When and why has TSR become so intolerant? The level is astounding!

Depends on what you mean by "intolerance". People get raved at if what they say isn't vaugely in accordance with conventional and generic opinion. If people didn't have a right to express opinions they might not express in real life the internet would be a boring place.

It's the same as it's always been. I think that as one gets older one becomes more aware of how ridiculous people can be...

This is the internet.

Implicit in your question is the conflation of criticism of a religion or ideology with racism. No one has to tolerate fascism, communism or any particular religion or religio-political ideology if by tolerate you mean refrain from expressing their objections to it or critcising it or its adherents. You have got yourself in this mess, if you stifle legitimate and natural discourse you push uneducated people incapable of articulating their grievances in a thoughtful way towards ignorant extremism and even unthinking racism.

So true, so true... in general it gives people the belief that they can say anything regardless of how boorish etc... while cloaked in anonymity...

You're boring and stupid mate, your views are so stupid as to be offensive. And you're too think to even realise that.

Only idiots like you think it is wrong everyone doesn't agree with them, ever thought of that?

Implicit in your question is the conflation of criticism of a religion or ideology with racism. No one has to tolerate fascism, communism or any particular religion or religio-political ideology if by tolerate you mean refrain from expressing their objections to it or critcising it or its adherents. You have got yourself in this mess, if you stifle legitimate and natural discourse you push uneducated people incapable of articulating their grievances in a thoughtful way towards ignorant extremism and even unthinking racism.

Since when has intolerance of religion been a bad thing?

And if you're offended, then Boo hoo! Deal with it. If a reasonable argument means you have to show a degree of "intolerance" then so be it. The fact that you may be "offended" does nothing to undermine it.

So what do you suggest? The problem I find with this sort of thing is that it seems to be impossible to throw someone out of an illogically held belief. debate wont work, and you can't force people to think what you want, but similarly you can't allow such an undercurrent of racism to build up.

But that is the internet in general. TSR might appear worse because it is full of young people still fully developing there idea's of the world. It's nothing that I don't see on any of the forums I have been on in the past. If anything the internet shows peoples true feelings, where they are happy to be honest without society looking down upon them for there own views.

heheheh Have you read my posts... I am extremely tolerant of other people's view, I simply ask for clarification.. I take umbrage when people espouse their opinions/pov as fact... Again with the name calling, you are continually proving my point about intolerance on here... hehehehe

I don't agree with you so I am how do you say it: 'An old man who is boring and stupid whose views are offensive and am too think (think you meant thick) to realise it'... does that about sum it up? SMH

Since when has intolerance of religion been a bad thing?

And if you're offended, then Boo hoo! Deal with it. If a reasonable argument means you have to show a degree of "intolerance" then so be it. The fact that you may be "offended" does nothing to undermine it.

Since when has intolerance of religion been a bad thing?

And if you're offended, then Boo hoo! Deal with it. If a reasonable argument means you have to show a degree of "intolerance" then so be it. The fact that you may be "offended" does nothing to undermine it.

I don't think the intolerance is the worrying thing. It's the lack of any proper challenge or argument. It's just half-regurgitated sound bytes. if they actually formed a proper debate then that would be fine, but they seem to be on here for the purpose of slagging people off with half-baked ideas.

(though I admit, mine probably aren't fully-baked either! )

That's not completely true. I mean, I frequently come across debates in the 'Theology' forum where people deploy a rational, fair and obvious refutation of Islamic doctrine (many of which I've engaged in myself), and are simply met with a "half-baked" response where the words "intolerant" and "offensive" are used in every other sentence (well boo-*******-hoo). Indeed, although I'm not reactionary, there are people like 'Don_Scott' and 'Seven-Three' on here who - although obviously misinformed - do occasionally deploy some sort of argument about homosexuality, patriotism etc. (not rational ones, but there you go). But the response is usually "that's offensive", as if those two words constitute an argument.

Just because religious intolerance has been socially acceptable (to a certain) degree does not make it right...