Well, for starters, the picture you painted was that, unless I’m mistaken, you seem to see us as raving lunatics, which itself indicates a degree of disdain on your part. I mean, you could’ve given the benefit of the doubt & used an example that depicted us as naive or childish, but instead, you chose one specifically designed to suggest that we’re simply delusional or crazy.
So, let’s continue to take this comparison of yours a bit further. Just because the individual was incorrect about there being a fire doesn’t mean that no danger exists. Besides, someone doesn’t just barge into a person’s home & scream fire for no reason.
Those reasons tend to be: 1) There is a fire & they know that there’s a fire. 2) There doesn’t look to be a fire & they’re lying about it for one reason or another. 3) There doesn’t appear to be a fire, but something (material or otherwise) has convinced them that there is some danger or another & they may or may not have been mistaken as to what that danger is.
From your perspective, 1 & 2 are out, leaving only 3. So, what do you think it is? Did we experience something that made us believe that there was danger of a fire & you’re ignoring us or are we just insane? And are you willing to risk it?
In fact, a much more accurate comparison would be if I saw my cat sniffing furiously around the wall of your house & didn’t initially think anything of it. But then she started to meow excessively & by the end of the day, she’s very restless & has become obsessed with that particular spot.
I examine it, but don’t see or hear or smell anything. Despite this, something is telling me that something’s not quite right.
So, now I’m worried & I go to knock on your door, informing you of my cat’s behavior.
But now, the ball’s in your court. What do you do?
From your perspective, the only thing that’s changed is that I did not barge in & I did not scream “fire.” Though, maybe I mentioned a “fire risk.”
Meaning you still look around & see no flames. You still sniff the air, but detect no smoke, & no alarm is ringing. You still just changed the batteries yesterday. You were still just thinking about putting on a sweater, thinking it a bit drafty. Still no detectable sources of extreme heat. Still no single sign anywhere that you’re in danger of even a singed hair or so much as slightly overcooking your food. If there’s a fire there, you still have no way of knowing & will have a lot to explain if someone sends the fire department out on what looks in every way to be a false alarm.
Do you risk disregarding my & my cat’s concerns simply because you don’t smell what my cat smells & don’t listen to your gut instinct like I do?
Because, from my perspective, it’s entirely possible that you may have a gas leak & that the mercaptan that’s usually put in the natural gas has faded, rendering it odorless. Keep in mind that smoke detectors aren’t made for detecting gas leaks, so those new batteries are useless in this situation. And if it’s left alone, then a house fire, or even an explosion, is very real dangers. If not serious health problems.
Do you gamble with your life? And is avoiding needing to give an explanation really more important than making completely sure? And, even if I’m wrong, wouldn’t it have been worse to not warn you of the possibility? Should I have not even bothered for fear of it being a false alarm? And, if it turned out that I was right, but chose not to warn you & your house later went up in smoke.
What if, after I left, when you went to put on that sweater, you decided to plug something in? Maybe a space heater or something. What if doing so caused a spark, which then ignited the gas from the leak? Natural gas doesn’t care if you believe in it or not. It exists regardless.
I mean, it’s your life. If you choose to ignore me, then that’s your business, not mine. And, from my perspective, I did my due diligence, so if I’m wrong, then no harm was done even if I was mistaken & overreacted; nothing changes. But if I’m right & you still choose not to heed my warning, then you risk anything from massive property damage, to losing your house, to long term health problems if you’re exposed to gas for too long, if not death. Possibly even bringing other homes down with you depending on how far the spread ends up being.
But no matter how you put it, the example you gave alone shows a lack of desire to really consider the other argument. If you’re going to reblog something pertaining to Christianity & our desire to try & help others, the least you could do is to show a little less bias & disrespect.
My question is, what happened to you to see us in such a terrible light?
Besides, it can’t be as simple as being unconvinced. Because, being unconvinced would imply some degree of willingness to be convinced.
You can’t be convinced of something if you’ve already made the decision that whoever you’re talking to isn’t of sound mind.
So, my question is, what sort of proof is it that you think would be enough to shift you into a more receptive frame of mind?
