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Do you *RESPECT* your political rivals?

do you respect those voters from the opposite party

  • yes

    Votes: 13 81.3%
  • no

    Votes: 3 18.8%

  • Total voters
    16

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
I voted a conditional "yes" no. I simply cannot cut any slack for those who ignored Trump's utter depravity and his willingness to undermine our democracy.
Fixed so the 1st sentence comports with the 2nd.
It's a free service I offer.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
Well, you're quite young.
By the time you reach my age, your magnanimity will embiggen.
Probably not. And I hope not. I tolerated and put up with their garbage long enough. After years of them telling me what they believe, I tell them how I feel.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
"Respect" is a pretty vague, but emotionally loaded, term.

Might help to narrow it down to a small set of more or less concrete actions, such as "How often do you lie about your political opponents or pass along lies about your political opponents?"

e.g. "Liberals and progressives are the same thing." "Communists and socialists are the same thing." "All Trump voters are morons." "All Trump voters are racists." And so forth.
You can't really claim to respect your political opponents if you are willing to lie about them, or pass along lies about them.

Maybe a half dozen questions about things that go into what it means to 'respect' someone.
 

Cooky

Veteran Member
I have an issue when politics are mixed with religion. When someone thinks their political candidates are divinely chosen, It leads to a cult like devotion, and shuts down any possibility for meaningful dialogue.

It's not that I don't respect people like this, but I choose not to interact with them about politics.

I've never met anyone (who I take seriously) who actually thinks a politician was divinely appointed. But I'm with you in that I would not interact with someone who believes that... But I could respect their uniqueness.
 

Cooky

Veteran Member
"Respect" is a pretty vague, but emotionally loaded, term.

Might help to narrow it down to a small set of more or less concrete actions, such as "How often do you lie about your political opponents or pass along lies about your political opponents?"

e.g. "Liberals and progressives are the same thing." "Communists and socialists are the same thing." "All Trump voters are morons." "All Trump voters are racists." And so forth.
You can't really claim to respect your political opponents if you are willing to lie about them, or pass along lies about them.

Maybe a half dozen questions about things that go into what it means to 'respect' someone.

I guess it's hard to put thoughts into words sometimes, when it's something new (at least for me)... But I would have to say, there has become an opening in my mind for appreciating differences and varieties of ideas.

...Possibly it would be interesting to jump from respecting people to respecting other's ideas as well... But one step at a time... ;)
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
I guess it's hard to put thoughts into words sometimes, when it's something new... But I would have to say, there has become an opening in my mind for appreciating differences and variety of ideas.

...Possibly it would be interesting to jump from respecting people to respecting other's ideas as well... But one step at a time... ;)

To genuinely respect and appreciate people and ideas that are different from us, or from our own, we must first stop fearing them. Unfortunately, we live in an age when fear-mongering is rampant. Even more than that, a whole lot of people enjoy being scared of other people and their ideas. They enjoy how it entertains them, makes them feel like they've got a life. But enough talk about political discussions on RF! :D
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
I guess it's hard to put thoughts into words sometimes, when it's something new (at least for me)... But I would have to say, there has become an opening in my mind for appreciating differences and variety of ideas.

...Possibly it would be interesting to jump from respecting people to respecting other's ideas as well... But one step at a time... ;)
Respecting opposing ideas...I see this as not approving, but instead
understanding & discussing with civility & intention of productivity.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
Think you're mature already?
Hah!
Maturity is a subjective term I gave up on trying to live to. Especially when other people are defining it. Being a pessimist is immature. Being LW is immature. Rebelling against god is not mature. Not living as tje sex I was born as is immature. Playing video games is immature. Piercings and tattoos are immature. People's ideas of maturity and immaturity are so asinine and "my way only" that even trying to follow a dream (of sorts that I tried to force myself into as Old Me) is immature. Having long hair when youre a male is immature.
I've been told I'm immature over so many things that are trivial, petty, and have no real bearing on maturity that it's a word I don't use to describe myself.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
Think you're mature already?
Hah!
The most frustrating definitely comes from people who think I'm in my early or mid 20s and dismiss me outright as "you're still young" as if it's not possible for me to have learned and gained from experience. They don't agree with me, and they take what they perceive as an easy out.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
This is a good question. Yes, I can say I do respect those who hold to more traditional conservative values and beliefs, while I myself have become more progressive in beliefs and values over the years.

