I agree completely...I don't care who or what you serve, or if you serve no one but yourself. To each their own. I think me personally...I just don't like people who can't or won't try to understand...to see the other side of whatever convo/topic you're on. I'm not talking about agreement. I mean how many of us wholeheartedly disagree with others here...but we're still able to be civil. Agree to disagree perhaps? But to not accept that others are happy or question their idealogy or status quo...well that's just unacceptable.
I think those are the only topics that I've ever gotten sparky on. I find that to be the biggest insult, to if nothing else, to NOT just to suspend 'belief/disbelief' for a moment and put yourself in the other person's shoes. And how many of us were at that point when we were in the Organization? How many times did we figurative (or literally, heck, I don't know how you played) stuck your fingers in your ears and sang "La la la la la!" so as to not hear the other persons' points?
I welcome viewpoints. If it interests me enough, I go on after and do research on my own. But you're right, being abusive, snarky, condescending and arrogant is no way to win followers or influence people. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
How many people are still, alabeit unconsciously still trapped in that "Jdub" mindset of "attack attack attack, disprove, disprove disprove!" Yes, although some have grown to have different concepts of 'theology' or lack thereof, how many haven't been able to let go of that absolute thruth-ism?
"The truth is rarely pure and never simple." - Oscar Wilde
