And this morning's "what he said" award goes to John Cole, who would like (some of) his readers to step back off his neck. It is ever true that there's just some folks, and you can almost never guess which ones, who are not gonna be able to deal well with you saying that you're not interested in the things that they're interested in. Like somehow they think if the whole world doesn't care about the same things they care about, Tinkerbell is gonna die. I seen examples of it with all kinds of topics -- sports, movies, music, food. But those are usually pretty mild. It's no surprise that it's religion that can really bring out the crazy. I'm thinking that part of it is that professional provocateurs like P.Z. Myers who are openly contemptuous and mocking of much of religious belief have some of Cole's readers feeling a bit hyper-sensitive. Not, mind you, that I think that's a particularly valid response. Please. Religion and religious belief is the still the expected norm in most of society. Running into a few pockets of disapproval, however vocal, should not turn you into such a wilting flower that any statement of disagreement sends you to your fainting couch. Or your ranting box. Probably more likely is that Balloon Juice commenters, like a lot of online groups. have formed a community online and some of the bases of that sense of community is a shared interest in, agreement with, or sense of being entertained by the writing/thoughts of John Cole and the other bloggers on the site. So maybe when the big dog of the site says something they don't agree with, it cuts a little. But still, see previous mentions of fainting couches and Tinkerbell. Are people so epistemically closed (to grab last week's buzzwords from blogospheria) that we freak out at any mention of differing viewpoints? Srsly. If John Cole or I or who-the-hell-ever has no use for religion, why should that make any difference to you? My lack of interest in something is mine. It says nothing about what you should be interested in.
Wait... what was I just saying about ranting boxes? Mr. Kettle, is that you?