I often see this sort of nonsense from the apologists:

freediver wrote on Jun 1^st, 2016 at 6:00pm:


Brian responded to my question by spending 4 pages feigning confusion about what I was asking, and insisting I need to quote him before he could possibly answer the question, starting with this:

Brian Ross wrote on Jun 1^st, 2016 at 10:31pm:


Brian Ross wrote on Jun 3^rd, 2016 at 7:25pm:


Brian Ross wrote on Jun 3^rd, 2016 at 7:35pm:

Mistress Nicole wrote on Jun 4^th, 2016 at 5:08pm:


Quite a charge to make, Nicole.  You of course have evidence to substantiate it?

Quote:


I know of one, which I apologised for once you have pointed it out to me, Nicole.  Which was the other?

The one I apologise for, I honestly took it's wording as you wrote it.  It appeared to upset you so I apologised.

Quote:


Tell me, what do you think of Grendel's antics?

I have never argued dishonestly with you, Nicole.   

freediver wrote on Jun 4^th, 2016 at 5:03pm:


OK, now we get to the gist of your problem.

Where have I equated a religion (Islam) to a "race",  FD?

I have used the examples as similes, not as absolutes.   You appear not to understand that.  I wonder why?

Perhaps more importantly, you appear to be manufacturing a strawman argument.

Would it be easier for you if I spoke about the way other religions and denominations have been treated by the mainstream Anglican religion in Australia's history?

How about how the Catholics were treated?   I am an ex-Catholic, I have some personal knowledge of this.  My father joined the South Australian public service after WWII.   As a Catholic, he found it very hard to progress beyond a base grade clerk's position.   He transferred to the Commonwealth Public Service where no such discrimination existed.

Thomas Kenneally (another Catholic) has written quite an interesting book about the Catholic experience of discrimination in Australia.  The Indelible Stain.   Well worth a read.

It is very interesting how the sectarian divide in Australian society has basically disappeared amongst Christians since about 1960.   Before that, Catholics and Protestants rarely mixed.  Catholics were actively discriminated against.  Catholic schools were underfunded, being completely dependent upon the fees and donations, until the great Science Block debate.   Phillip Adams on his RN Program, "Late Night Live" often speaks of the way in which Protestant and Catholic kids would taunt one another, reflecting their parents' attitudes.

Today, we see active discrimination against Muslims and other minority religions.  Herbie likes to talk about the way in which Sikhs have been discriminated against in northern NSW by the RSL.   Jews suffer similar discrimination.   It's largely ignored and forgotten about.  Do you think it's fair though?

You're an honorary musselman Brian.

Brian Ross wrote on Jun 4^th, 2016 at 5:38pm:


You haven't. And he should be able to see that in the post you quoted - where you mentioned "Jugoslavs" and "Asians" - which are obviously not a race either, but a groups consisting of many "races" (read: ethnicities). And this was perfectly comparable to the context in which you referred to muslims. But FD has a habit of constructing these sorts of strawmen. He once accused me of saying that all criticism of Islam is racist. I think he's finally got over that one, but it took a while.

polite_gandalf wrote on Jun 4^th, 2016 at 5:52pm:


Really?   

Do you agree with Nicole that groups identified by race or nationality are "somehow different" to those identified by ideology? Are you going to make the same idiotic point next week?

Quote:


It is the exact same thing I posted the first time Brian. I told you repeatedly that I had already quoted you, and pointed out that you chose to strip all that from your first response. Why was it so difficult for you the first time round?

Do you agree with Nicole that groups identified by race or nationality are "somehow different" to those identified by ideology? Are you going to make the same idiotic point next week?