FWIW I hope it is a good, productive time.

Fair enough. We did have failsafes in place, though, like the other posts, and the fact that we were getting together first.

I will say that in the past individuals have acted poorly in this context. (I did not witness that, but I did hear about it from an excellent source.)

What is more, the “size up the local creationist scene” could potentially even provide safe harbour for terrorists gathering information on local religious sects. Of course I’d never accuse anyone on this blog of actually DOING that but to some people that may be a “dog whistle” phrase that allows bigots to blend in to something that isn’t really directed at them.

Anyway, what say we have a few bars of “we are the world” now that the well is nice and poisoned? After all, it’s fine to completely misrepresent someone’s views as long as you’re doing it on someone else’s behalf!

Apparently.

Sometimes we visit the science fair, but it is not to laugh at the students….

from this you get sneer from a safe distance?

… that would be rude and uncivil, and despite the fact that politeness and civility are EVILE, when it comes to children we should not be all in their faces.

maybe it was this part you got sneer from a safe distance?

Rather, we go to the funny little mall to enjoy each other’s company, those of us who wish we got together more often than we do, to browse through the Creation Science Fair displays, and to size up the local creationist scene.

or was it this?

I’ll stick by my assertion, you just like making shit up so you can be righteously indignant about something. And that is pathetic.

Yea, every now and then some moron misreads something I wrote, and then fails to engage in the straight forward conversation that might reach a point of understanding. Instead, the conversation veers into unnecessary and annoying argument, name calling, and sophistry.

The truth is that for meaning to be transmitted from one person to another in a way that does not garble and distort that meaning, those on both sides of the conversation have to be prepared to engage. Suggestions: If, as a reader, you are not willing to put in the effort, don’t read it. If, as a reader, you find yourself not liking what you are reading because the way it is written does not jive with you (that happens to me all the time) opt out if possible. If, as a reader, you’re not feeling comfortable with what you are getting and you still need to read it for some reason, work harder. If, as a reader, you say something that indicates your particular understanding of something and the person who wrote it or someone else with a good reason to understand it contradicts you, step back and consider that you and the purveyor of the information might need to go back and forth a bit. And if that happens consider the possibility that if you start off insulting the writer the writer might tell you to kiss his ass.

Oh, and kiss my ass.

No, it is not, and I will appreciate it if you do NOT show up and do that WE have had open and detailed conversations about this (on this blog and on the two related facebook pages). Everyone is on the same page.

No safe distances, no sneering. Just polite engagement, with minimal to zero engagement with actual children.

Also, most of the people going have experience here, and those who don’t will be with those who do. Yet another reason for the meetup.

If anything more comes of it, such as a spirited debate with the adults present (I agree that trying to ‘convert’ children would be inappropriate) then I will be the first to extend my heartfelt congratulations

Unlikely. They are usually not there. But it can happen and it does. Without going, of course, it would not.

There is however a longer term spirited debate going on. It happens across a range of venues and even different contexts. I find that he creationists are increasingly not present at these discussions as time goes by.