YAHOO ANSWERS RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY QUESTIONS: Where is the line of taste? Who crosses it and why?

Question

Is there a "line"? Are there some ideas that are "sacred"?

Is it right for some people to ask questions specifically designed to "cross the line" with the intention of bringing people over it, laughing while they go, and move the line a little farther out?

If this isn't done, will the line always be in the same place? What's wrong with the line being in the same place?

I don't know, tell me. Tell the yahoo answers data base what the "line" is.

Have you crossed the line? Do you cross it when you answer someone elses question that is offensive?

Are there shock yahoo answer's questioners, who purposefully cross the line, dragging you and society with them? Have you said thank you for moving the line?

Does society benefit when the line is moved?

Answer 1

I'm standing on the other side of the line, waving my arms over my head in the universal SOS gesture; hoping that someone will see me.

Thank you for moving the line 'cause I was getting lonely.

I guess I should clarify: The line is the horizon of someones experience.

Answer 2

I think the 'line' depends on the individual perception on a lot of matters. Some matters like pedophilia are offensive no matter what but there is a lot of grey area in which some may find one thing offensive and another not.

Well, Yahoo I guess really defines that rule by either removing or letting people report to remove questions that they feel have gone too far over the line.

If the line is never crossed then sometimes there is no growth, crossing the line is not always a bad thing (this ties into the last question too). Sometimes it's not that the line is crossed that is important but the method of which it is done. If lines weren't crossed we'd not have had so many social advancements over the years.

Well, I don't think I've crossed any lines, that really would be for other people to answer not myself. I try to be fairly neutral with the way I both ask and answer questions.

Yes, I suppose there are some who feel the line must be moved all the time and well I walk I'm never dragged I only go when I choose to; but, even given that if it is important I will thank them.

Answer 3

There is a line, but I am not sure that anyone can readily, or even possibly, identify where that line is. People think that they can move the line or erase it altogether or ignore it completely, but the line remains. Even those completely blasphemous, ridiculous and the most irreverent of questioners/answerers are still conforming somewhat, as they all do it within the parameters of Yahoo Answers - otherwise they would not be heard. So even for those who would adhere to the theory that there is no line - they are wrong, because in order to have their say, they have to ask and answer questions that adhere to some particular guidelines. Complete anarchy is only conceptual, not possible.

As to any particular topic - each side of any discussion, and even those who are ambivalent but choose to chime in, take turns pushing and pulling the line back and forth, at least, in theory, if not in practice. Society ultimately will conform to norms of a given time period, and thus the line is drawn roughly along a set of accepted beliefs for any point in time. That may or may not be the same line or approximately the same line that exists as noted in the first paragraph. If you use the example of a scatter plot - on any given issue people will fall in all over the spectrum, Very much for an issue or sentiment, very much against, luke warm, completely neutral, no feeling one way or another, etc. If you draw a line through where the preponderance of respondents lie, you have your line... take it or leave it, on scientific grounds.

The shock questioners and answerers do not move the line as much as they think, as their outlandishness is met with equal vehemence by those who oppose them, thus dragging the line back toward dead center again. Yahoo Answers is somewhat of a microcosm of life, in that it reflects some of the polarization that we see in political life, but even with that - as our politics reflects, there is an abundance of people at the middle, and not nearly as many toward the extremes, as each side would lead you to believe. The further one deviates from the mainstream, or over the line, the more they risk becoming irrelevant to the discussion.

Answer 4

Well, yes I believe the line has been crossed by many.
I believe that some people specifically cross the line with their questions and answers at times.
The "line" should be: If you can ask or answer a question without getting down on your "belly".
I think in the beginning of my time here I started to cross the line but "Blessed" help to change that. Thank you Blessed.
I don't try to cross the line now. At least I don't think I do.
If someone asks an offense question I try to answer it with intelligence or humor what ever the occasion calls for.
Yes there are shock questioners and I think they do it on purpose and they do drag themselves down but I try to let them not drag me down with them.
I did tell Blessed thank you for helping to move "my line anyway".
Society never benefits when the line is moved downward but will always benefit if the line moves up and forward.
Thanks for the question. I think if people answer it honestly then we will know more about the ones who drag the line down and more about the ones who don't.

Answer 5

Yes Jim there is a line of right and wrong in everything and when society in general crosses the line then we begin to degenerate. Just like the Roman empire for example!! The USA has crossed the line and it shows here on our Q&A as well. If we were dealing with a dead religion then it would be no problem, or if we had evolved then it would also be "not a problem" The problem is that we are dealing with a living God and we are offending his laws and principles on this earth. We want to be accountable to no one. It will not work and it is sad to see what is happening and going to happen when the line is moved too far.

Answer 6

I think the line is called respect. When you disrespect someone for not thinking your way and denegrate their intelligence by being rude and insulting, that is crossing the line. Part of growing up is learning a social skill called TACT. The best examples are those where two people disagree but are able to discuss why they disagree without namecalling. For some people, crossing "the line" is simply entertainment. To me, that is immaturity.

Answer 7

I don't cross the line here, mostly because I am really not that funny. I do all my asking in polls & surveys, where nearly everyone crosses the line ;) Ahh...now you are getting all philosophical speak on my and my brain is starting to hurt...but no matter, I think those of us who have been around for a while know what's what, and we should teach the newbies how things work around here. Plus, if any of the people asking serious questions have been in any other category, they should expect that this kind of silliness goes on all over Y!A.

Additionally, if I click on a question and it sounds serious and genuine without being cranky or whiny or rude, I will gladly answer it in kind! I tend to just skip over the stupid questions....

Answer 8

You'll always have the jerks on both side who ask questions or give answers only for shock value.

Regarding the "line", one issue I see is that the line is in a different location for every person.

What may seem like a very neutral comment to you is an attack to someone else. I've received several rather nasty messages through Y!A for what I though were pretty neutral comments (e.g. my reasons for becoming an atheist) so I guess I crossed some poster's lines.

Unfortunately, we have too many trolls who insist on pissing off the other side and poster like me and you and others on the christian side of the debate are included when some generalize about atheists, agnostics, or christians.

Answer 9

Apparently, everyone's got their own personal line. I crossed someone's line by saying that ouija boards aren't evil.
Personally, there's very little that really offends me. Annoys me, yes, but not offends. I can't think of any "sacred" lines. If there's something asked that I don't want to discuss, I just don't answer.

Answer 10

I think the line is crossed daily with people who aren't trying to ask sincere questions, but just want to poke fun at people. The OMG Airhead and WSID Idiot come to mind.

If somebody were to post, "I know you believe x. Why?", I wouldn't be upset at all. I would give a respectful answer. However, they ususally post, "yur an idiot for beleevin that LOL"

Does anybody benefit from that? No, not even the person posting it.