Quote from: MaidofOrleans on November 16, 2012, 05:39:55 PM
There is a HUUUUUUGE difference between "lol" or "bless you" and a term which was or still is commonly used as a form of derogatory slang to demean of certain group of people. "Lol" is not even slang its an acronym and "bless you" is actually is derived from the original belief that sneezing was a sign of the plague so in a way its a joke of medieval Europeans and anything medieval is bound to be coated in religion. Regardless of how a person views the word ->-bleeped-<-, it does have negative connotations and uses and if it makes someone uncomfortable then you shouldn't use it even if they are a friend. My roommate and friend my first year of college was black, he said "->-bleeped-<-" or some variation of the word all the time and even I said it on occasion jokingly but when he asked me to stop because it made him feel uncomfortable I did, even though my use was not meant in an offensive manner. Regardless of my feelings on the word, I was not going to risk hurting a friend just to prove a point or because I had a differing view on its use.
I'm aware that there is a difference, but I, as an atheist, don't always feel comfortable when people try to put religion in my face, nor do I appreciate the use of ridiculous modern slang. I'm also not saying that you should try to use any word out of spite. I'm simply saying that words are simply means of communication. The context is what matters more. For example, you may call someone an "obnoxious twit" or a "stupid a**hole." It pretty much means the same thing. In either context, someone is being insulted. It's just that the words are different.
My friends and I agree that it's not right to censor each other when no one is blatantly being insulted. I don't know if it's our pragmatic worldview or something else, but we feel that people shouldn't be so sensitive to words so much as they should be towards direct insults. We may not say things in ways that everyone likes and we may be able to use other words, but we don't let things as trivial as semantics ruin everything. We respect each other and acknowledge that no one is trying to insult anyone, only make a point. At the end of the day, I know that my friends really care about me and that's all that matters.
Of course, this is just me stating my opinion and you're all free to disagree.
