wow, why do so many people take questions way out of context in R&S and twist things around to their liking?

Question

it gets tiresome to keep telling people to READ the question. it would be great if you just read it the way it's worded and answer it!

does religion have something to do with this, if so, does one religion have a harder time than the others with it?

confirmed atheist - WOW, you just gave me some great insight to the communication problems i had with my ex husband, seriously, thanks.

Answer 1

I think it has to do with a lack of critical reading and thinking skills. Sometimes it isn't that they don't actually have them, they've just been trained not to use them.

As for religion having something to do with it, the case can be argued that since they are taught not to focus on the actual wording of their religious text, but the meaning assigned to the words "in context with the rest of the bible" a simple phrase such as "I will return before some of you standing here have tasted death" comes to mean something akin to "I'll return, some day, somebody will be alive when it happens... not exactly you people that I'm talking to right now, but somebody, perhaps even someone who's reading this book that wasn't written while I was alive... but I will DEFINITELY return."

Learning to take things out of context and apply generally accepted views of what 'could' have been meant is an acquired skill that is hard to turn off once it is learned. For this reason, an Atheist asking something as simple as "Who was Jesus talking to when he said (insert phase here)" becomes an all-out attack on their god and everything they believe. Not because of what you mentioned , but because you are an Atheist non-believer that can't possibly read the same book they do and understand the words that are written in "proper context". Nevermind that the proper context is easily understandable from the text as it is written. But for them, you need the 'holy ghost' to interpret it, and only christians can get it. Nevermind that christians don't interpret it the same way and if they read it before they get 'clarification' from another christian they come to the same conclusions about those passages that non-christians do.

Answer 2

It may not be a matter of them twisting the words as it is their interpretation of the words, their reaction.

I was witness to a situation a while ago where the written word was badly misinterpreted, and it erupted into a fairly large fight causing the break up of several friendships.

Its hard to inflect tone and connotation into the written word when you are given limited space.

Also alot of people answer on their knee jerk reaction, without actually stopping to digest the question, and then form an answer. Certain words will jump out at them and catch their attention, and cause a gut reaction and that is what they answer on. So on that theory yes not reading the question properly is in play.

Those that decide to answer ignorantly and not open mindedly are often just ignored on my list. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Some people will just not open up their thinking and broaden their understanding.

Answer 3

I don't think it is religion.

I think it is a couple of things. So many of us belong to the "instant gratification" generation. we want things and we want them now. so they may only read what is typed in bold and not the additional details....

or what happens, and I have been guitly of this is that they read the question so fast and they type an answer and hit submit without thinking things through. but then I usually read the other answers and realize wait a sec, i missed something and go back and reread the question and take a second look....

OR it could be that they just want to say what they want to say regardless of what the question is. and that is just rude.....

Answer 4

Wow I'm actually surprised so many people actually answered the question without twisting it! Some questions are just asking for a smart *ss answer! Hope this helps.

Answer 5

It's not religion, it's the people in question.
Some folks just can't resist turning every question into an opportunity to spew their venomous or in some cases noxious gasbag statements about how everyone should live their lives, which would be fine if they applied the same yardstick to themselves.

Answer 6

Such is the way of the world my friend....unfortunately.

I think primarily it is the christianity movement that has a harder time then others, but of course that is only my opinion. I could be wrong.
I think people who feel insecure or overinflated have a need to go overboard at times.

It could be so much nicer if we could all attempt to "seek to understand, rather then be understood"

Answer 7

I do not think religion has anything to do with it. People just read it the way they want to to be to suit them, kind of like the government.

Answer 8

I hope I've never done that, I apologize if I have! Some questions are kind of hard to understand though. I don't think it has to do with religion.

Answer 9

I think it's all about maturity level. Since it seems that overall there's a larger group of immature Christians on this website, it could tie into religion. But it happens in all sections, religion is just more of a touchy subject.

Answer 10

It has nothing to do with religion. It's because people always try to twist things to their liking. It's just our nature. Everyone does it, Not just the religious.