in being disgusted with Oxford SU inviting Marine Lepen???

Chortle!

You will only know for sure when they try to recruit you for the organisation.

Elegran is a dab hand with the semtex.

Tricky – it depends on your definition of extremist and also on what you consider to be dangerous and to whom. Once you have decided, how will you know who is a member of such an organisation? And what about anarchist and nihilists who, by definition, are not going to be members of any organisation. soontobe I think you're worrying unnecessarily. This is Gransnet, for goodness sake.

I have not been on this forum for that many months.
It is going to take me a while to hopefully come to the conclusion that no poster is a member of a dangerous or extremist organisation.

Because it was given as an example of people's views, that's all!

I dont fear thatbags' atheism. I dont fear anyone's atheism.
If my faith is not stronger than that, it is not very strong at all!
[not sure why atheism has been mentioned].

We need to differentiate between stating an opinion, no matter how objectionable, and inciting to hate.

If an atheist avows their atheism and criticises religion that is acceptable. If they incite their listeners to show their hatred of religion by attacking believers and destroying their places of worship that is incitement and is unacceptable.

Maria Le Pen's views are objectionable, but she has a right to proclaim them. If she then incites people to go out and attack people of other races and religions that is not acceptable.

No-one on here knows everything about everyone. We only know what people post, and sometimes that is not true. Anyone can post anything!

But in the outside world, anyone can tell you anything, too. It is easier when you are face to face to see when someone is not being completely frank.

On here, you just have to go by all the posts you have previously read from someone. If they contradict themselves, you start to wonder whether they are making some of it up - but sometimes people DO think differently from time to time.

I can only speak for myself, but I can assure you I am not a member of any dangerous or extremist organisation. I have met quite a few other posters, and I don't believe any of them are either. Thatbags certainly is not, in spite of your fear of her atheism - but that is not catching!

I take it for granted that some gransnetters are members of all sorts of political parties and that some are not. It is obvious from many threads over the years that we agree and disagree with each other on any number of topics. I think it unlikely in the extreme that we have been infiltrated by political fanatics but, if we were, I have no doubt that gransnetters are perfectly capable of roundly defeating their evil aims.

I dont think that you are going to be stab me in the back!

We can agree to have different opinions.

But I cant help if I somehow, now, since this thread, rightly or wrongly, see you differently.
And I need to remind myself from time to time, of my post of 15.13pm.

I hope that this post is ok?

We must agree to differ in opinions, soontobe.

Please don't say you don't trust me, though. That makes me sound like someone who would stab you in the back.

I am not talking about granjura or jingl.
And I see that you have added something Soutra.

But some people do totally believe that "If you are not for me, you are against me"

If you have ever had friends go through an acrimonious divorce, you will recognise the stance - unless you agree with X that Y is a complete bastard, and that X is totally innocent and perfect in every way, X thinks you are on Y's side and probably planning to tell lies to all mutual friends about X.

…or even the Antichrist?

Can't quite see Elegran, Granjura, Thatbags, Jingl as rabid Right wing racists or even the Antichrist. Your posts speak for you

Evelyn Beatrice Hall wrote under the nom-de-plume "S G Tallentyre"

Never fails to amaze me that people can't distinguish between the two stances, elegran. It probably should fail to amaze me, but it doesn't. Hey ho.

Me, I'm dead way out. Just cool it, Marine, old bean.

I think soontobe must think that because we are against banning someone from stating their position, we are for their policies and are a danger to her. (At least, that is my impression)

That is not so. In a biography of Voltaire, Evelyn Beatrice Hall wrote this as an illustration of Voltaire's beliefs. (It is often cited to describe the principle of freedom of speech ): -

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

That is the position of those who would not ban a speaker they did not approve of, but would find and say things to counteract their influence.

Why?

I am going to back away from this thread.

Nothing to be jumpy about. We none of us are racist pigs!

I can understand *soontobe's point of view. I wouldn't want anyone allowed to preach anti-Muslim views from any old soapbox. But Marine L P is not her father and she knows the laws of this country what can and cannot be said. She is not stupid. And she obviously didn't say anything outrageous at this event. I think she is careful not to.

This thread has made me slightly jumpy, as I realise I dont know who I am really speaking to.
How far out are some of you? I have no way of knowing.
This is the internet, and some of you could be members of all sorts of political parties. And agree with all sorts of things.

Not everyone says no, you know.

Where do recruits come from? All sorts of places and ways.