Originally posted by rsr:
BillyShope said:
"Sorry to be harsh with you, but that's simply not polite conduct."
It's perfectly acceptable on a message board. If someone quotes a study or "fact" (especially if its implication is incendiary), it is common courtesy to provide the source for the benefit of those who come across the post.
And I strongly disagree! The discussion here should be no different from that friendly discussion which would occur at a party. When a friend mentions something he read in the newspaper, you don't insist he run home and get it. If you don't believe it, you simply smile and say, "That's interesting" and the conversation continues.
This is particularly absurd since even I immediately dismissed the study mentioned, noting that, in my opinion, it was quite unnecessary.
I'm reminded of an old Judy Holliday movie in which she would make up statistics for contribution to any conversation. She was never challenged because the people involved were traditionally civil in their conduct.
Again, having written for scientific journals, I know the requirements for source verification can be quite different, but you can expect me to occasionally violate your definition of "common courtesy" here. I give the people who read these posts credit for having sufficient intelligence to weigh the credibility of such comments. I don't think they need someone like yourself to protect them.
No, that to which I objected was simply rude and highly objectionable conduct, whether in conversation at a party or on a Christian board...perhaps particularly on a Christian board!