Offensive

[Bravus]

http://www.bravus.com/blog/?p=2357

Offensive

Just something I’ve been thinking about for a while, and I know it’s potentially a bit contentious and not simple. But I think it’s worth talking about.

We were chatting on Facebook about being a little careful what we post where to avoid offending (more religious, in this instance) family members or friends, and I wrote:

Quote:

…if I choose not to post something that I know will upset someone, out of respect for them, that’s one thing. If they attack me and play the ‘offended’ card as a way of controlling me, based on values of theirs that I don’t share, that’s quite a different thing.

I don’t know, maybe it puts me in the same paddock with the old right-wingers and their mutterings about ‘political correctness’ and loud defense of their right to be as racist, sexist and so on as they wish, and that’s company in which I’m not very comfortable.

But if we allow people’s taking offense at what we say to control us, we place ourselves within their power to manipulate our words and actions, and that’s dangerous.

I think that, like most issues, it’s a two-edged sword: we need to take responsibility for our words and not give offense purely for the sake of giving offense, but on the other hand sometimes the things that it’s necessary to say will give offense to someone.

It comes down to being thoughtful, in both senses: considerate and reflective.

But it’s also a choice on the part of the person who reads or hears what we say, whether they will choose to take offense (and loudly proclaim so) or whether they will listen and consider whether maybe we have a point.

[Bravus]

...erm, of course, if we don't have a point (which is entirely possible) they should feel free to simply discard our views and comments!

And, since someone is sure to ask, 'our' in this instance includes anyone who would like to be included and excludes anyone... you get the idea. If you feel like you belong, you do.

[Gerr]

Not infrequently, the offense is in the eye/ear of the beholder/hearer. Each of us use or understand words within a particular context, so it is easy to see offense even where none was intended.

[Tobiwan]

So we read in the book of Acts that a group of people were in one place and of one accord. I take that to mean they had a singleness of purpose and they put aside their differences and focused on the job and God worked through them the power to influence the world in one generation.

What a concept.

[Doug]

I see offensive stuff all the time here, I do my best to avoid it and not bring it up. No sense in kicking a hornets nest.

[phkrause]

Great posts Bravus, I do agree. I'd like to add though that sometimes things are taken as a direct attack/offensive saying when conversing over forums or even facebook. I do believe its because its much harder to get a point across. When I'm face to face with someone they can see your expressions as your talking, so even if your saying something offensive in a sense, they might not take it that way. The kind of person you are is also a part of how you take or preceive(sp) what's being said to you.

[Gail]

Good point!