Bored wrote:
“Abra I respect that but look at the term you used "fanatics"”

Yes, but you see, you are interpreting my words entirely within your own
world.

When I speak of Christian fanatics, that’s precisely what I mean. This
does NOT imply that all Christians are fanatics.

There are many Christians on this forum who are open and respectful of
other’s beliefs. So when I speak of Christian fanatics, I’m talking
about the radicals who refuse to respect the views of others.

So I mean precisely what I say without any generalizations implied.

See that's what I love. You clarified your intentions and
broke it down. If it was done like this in every thread, it could
significantly reduce misunderstandings

Lets see...I have alot of "buttons"

The worst:

Being Judged
People who dont do at least the speed limit.
People who cross over the double yellow line when driving fast.
Murder of the innocent.
Irresponsibilty.

Hypocrisy - Sets me off big time. Please do not spout to me how
individuals should walk, talk, behave, and then turn around and do the
exact opposite of what you have just spouted.

See - drives me craZY.

Klugman,

I believe Red's purpose here is to help us communicate - here in the
forums - with greater understand of where other's are coming from. Its
a great topic, but if we start talking about 'buttons' from everyday
life, like how people drive, it won't serve that purpose.

Sorry, I misunderstood.

One of my pet peeves: Turning a focused, respectful conversation about
one topic into (a) a larger ideological debate (b) a war of personal
loyalties or (c) an opportunity to express pent up frustrations from
another conversation.

I'm guilty of all three.

I respect that people want to -do- each of the above three things,
somewhere else. I don't mind that it happens, I just don't like how
often it invades a previously constructive and respectful conversation.

That's a nice pet peeve.
I hate to talk against a wall, saying that I'm just fine as I am, thank
you very much, and to get as the only answer that I have to change to
achieve something that I don't want or need.

What are my buttons?

What is it that I find myself re-active to?

We all have a particular style or writing, of how we string our words
together to communicate, and it can be easy to misconstrue the meaning
of these words, to misinterpret the meaning through our own filters.

I have seen, and been one that has allowed the discussion to degenerate
into places that it didnt need to go, so yes I agree, ask questions, to
get clarification, rather that be re-active.

I have a hard time digesting hypocrisy...and once a person shows
themselves in a different light, I find it difficult to return to the
way I saw them, or allowed myself to believe they were, as I initially
perceived them, through their communication and words.

When a person chooses to be nothing more than derogatory, ridiculing,
arrogant and infammatory, and for no other apparent reason, than to
cause dissention...I have a challenge with that person, with their
behaviours, no matter who it is, close established friend, or general
poster within these forums.

Yes I have buttons, although I am learning to appreciate the people who
push them, because I then know a little more about myself, and my own
intolerances, my own limits..

Filters are great. I remember the first time I saw the show "Outer
Limits". Loved those lines, "We control what you see and hear. We
control the vertical and the horizontal. We can tune your set to a fuzzy
image or fine tune it to crystal clarity." When I first got into ham
radio I wanted to build an antenna that transrecieved and recieved
equally well. A fellow ham operator informed me what I was trying to do
was difficult if not impossible to do. He explained to me that each
antenna had to be cut for a particular frequency or otherwise you could
harmonic distortion. He then informed me of the high and low band pass
filters. He said that was the problem with the old continuous wave and
how over amplification was the same as the amplitude and frequency
modulation because it caused splatter on all the frequencies. I think my
friend, Cajunfroggy explained it real well when she said talk to me and
not at me.

Buttons, buttons ... we all have buttons...

Some we know about some we don't. The ones we know about, we can do
something with.

It is the ones hidden deep in the unconscious that we don't know about
until someone gets close enough to poke them that are the real
fascination to me.

The ones I know about have to do with intolerance, injustice, and
disrespect in its many faces.

When a button is pushed it is my responsibility to ask myself what in me
is offended by that which I see in you (you being the generic you = the
one who has lapped up against my open wound).

I must acknowledge that I see things through my own filters and belief
systems. I cannot change another but I can change my own reactions, my
own way of seeing things. By acknowledging my buttons, my triggers, I
can dismantle them so they no longer carry the emotional sting - or the
sting is at least reduced enough that I can react with my head still
attached to my body.

Is it that some people intentionally push our buttons or is it a
reminder that the button exists and requires our attention?

I am one always for self-examination. Self-empowerment. All comes back
to us as individuals. From my perspective, there really is no 'out
there' anyway ... by healing something in myself, I contribute to the
healing of it in the world.

Less reactionary interaction ... ahhhh what a dream...unless, of course,
the reaction is love - I would like to see a lot of that reactionary
living...which isn't reactionary at all.

The student who knows not the teacher...

More simply...closemindedness...as it robbed my years for too long...

My buttons ehh mkay just gonna make it simple

Don't tell me what I believe is wrong and I won't tell you what you
believe is wrong, many paths no one really knows for sure whats right or
wrong for another.

Don't belittle my thoughts or opinions, they are just as valid as yours
and I won't belittle yours.

Understand that God or whatever it is of your choosing encourages humor
in all things, that if I make a joke that is not hateful or hurtful then
lighten up and see humor for what its, and I shall do the same.

Thank you for this thread Red.

After reading the posts here I have come to realize that my 'buttons'
only matter to me.

If someone does push one my response is up to me. I must be careful to
see that one has been pushed and then to respond to what that person was
conveying and not respond based on the emotion I felt at having the
button pushed. Then work on the reason there was a button in the first
place.

So each time I have a button pushed I will hopefully grow a bit and that
button will be now more.

yessssssssss AB .... jumping up and down emoticon

I have a lot of buttons on my shirts.

I find myself lately walking away or moving on to something different
if I feel a button has been pushed, to come back at a later time to
respond to the post. It's less stressful and encourages me to find a
better way to deal with the button pushed and what brought that out in
me.

Ignorance is the hardest thing for me to tolerate. Ignorance being when
you no better and do it anyways. Those of you who have a religion I
admire you for being able to put your trust and beliefs to that purpose
you believe in. Those of you who preach a religion with out full
comprehension and understanding, shame on you! Religion was made, if by
God, to teach that there was something more, it was however, NOT taught
so we would destroy eachother trying to create an absolution that will
probably never exsist. People, no matter what there taught, will form
their own opinion. This is how so many religions have been formed.
Language differences have caused yet more problems. I guess ignorance
comes into play when you have people who tell you what to believe in
without fully comprehending that just because people don't believe in
that religion doesn't mean that their wrong. I would rather have a God
for every single day of the year, and for all types of people as long as
everybody had something to believe in. Until we can learn to except
differences, religous or otherwise, we will never be the people to make
a prospurious world, but will always be the ones to destroy the work
we've alrady done.

Wow, and I was worried that no one would read this. This was quite
possibly the most interesting conversation I've seen in these threads.

This is one time that each was asked, not just to talk about themselves,
but to explain themselves, and it was done so thoughtfully.

Until this post, I "thought" this or that about a person, but I was not
really sure. Now I have some inner knowledge, something I would know
about a good friend.

There was a good point brought out by Abra about having two different
community centers, one being as was suggested philosophy. As was shown
in the conversation between Bored and Abra, it would not be to the
exclusion of any, but as a choice.

A couple of us petitioned for this before, I would be happy to try it
again if others of you would also request it. It would definitely
reduce some of the frustrations some seem to have. And then no one would
be banned for bad behavior, as least not due to frustration.