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I think you're right to a degree, but not always. Pro-choice is a polarizing decision, as is pro-life... however, one can be Christian without being antagonizing to an Atheist, and vice-versa, it all depends on attitude, because neither of those NECESSARILY excludes the other view, though some people holding these views do exclude them. Pro-choice necessarily excludes pro-life.

So... there are always antagonists, but in many of the cases, don't forget the people in the middle.

And, I don't hate the opposing side... even the Neo-Nazis (I'm Jewish) or the pro-life people. Hate is too powerful, too destructive an emotion to waste on them. Occasionally, it's pity, like for the two girls in Prussian Blue who were brought up Neo-Nazi, and never really had a choice as to how they turn out. An ideology is too vauge to hate someone over. It has to affect me personally before I can hate. Be disgusted with, mad at, willing to fight their opinions with all my being... that I can do. Hate, however... It's too powerful for me to waste on people who just plain don't share my beliefs.

And their beliefs are legitimate. Wrong, but legitamate. A PERSONAL belief is always legitamate in my book. Their forcing their personal belief on others is where they go wrong in my mind.

But, then, I'm extremely pro-free speech, pro-freedom... to a point. Basically, you can say what you want, and do what you want UNTIL that affects me in a negative way that's avoidable. For example, taking away my bodily domain is an avoidable negative effect. Having to wait until you're done checking out your groceries until I can check out mine is unavoidable... or at least a case where "first come, first serve" applies.

This philosophy doesn't always apply well, so I modify it when necessary, but in the pro-choice/pro-life it isn't. The pro-lifers have every right to say what they believe, and I have every right to counter-protest.

I don't think any of these represent an antagonist sort of relationship. Atheists tend not to care what Christians are doing until and unless it affects them. The rest of the country can believe in God, Santa Claus, and purple people eaters for all they care, until they start legislating about it. Fine arts connaisseurs may roll their eyes at Thomas Kinkade, but how many Thomas Kinkade lovers are picketing to have "Gingerbread Cottage" displayed in the Louvre?


Mood ruining isn't enough for me to not BELIEVE something. "I would be an atheist, but then the Christians would rain on my parade"? I can't even fathom having a thought process where that sort of sentiment is possible. "I would start loving fine art, but then I would have to hate Thomas Kinkade's masterpieces"? "I would be pro-choice, but then pro-lifers would try to guilt trip me"?

I don't hate pro-lifers. I don't hate single people, or Windows users, people who knit, people who love pink, major party members, Christians, coffee drinkers, or dentists, though I am not in any of those groups. I reserve hatred for the specific individuals who INTENTIONALLY make my life suck. Pro-lifers are, in general, not motivated by a desire to make life suck. They really think they are doing the right thing. I think they are terribly misguided, but I just can't hate someone for being misguided.

RoseRose mentioned the girls in Prussian Blue, which is a great example. They just don't know any better. So many pro-lifers are the same way. They were raised in a situation where pro-life ideology is normal, and pro-choice is bad. They just don't know any better. And when you've been raised that way, it can be VERY difficult to change. It was hard for me to realize that so much of what I had grown up believing was wrong. A lot of people never get to where they are willing to accept that.

I don't have to make anyone else legitimize my own beliefs. If it feels good to me, then I'll go ahead and do whatever the hell I want. I will make a disclaimer in that my beliefs and actions aren't necessarily the opinions or beliefs of every and any group I am affiliated with, though.

If your beliefs help you, then good.

I can't say that I hate pro-lifers. I do not like their cause, I do not like their opinion on abortion and I certainly do not like that their propaganda-drenched beliefs are being treated like legitimate legislation material. But I do not know every single pro-lifer as a person, therefore in my view, I cannot hate them. They aren't fetus-humping machines, they're people. I don't hate on entire groups of people. That's a mass generalization. As much as I despise the pro-life movement and their insistence that a fetus is more important than a born person, I simply can't hate every single pro-lifer.