[Mr 5 0]

Originally posted by joe4speed :

Dammit... I didn't want to reply, but just had to say, I am not offended at all. It doesn't really bother me about what you guys think, chances are very slim that I will ever meet you anyways, and even if I did, the differences we have on this topic would never influence my judgement of you.

There is a distinct difference between opposition to your opinions and a personal dislike of you. A big difference. We're all at least semi-anonymous on the web and as you say, will probably never know each other face to face so a personal animus is almost impossible. What's debated here are opinions, not personalities.

Jim, dude, why do ya have to pick apart everything that everyone says?? Maybe I am misinformed, sorry about that. I merely stated my opinion and didn't ask for yours(just like you didn't ask for my sexuality), I already know your opinion after 6 pages. 6 pages that I skimmed through alot, which apparently made me "misinformed". I knew I should have said I didn't read through the whole thread when I wrote that. I am not picking a fight, there's nothing to fight about. Sorry my post was such "nonsense", so "uninformed", "absurd and beyond naive", and full of "PC babble". After all, it was just my opinion.

Joe, dude, why are you surprised that when you post your opinion on a public messageboard those who disagree with you will deconstruct your contentions? You made the standard PC equasion that any opposition to so-called 'gay marriage' automatically means that one opposed to it 'hates' homosexuals. That's a foolish fallacy I'm tired of seeing in these arguments and I no longer sit still for it or chalk it off to ignorance. You should consider your words carefully when you post and be prepared to defend any broad-brush smears you choose to make here or on any message board. You casually threw around the word 'hate' as your reaction to the posts. I saw no 'hate', only opposition and some revulsion with the physical act of sodomy and the homosexual 'lifestyle' but no one claimed they 'hated' homosexuals. That was a knee-jerk assumption YOU made, with little to no basis in fact and I resented it. I'm certainly not 'looking for a fight' either, just some honesty and civility instead of PC babble about 'hate' whenever anyone objects to changing the legal definition of marriage to include same-sex 'partners'.

I have thought about the things that you have said here. I think you have some very valid points, but it still doesn't change my opinion. I hope you'll just respect it, and leave it at that.

Of course, just as you'll equally respect my diametrically opposed opinion, I'm sure. I only present the case against 'gay marriage'. What you do with it is your decision. It's a messageboard, not a court and no one 'wins' or 'loses' here.

And I really didn't want to reply again either. I have to say though, Jim, you have a great talent for working someone up! I haven't experienced the "Mr 5.0" debate personally till now.

Here's a tip I've learned over many years of posting on controversial topics on internet messageboards: Never say you won't post again on a thread. It's the 'kiss of death' and almost guarantees you WILL post again. Been there, done that. I don't suffer fools gladly but I try to be civil and reasonable unless I'm attacked; then I attack right back in kind. I always know that no matter how hot the exchanges get they'll be mostly forgotten in a few days and few will remember them at all in a month. After all, it's just the internet.