Do you think you’re owed an apology?

Question

Apparently yesterday some people assumed that the shooter in Colorado must have been an atheist and today it was revealed that he was not. Already in the five minutes I’ve been lurking around R&S this morning I’ve seen at least four posts demanding an apology for this.

Do you honestly think you are owed an apology because some people who are probably not that smart to begin with slighted you (and even you personally) on an internet question and answer board which is typically full of nothing but petty arguments anyway?

People are dead in this situation, there are people who have lost loved ones and will never get them back. Regardless of his religion, the fact of the matter is this man killed people and now they’re gone. And yet somehow people here think they are the ones who deserve an apology.

Please tell me someone else out there thinks this is just as ridiculous and yes, just as wrong as I do.

Birdy: you can report me if it makes you feel better. Ranting sure made me feel better. And yes there's a question in there. See that little squiggly vertical line with a dot underneath? That's called a question mark.

Thanks for the answers guys. I forget how many cool people there are on here. It can be easy to focus on the extremists and trolls.

Answer 1

I don't feel slighted, and no one needs to apologize to me. It would be nice though if some people - some people from all beliefs or non-belief, didn't jump to conclusions and generalize so much.

Answer 2

I must agree with you here. People are dead before their time and some will never get over the emotional shock of having seen death occur, and how closely it came to being their own. Yet a few comments made by the usual contributors here and on other sites calling the shooter an Atheist and yet again putting down the Christians, which happens anyway on a daily basis, and from among the living comes cries for personal apologies. Are you all truly the bunch of self-absorbed human beings that this sort of thing makes you appear to be? Do you truly place that much importance upon yourselves? It makes me truly wonder! This is very wrong!

Answer 3

I don't think anyone is owed an apology (excepting of course the families of the dead, a moot point considering the shooter is dead).

Moreover, I fear people will use this situation the same way they used Columbine to argue this or that political position. For or against Gun Control, prayer, or some other such thing. I grieve for the people who see death as an opportunity to make a point (both yesterday and today).

Answer 4

Yes, I think it is ridiculous. I did not make those statements, but if I did the only apology I would owe at all would be to the shooter, for calling him something he is not. It is quite comical that anyone on this board would feel that they are owed an apology unless they are willing to issue one themselves for all of the untrue, generalizations and stereotypes they have made themselves. It is truly a high school mentality, make that junior high!

Answer 5

No.I don't care one way or the other what people assumed about the shooters beliefs or lack thereof.When people make assumptions about things like that it is clearly their own problem and not mine.When people make generalizations based on nothing more then their own prejudice and then try to apply that generalization into situations where someone has done something like this, then the person doing it is grabbing at straws in order to insult rather then use solid and sound arguments.That also isn't my problem.It's theirs.So, I don't need their apology.They need mine.So,

I'm sorry for those of you who are really messed up.....

Answer 6

If atheists asked for an apology in this case, it is simply an illustration of the fact that there are at least a few silly atheists in this world. That does not amaze me. It takes all kinds.
For the people who are curious: I am an atheist. I wear boxer shorts and I am rather happy.
Hope you do same.

Answer 7

After something like this happens the media always makes assumptions that aren't true.

After the Oklahoma City bombings for a few hours we thought it was outside terrorists.

I'm an Atheist who isn't owed or doesn't expect an apology.

Answer 8

No apology is needed. Every time there is a killing somewhere I always assume that a Christian must have done it.

EDIT: for the one that thumb me down. Just do the math. 80% of the United States citizens are Christian. If I am a gambling man, I would bet on the Christian.

Answer 9

That is ridiculous.

I go back to what my friend Pablito said on one of my blogs

"Humanity is the common thread. Everything else is just window dressing."

The fact that people have died has been overlooked because of a need to bicker about what the killer's possible religious beliefs were is appalling.

Answer 10

The people suffering in this situation are more inportant than what religion the guy was. I have a message to the people who want an apology. Get over it.