I, for one, don't know where this website would be without............

soop I envy your maturity and strength of character.

Seems to me that bullies are almost always cowards. Like others, I've suffered my fair share of bullying, but refuse to be intimidated by anyone, now that I'm "all growed-up" [as my grandson says] no matter how clever they think they are.

I agree Glass

Gransnet should be freedom of speech to say whatever you feel, but without being vindictive to any another GNetter who does not have those same beliefs, just a healthy debate and then move on.

What if you don't feel any empathy, though? I have no empathy for Mormon beliefs. I think they're nuts. I have Mormon friends though, with whom I have a great deal of empathy about lots of things. And I accept their right to follow their religion. That's not the same as empathising with it.

Empathising with Mormonism is not the same as empathising with Mormons.

I'm sorry that you were bullied at work, alison. That is awful, but I do wonder if you are sometimes confusing empathy with people and empathy with ideas instead of seeing them as two different things.

Hi Alison I'm working between two threads here but they both come down to the same thing. I understand where you are coming from. I'm sorry you suffered bullying in the workplace, it's a horrible situation to be in especially if the bully is in a position of power over you.

Nope Nanadogsbody I'd much rather be ignored that verbally abused anytime. As one who has suffered bullying in my work situation I am sensitive to such things. Empathy is much better whether or not you agree with the views expressed.

There again, perhaps it IS better to be verbally abused than ignored? To continue Eligran's analogy it's like people on the bus, the row in front of you and the row behind you, carrying on a conversation over you.....

I sometimes wonder whether those who rush in to say "I am not in the least interested in this" would turn to someone in the seat behind them on the bus and interrupt their conversation with the same words. They would expect to get the answer "So butt out then."

when [ (I only look at the pictures!)

Niggley, jiggly, nightly ......sorry it's the old predictive texts again

soop is right about the 'silly, nightly and childish behaviour' of some posters. I have been verbally maligned, but have made the decision to ignore such people too. There is a world of difference between a robust discusssion and a personal attack.

baNANA I have often wondered about this (posting on threads to say you have no interest) myself. I am also bemused by posters who rush onto a thread to say 'I know nothing (or very little) about this topic BUT..... and then make a comment which only serves to prove that, indeed they do not know what they are talking about! Some posters seem to think that membership of Gransnet requires them to contribute something to every thread.

Disclaimer: I do not include in this 'bemusement' the many kind posters, who whilst admitting their lack of knowledge, simply come on to offer a few words of sympathy or support. I am sure that type of post is much appreciated.

Helmar I am looking forward to meeting you on 6th October.

Thank you all for your comments. When i came back on to Gransnet and saw there had been so many responses, i was a bit nervous about reading them.
I am looking forward to the meet up and as you say, we will probably not be talking about religion -
It is an important part of my life and i am not afraid to say so.
I suppose some comments are made with the intention to provoke a reaction and i will have to try to avoid those threads.
Most people on here seem lovely and im sure once i have met you i will feel a lot more confident about posting - I may have to go out and buy myself a Broomstick!

Who mentioned the DM!!

Ella I think a few of us who do read the DM are most vociferous about our frustration with its contents, although to get things in perspective there's plenty of other newspapers that we read that don't let the truth get in the way of a good story, as well!

baNANA - exactly

banana, well said. There are no 'shoulds' on gransnet. Just freedom for everyone to say their piece in their own way.

baNANA well said

baNANA Tell that to the people who don't read the Daily Mail!!

Respect Helmar for standing up for your beliefs. I think we can have hearty discussions about religion and other things even if we don't agree with each other. You will have lots in common on other levels, I am sure.

I'm sometimes of the opinion that a few people on Gransnet feel that if they don't share an interest or a belief others may have then it really isn't worth bothering with. I say this because recently on one of the Ancestry threads, one of my hobbies, someone posted "am I the only one not interested in where I've come from". There are a lot of threads on Gransnet regarding all sorts of different activities, some of which wouldn't necessarily interest me. However, I don't see the point of of going on "hobby" type thread, which doesn't invite an opinion and posting a random comment, for example "embroidery doesn't interest me" because I imagine for those that love doing it they wouldn't really care and it kinds of smacks of "if I'm not interested why should you be" Similarly, I don't feel anyone should have to bend over backwards to defend their religious beliefs, atheist beliefs, politics or for that matter the daily papers they read. We have all arrived where we are at in life with different life experiences and different baggage which will have no doubt shaped our opinions. We are not therefore going to reach the same conclusions about the many subjects that are thrown up on Gransnet.

That's right too Bags.

Note: the full stop came at the end of the sentence. not after the emoticon.

I could have put, "that's right too Bags full stop. But that wouldn't look right.

I could have just put, "that's right too Bags and left the emoticon to be the full stop, but it wouldn't look tidy full stop.

XXXXXXXXX to all , I am in good humours , will it last ?