Judgmental judgers judging judmental judgers, and terrible people.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

Yeah, read that a few times fast.

Someone I know (who is well known by all his friends as being a super judgmental dickhead who doesn't think before he opens his mouth and lets vitriol fly) decided that anyone who was Christian and got their morals from the Bible are "terrible people."

I decided to counter him by saying "No, they aren't, it just depends which morals they take to heart and if they actually follow them instead of just saying they do."

He blasts back with "No, they are terrible people for just taking morals as they are told instead of discovering and exploring {Me: ..really? I doubt you did that.} on their own."

In my mind, everyone takes morals as they are told. It's how kids are raised. Kids are neutral in terms of morals until their parents (or someone else of authority) tells them what is and is not wrong and right. Those morals might alter as they grow, depending, but I'm willing to put out there that a good number of people's morals don't alter too far from where they started. (Of course there are those examples of people who have a complete 180/epiphany, but I don't think those are every damn person.)

Mine haven't, and my morals come from my parents. Apparently, according to his definition, I'm a terrible person. So are all my friends who have been raised in religious homes, or who also share the morals of their parents.

Love how he's so superior and judgmental of the people he hates because they are so judgmental of others.

Oh, yes, he's atheist, but I don't like ascribing that label to him because he's a huge mar on all the atheists I know who are very much "Live and let live." So I'll just label him as a colossal douche canoe who uses the label of atheist to "smug smug" and "pnarf pnarf" over anyone who isn't atheist.

(Should this have gone in Things I Hate? I have trouble with where threads should go on this forum. )

[TheHuckster]

I do think it's important to question authority on some level, instead of taking it for face value because "that's what they tell you"... but that doesn't mean you completely disregard every single thing your parents or anyone else teaches you just because it's what "The Man" said.

I also think this topic is a two way street. I feel as though people are often disregarding ethics and morals on the basis that either "it's what everyone does" or "nobody got hurt." I hear these kinds of justifications for cheating on school exams, driving recklessly, or even cheating on a loved one behind their back. And I've observed that the folks who do these kinds of things are sometimes the same people who think those who think like the person in the OP. In other words, "I won't do anything people consider 'moral' because they tell me to but I'll do things people consider 'immoral' because other people do it."

[AmbrosiaWriter]

I agree it's important to take what someone teaches you and look at it, but by his mindset, because I "decided" {I put it in quotation marks because there was never any conscious decision on my part about it} my parents morals are what I want to follow I'm a terrible person. It's the people who act like you shouldn't listen to anything someone of authority says and discover everything on your own through your own experiences. It's like, "really? If everyone did that we'd be like wild animals who have no morals. They just survive."

It's just weird, that so many people are spouting "We're better than wild animals because we have morality" yet it's like, "Well if we were really better than wild animals we wouldn't be destroying our own planet or treating each other like trash."

People don't like Christians because they "treat other human beings like lesser beings" yeah those people who don't like those Christians are doing the exact same thing they dislike Christians for. What the hell!

[TheHuckster]

To me, what it comes down to is this: People should be able to learn from others' mistakes. A lot of things parents and others teach you is not just "because they said so" but because they had once done the opposite and faced consequences, and do not want the same to happen to their kids.

And that isn't just teaching morals, but a lot of other things, such as making sure one takes time to think about what career they want, and to take the steps necessary to make the best out of that career, whether it's education, training, or networking. Or teaching them good financial values such as avoiding racking up thousands of dollars of credit card debt or buying things that you really can't afford.

My parents' morals were very much based on honesty and integrity, which they felt was one of the cornerstones of being an upstanding human being, which is something I hold to high regard, and plan on teaching my future kids. And honesty is more than just telling the truth when asked. It's about not being intentionally misleading, or not remaining silent when giving truthful information may help, among other things. If I had done something wrong, my parents doled out the proper punishment... however, if I had done something wrong and then lied about it or covered it up, the punishment was far more serious.

[Rageaholic]

What he fails to realize is that people can take in some of their parents morals, while discovering your own. Even then, who is he to assume that all parents teach their kids bad morals? He sounds like one of those objectivist douchebags who thinks that his way is the only way. While I would argue that there are some things we should all agree on (hurting people is wrong ect), we can *gasp* actually coexist without agreeing on everything.

In his defense, I understand the people he's railing against, the judgemental, perfect goodie two shoes. I like to call them "moral bullies" because they bully people who don't live up to their standards. He just seems to put people in that group who don't belong.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

I can understand the people he's railing against too, but if he's going to rail against the judgmental, goodie two shoes, he shouldn't be acting exactly like them minus the "LOVE JESUS" and plus the "I AM ENLIGHTENED THROUGH SCIENCE TROOOOF."

He judges and considered inferior anyone who is anything other than atheist. I haven't told him that I'm Wiccan/Spiritualist because OH.MY.FREAKING.HELLS. the flaming I would be setting myself up for.

[kaycivine]

You sure his name isn't beginning with the letter A? (If anyone saw my Off-topic posts back in November/December back on CS)

I'm sorry that you have to deal with him