I've seen the quote before. Thank you for the kindness in recalling it for me.

In that case, you don’t understand ‘completely’! There’s a time and a place, jesus!!!

Wow, baby, what do you do for fun? Steer blind people toward cliffs?

@ofbhbofg I am a pet lover and have deeply mourned several of my dear companions. I treasure the memories of them. But, I see "the rainbow bridge" as the equivalent of believing in heaven for humans. As an atheist or agnostic, I would think that you could understand that. Why attack my motives?

Let me also add that I have buried two of my dearest companions in my vegetable garden with my own hands, hoping that some of the atoms and molecules that comprised them may become a part of me and my life again.
That is love and respect.

@wordywalt That’s fine and dandy, but it doesn’t excuse belittling others’ expression of their feelings. Logic has its place, but it doesn’t work with emotions. Your reaction, whilst laudable, is devoid of emotion. Maybe you need to consider that. Irrespective of our lack of belef in a ‘heaven’, there are still cultural ties that we can buy into without losing our integrity.

E.G: I’m looking forward to christmas - I’ll pay no heed to its christian and pagan overtones, but merely its human value. It has cultural meaning for me.

@KevinTwining Your characterization is untrue and derogatory. The pot should not be calling the kettle black.

@wordywalt It’s based on the evidence of your words. Your pot/kettle statement went right over my head I’m afraid.

@KevinTwining It is an old folk statement meaning that one who makes derogatory statements should not accuse another of the same offense. Also, as Hermann Hesse points out, we are all multifaceted, contradictory creatures. It is often when we are forced to face the contradictions that we do not want to face that real growth occurs. Facing such contradictions often makes us feel unformatable,but any real growth is a plus, not a minus.

@wordywalt I understand what pot/kettle means! I didn’t and don’t understand its use in relation to my comments. You completely and coldly dissed an emotion laden remark from the original poster. Your rationale for the dissing was entirely rational, factual, and devoid of emotion and compassion. I pointed this out, and suggested you consider that. That’s all I did. Pray, tell me what part of that was derogatory?

When one’s point of view or expression of it is challenged, that doesn’t make the challenge automatically derogatory. Did I abuse you? Did I make fun of you? Did I attack you personally in any way? No, I did none of those things. I DID attack your point of view, but I’m afraid that there is open season on views and beliefs, etc. Without that, there can be no debate. Or do you actually believe that your view, opinion, whatever, is sacrosanct and unchallengeable? That is the path to megalomania on a good day, fascism or fascistic views on a bad one

@KevinTwining Again, you mischaracterize. I did not "diss" anybody or anything. I merely expressed my personal reaction, which I have every legitimate right to. Please be more careful of how you depict other people and their actions.

@wordywalt I didn’t say anywhere that you dissed a person - you dissed their emotion laden comment. That was not an appropriate moment to go all ‘rational thinking and analysis’ on that person. You’re the one who needs to be careful - it’s pretty clear to me that you neither have nor understand empathy. If you did, you wouldn’t have said what you did.

@KevinTwining You continue to misrepresent. If you will look at my statement, you will see that I stated that I comprehend the snse of loss and sorrow at the end of the companionship of the deceased person, but displayed empathy in pointing out that we will always have treasured memories that will comfort us.

If the grieving person were my daughter or wife, I would tell them that I would prefer that she not use the term "passed away", but would console her and show understanding. You are simply off base with your characterization.

@wordywalt You accept whatever terms the other person chooses to use. Their feelings, their rules, NOT yours. There is no empathy in a form of words that takes away their right to say it any damn way they choose, on the basis of ‘what you would prefer’. It isn’t about you. But you think it is, don’t you?

@KevinTwining You are attempting to impose your perspective on me, not to inform or persuade.

@wordywalt I’m giving you my perspective. I have no ‘actual’ interest in what you think of it, or do with it. I’ve given my reasons - you dismissed them, as you dismissed everything else I mentioned, with nothing but protest and denial. You are unpersuadable, imho. And, again imho, that is because you have no or little emotional or self awareness. Everything you’ve said back to me just reinforces and strengthens what I’ve said, from my perspective. Your last reinforces it even further. You just keep digging away at that hole you’re standing in. To help you out of it, this ends here. For me anyway.
Merry Christmas. Or would you be more comfortable, and prefer, that I say ‘Happy Holidays’? Or whatever. I don’t care about that either. It’s your business.