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What makes you break out your soapbox?

Sometimes on the topic of religion, I can get carried away and not even know it. My husband says "OK, you can put away the soapbox now" to cue me in that I've started ranting about it. My brother purposely tries to prod me into standing on my soapbox with issues like separation of church and state.

What topics get you standing on a soapbox? (Purposefully or not).

silvereyes 8 Jan 1
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53 comments

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23

People saying that religion and science are both beliefs.

gearl Level 8 Jan 1, 2018
12

To begin with: Women's rights, especially to ownership of her body. That black lives do matter. That the police force needs to be demilitarized. That guns should be as regulated as cars. Single payer health care needs to come to the US, and Der Donald is a pile of horse doodoo.

11

I like soapbox people and I am a soapbox person. Stand for your beliefs and whip out your sword and armor and go to battle for the facts.

10

The list of what DOESN'T make me whip out my soapbox would be much shorter.
If I say "don't get me started", you should probably run.

10

Definitely the anti choice people. The other one would be "I don't use birth control because God plans my children thing" the stpidity of that makes my blood boil.

@silvereyes "But your body is a temple!" OK, then why do I still pay taxes?

Pro life but anti birth control? Seems like they WANT abortions to be an issue.

@godef good one

10

I write an award-winning bi-weekly column for my local newspaper concerning politics and religion. I talk a lot about First Amendment rights, religious overreach, and separation of church and state. It is my "Bully Pulpit" and I reach a good number of people. I have not slowed down in 14 years of writing. I tend to quote Robert Ingersol and Dawkins a lot, but believe that many on this site are saying things that are important.

Is there somewhere online where we could read your column?

You can go to www.ComlumbiaMissourian.com. Go to opinions/local columnists and David Rosman.

8

Child sex abusers, and their “rights.”

7

Left lane cruisers. Pisses me off.

godef Level 7 Jan 1, 2018

But so minor

7

Politics.... How I cannot understand why Cheeto won...I ask what did he say or promised that made you say that is my candidate...gets me mad and to use your expression that is my soapbox right now

6

Logical fallacies in any field of thought piss me off. They prove how people are intellectually lazy, and just follow emotions.

6

Being lied to...I can usually bite my tongue when somebody starts to bluster about something, but once they lie to me, I have to throw the flag. Everybody has the right to their opinion, but no one has the right to feed me a load of bullshit...

6

Definitely the anti choice people. The other one would be "I don't use birth control because God plans my children thing" the stupidity of that makes my blood boil.

6

The popular notion that science and religion are natural enemies.

skado Level 9 Jan 1, 2018
6

What is a soapbox?

A "platform" you stand on to talk about your beliefs, like a portable stage. It basically means proclaiming your beliefs in public or in response to something someone has said

It's a metaphor for when someone gives a speech about a subject they feel passionate about, based on the fact that people really did once use soapboxes (ie sturdy wooden packing crates) to elevate themselves above the crowd when giving speeches in public. More here: [en.wikipedia.org] 🙂

Okay.

6

PEMDAS

ok you have to explain that

Parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction.

@evestrat girl if the devil existed he is the creator of math 🙂

If there’s any secret to the he universe it lies in math.

5

How much soap could a soap box box if a soap box could box soap?

godef Level 7 Jan 1, 2018

with or without gloves?

Lol

5

I get on mu high horse if I hear something patently false stated as absolute truth; when someone says something that is needlessly or senselessly hurtful; when someone tries to "cram something down my throat. These things gel under my skin quickly.

5

Frankly, when people like Dawkins and Dennett roundly dismiss ALL religion--and not just religion that expects you to believe in gods and the supernatural--it makes me want to get up on my box and preach.

Rituals and observances help bring a sense of purpose and meaning and place in the world to people, they help to build community, and they can inspire people to live generous and principled lives. The problem isn't religion: it's supernaturalism. Believing in gods and spirits and all that nonsense divorces you from reality, and the fact is that reality is wondrous and amazing and beautiful enough, all on its own.

Please define religion. Every definition I've read requires the supernatural and/or faith.

Amen, Brother Atheopagan!

The logic here seems to be that some religions are not mysticism, supernaturalism and magic. That would not be my assessment. Scratch them all, and you will find M, S, and M. You might dismiss my view as in line with Dawkins, et.al., but I don't share this view of many New Age types who promote a kind of spiritualism that is somehow better than the mainstream religions.

Sorry, David, but I'm an Atheopagan and it doesn't contain a shred of mysticism, supernaturalism, nor magic. Just because you're not familiar with it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

A religion is composed of three functional elements: a COSMOLOGY, or a description of the nature of the Universe; a VALUE SET which establishes a moral framework and instructive principles for living; and a PRACTICUM of observances, rituals, holidays, etc. which define what followers do as practitioners of the religion.

I practice a NATURALISTIC religion, meaning that my Cosmology is comprised of the description of the Universe science provides us.

@Atheopagan Ok, but I really don't think that Dawkins and co. would have a problem with what you believe in. When they criticise religions they are talking the monotheistic and mysticism based religions mainly. So I wouldn't take these criticisms personally just because you consider your Atheopaganism a religion.

The same thing could be said about many strains of Buddhism. When the likes of Dawkins attack "religion" but ignore religions that don't meet their supernaturalistic definition, they're both revealing a lack of knowledge about religion and throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I don't so much "take these criticisms personally" as I resent them for ignoring the many GOOD things that religious practice and observance can do in people's lives. It's just not as cut-and-dried as they would have it.

4

Anything to do w tRUMP.

What did you do BT. was life boring then?

My political activism goes back to when I worked for Teddy in grad school.

4

Parents choosing religion OVER their own children! Grrrrr!

Zster Level 8 Jan 1, 2018
4

People not understanding taxes and how contributing to the welfare of everyone raises the country as a whole. Wage theft and the wealth gap, drives me to speak out!

3

Sending fucking prayers.

Yes, especially when those ass hole politicians spout that annoying crap

3

How Star Wars sucks. I can stand on that soap box like Lenin all day about The Last Jedi

3

I got on my soapbox here recently about the issue of prostitution. What got me riled up was casual nonempathic comments about degradation of people and statements of " fact" about the issue that oversimplified it. When I read some articles to double check my stance about the issue common assumptions were glaringly wrong, I posted one link and I don't think anyone read that

2

Erm, you don't break out of a soapbox, you stand on one.

When was the last time any of you saw a soapbox?

@silvereyes Wanna fight over the Q'ran?

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