Quote:
Alejandro Villanueva wrote:
You're comparing religion to not wanting the dirt attached at your soles to come into someone's house. Yes, I think that's a poor comparassion. Anyway, you're right, your house your rules. If I was required to bow in my Aikido class, I would laugh at them and leave as if I was required to write Arabic with a kalamos when in Arabic 101.
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Just realize that not everyone takes religion very seriously. I'm an atheist with a strong science background and to be quite frank I find most religious behavior to be quite odd. Shrug. I also think that requiring "etiquette" to be expressed by only certain physical acts vs. others to be kinda odd.
But that cuts both ways in this discussion as well. Requiring bowing (in the sense of showing respect in a Japanese cultural environment) vs. prohibiting bowing (in a sense of showing submission/inferiority in another environment). The act of bending at the waist takes on meaning due to context and expectation of each person. The physical action isn't the problem, it is the intent expressed behind it. And I find it odd (to be honest) that some do not see them as distinct. So it all strikes me as odd in the extreme that this is an issue for either side.
And why the heck do people slap their hands together at the end of a movie making that awful racket? Clapping seems to odd...
Honestly I'm not arguing with you. You may see the comparison as totally out of whack. I don't hold religion in such high regard and as such I see little difference. But I do respect other peoples' beliefs and personally will accommodate a lot of things as a result. But that is accommodation. A choice I make. There is no categorical imperative here. Just a clash of culture/ideals. And to be honest I see little difference between those who take the etiquette *really* seriously and those who take their religious acts *really* seriously. Whatever. But I've been ruined by my parents, apparently. Shrug.
And in the end... I see little value in discussing it. There is little to debate. If both sides feel strongly, well, they ain't gonna be working out together. If one side will bend a bit, great. If not, well, that's the way it goes.