We Get What We Deserve

Recently posted over at XGH:

"I'm sick and tired of the disrespect shown to skeptics by believers. Phrases like 'skeptics spewing their stuff' and similar. When a believer says a dvar Torah, do we talk about believers 'spewing their stuff'? No we don't.

And as for skeptics 'venting' - well wouldn't you vent if you were forced to believe in the unbelievable, and forced to do the most ridiculous things? Damn right you would vent, I know that for a fact. And, this is all the believers fault anyway for making it almost impossible for a skeptic to believe what he wants and do what he wants.

It's easy for cowardly, intellectually dishonest skeptics to live in their delusional bubble along with the rest of their co-delusionists. But it takes courage for someone to be intellectually honest and face the truth (as they see it). And for that they deserve your respect. You may be too weak willed and cowardly to face up the to the truth yourself, but at least show some respect for those who value truth more than their own personal comfort."

To be fair, we skeptics talk about "fundies spewing their stuff" and "kiruv clowns" on a daily basis. Like we show believers respect? Most of us think that we are above everyone else and that we hold the keys to the truth. We talk about "delusional" and "intellectually dishonest" ma'aminim. We "face the truth" (as we see it), and then we act condescendingly toward everyone who believes otherwise. That's one of our problems. That's one of the reasons why we aren't convincing. We get what we give, and we give what we get. We don't give respect, deserve respect, and don't get respect.