimony of a mission so sublime. When Omnipotence deigned to be incarnate, the Ineffable Word did not select a Roman frame. The prophets were not Romans; the apostles were not Romans; she, who was blessed above all women, I never heard she was a Roman maiden. No, I should look to a land more distant than Italy, to a city more sacred even than Rome."

[bansaisequoia]

I don't particularly like this quote from Disraeli, and I did give it an offensive rating. However, I'm not sure I'd call on Stephen to remove it from the site. I don't think anyone's espousing any beliefs or opinions here. There are so many quotes by myriad notables who contradict each other, that it's obvious no particular ideology is being promoted. I see all sorts of quotes I don't like by Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Niccolo Machiavelli,Aleister Crowley et alii, but I'll never demand that Stephen remove anything.

[smoochie222]

maradnu or jack steely or drama nut

I am offended by you. You are "somebody feigning high principles: somebody who pretends to have admirable principles, beliefs, or feelings but behaves otherwise". You didn't take the time to find the origin of the quote and then you posted highly inflammatory offensive quotes.

This is after all, just a game.

Love, Hope, Peace, and Charity

As already stated, it is extremely obvious to everyone that this is a game forum, period. There are thousands of other appropriate places for "off topic" posts, regardless of whether it is offensive or not. Bottom line, this is NOT one of them. We are here only to enjoy cryptograms, nothing more and nothing less.

Trolls are a sad fact of life like hackers, spam, Trojans and all other malware. We have to tolerate it if the moderators don't see fit to manage this site a tad more efficiently so that we are not so bothered by such that we unsubscribe. They either care or they don't.