What I cannot respect however, is outright lies and dishonesty. And that is true from those on the side of politics I lean towards, as it is towards those on the conservative side of things. I cannot say I respect disinformation. I cannot say I respect dishonesty. I cannot say I respect Donald Trump for all of those reasons. I also cannot say I respect manipulation to achieve one's political aspirations, such as voter suppression, denying rights to others for political power. I believe in fairness.

These are a basic human respect thing, not a political thing.

I see it much the same way which is why the 'yes' 'no' question is not one I can answer. This is especially true now when the "other" party is the Trump party not the Republican party. I can't respect those calling for a coup, advocating white nationalist policies, refusing to admit that their guy lost bigly and so forth.

The Republican party used to be an advocate of various philosophies and ideas rather than a pro-authoritarian strongman party that is today's Trump party. But there are still some who call themselves Republicans who have not signed on to the Trump party so to me there's more than one 'other' and we need to include more than just the two major parties as well.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Maturity is a subjective term I gave up on trying to live to. Especially when other people are defining it. Being a pessimist is immature. Being LW is immature. Rebelling against god is not mature. Not living as tje sex I was born as is immature. Playing video games is immature. Piercings and tattoos are immature. People's ideas of maturity and immaturity are so asinine and "my way only" that even trying to follow a dream (of sorts that I tried to force myself into as Old Me) is immature. Having long hair when youre a male is immature.
I've been told I'm immature over so many things that are trivial, petty, and have no real bearing on maturity that it's a word I don't use to describe myself.
Maturity will inexorably happen.
Decrepitude too.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
The most frustrating definitely comes from people who think I'm in my early or mid 20s and dismiss me outright as "you're still young" as if it's not possible for me to have learned and gained from experience. They don't agree with me, and they take what they perceive as an easy out.
You are indeed a young whippersnapper....just
not necessarily to other young whippersnappers.
 

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
I respect reasonable political discourse and disagreement. Far too often, though, I meet people who will say, on one side "your candidate would starve her grandmother" and on the other, "well, your candidate poisons wells." (Please note, you may slip in whatever bizarre conspiracies you suppose in place of my choices -- and will do, including QAnon-sense.)

I try to find reasons to support whatever candidate or party I'm voting for, and I try to undestand what the rivals are saying -- just in case. And I have, over my life, voted for every party in Canada at one time or another, because it seemed to be the right decision at the time.
 

bobhikes

Nondetermined
Premium Member
I would like to do a poll at this time to see what percent of Americans actually respect their political opposites as fellow citizens, and value the differences. I would like to contrast this with the notion of not particularly liking 'those people'.

Politics is only a part of another person, I can respect another person that has differing political views but it still has to be earned.
 

Windwalker

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I see it much the same way which is why the 'yes' 'no' question is not one I can answer. This is especially true now when the "other" party is the Trump party not the Republican party. I can't respect those calling for a coup, advocating white nationalist policies, refusing to admit that their guy lost bigly and so forth.

The Republican party used to be an advocate of various philosophies and ideas rather than a pro-authoritarian strongman party that is today's Trump party. But there are still some who call themselves Republicans who have not signed on to the Trump party so to me there's more than one 'other' and we need to include more than just the two major parties as well.
I've heard talk that there may be a split in the Republican party, and those who are more traditional Republicans will break away from the Red Hat or Trumpian Republicans, which are are more anti-democracy, anti-otherist, anti-reality, fascist party. And like you, when it comes to that, those who embrace things like racism and white-supremacy, no, I cannot respect or get along with that.

I believe in the principles of a cooperative society that tries its best to be inclusive of diversity. But it is not a moral wrong to say we need to be intolerant of the intolerant, as paradoxical as that may sound. It is morally correct to oppose intolerance. It is amoral to tolerate intolerance of others. Is it moral to tolerate genocide, for instance?
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
I've heard talk that there may be a split in the Republican party, and those who are more traditional Republicans will break away from the Red Hat or Trumpian Republicans, which are are more anti-democracy, anti-otherist, anti-reality, fascist party. And like you, when it comes to that, those who embrace things like racism and white-supremacy, no, I cannot respect or get along with that.

I believe in the principles of a cooperative society that tries its best to be inclusive of diversity. But it is not a moral wrong to say we need to be intolerant of the intolerant, as paradoxical as that may sound. It is morally correct to oppose intolerance. It is amoral to tolerate intolerance of others. Is it moral to tolerate genocide, for instance?
What does it mean to "not tolerate intolerance"?
 

ADigitalArtist

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
I have no monolithic answer. Why I do or don't respect someone is an individual case-by-case basis based on their reasoning (or lack thereof) and how they behave. I have political opponents I respect, and ones I don't.
 
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