Just calling something a strawman does not make it a strawman. "Motte and Bailey" would be a better accusation, if you do assert that religion is less significant to someone's worldview than their politics.
> It is reasonable for you to be upset when I say you do not belong in my country
Sure, I've been a new immigrant before and have felt that pang of discomfort when "othered." It's part of why I personally am very pro-immigration. It helps that I'm both from and moved to countries which have very open attitudes to immigration. Not every country is the same: Denmark is among the most critical countries in Europe to immigration. Are Danish people simply not allowed to hold that view? What about Japan (obv. not in Europe, but still) - is that society and its people "bad" or "wrong" for not being more accepting to immigrants than Germany or Canada or the UK? dhh actually touches on these topics in depth in one of the posts you are likely alluding to ("As I remember London" 2025-09-15) with quotations from Denmark's (SocDem) PM.
> not reasonable for you to be upset when I say I am Christian.
Why? If you are not of my faith, you are rejecting it and saying that I am wrong about the most important thing in all of metaphysics. And potentially will be punished or doomed for that. Religion is a core part of many people's worldview and politics. It's also a great indicator of how well pluralism is working in a society. If Christians and Muslims are bombing each other's places of worship, that's bad. If they can coexist despite their fundamental differences in theology and ethics, that's good. And so it should be extended to alternative political views.
This isn't because I want to defend any particular policy or person, but because the pendulum always swings and its what we do now that dictates what will be done to us in the future. In a democracy, when all of the votes are counted, the loser phones the winner and congratulates them. If the incumbent lost, there is a peaceful transition of power. It doesn't matter if the loser thinks (rightly or wrongly) that the winner will run the country into the ground and harm the people. It doesn't matter if their entire campaign was based on lies or misrepresented facts. The rules of the game say that you accept the vote and the process whether it goes your way or not.
That is what allows elections to not become riots and civil wars. It is what allows debates rather than assassinations. It is what allows me to hold the door open at the coffee shop no matter if the person behind me voted for $foo [wants to keep housing prices high and cut social spending, evil] or for $bar [promised free candy, savors of the nation] or if they are wearing clothing from a different faith from me. And they'll do the same for me.
This is all basic social empathy. You feel they're wrong, they feel you're just as wrong, you look past it because the alternative is so much worse. If you can't internalize that anyone would ever disagree with you and therefore we should not have a society which allows for peaceful disagreements, then that's on you.
> "Motte and Bailey" would be a better accusation, if you do assert that religion is less significant to someone's worldview than their politics.
No, straw man is accurate. You're going after a position they didn't take.
> If you are not of my faith, you are rejecting it and saying that I am wrong about the most important thing in all of metaphysics. And potentially will be punished or doomed for that.
Well that's just not true. My faith is not metaphysical and I don't think you should or will be punished for having a different one. (This is another straw man.) My statement about my faith and personal philosophy is a statement about me. My statement that you don't belong is about you. That is the difference which you misunderstand.
Just calling something a strawman does not make it a strawman. "Motte and Bailey" would be a better accusation, if you do assert that religion is less significant to someone's worldview than their politics.
> It is reasonable for you to be upset when I say you do not belong in my country
Sure, I've been a new immigrant before and have felt that pang of discomfort when "othered." It's part of why I personally am very pro-immigration. It helps that I'm both from and moved to countries which have very open attitudes to immigration. Not every country is the same: Denmark is among the most critical countries in Europe to immigration. Are Danish people simply not allowed to hold that view? What about Japan (obv. not in Europe, but still) - is that society and its people "bad" or "wrong" for not being more accepting to immigrants than Germany or Canada or the UK? dhh actually touches on these topics in depth in one of the posts you are likely alluding to ("As I remember London" 2025-09-15) with quotations from Denmark's (SocDem) PM.
> not reasonable for you to be upset when I say I am Christian.
Why? If you are not of my faith, you are rejecting it and saying that I am wrong about the most important thing in all of metaphysics. And potentially will be punished or doomed for that. Religion is a core part of many people's worldview and politics. It's also a great indicator of how well pluralism is working in a society. If Christians and Muslims are bombing each other's places of worship, that's bad. If they can coexist despite their fundamental differences in theology and ethics, that's good. And so it should be extended to alternative political views.
This isn't because I want to defend any particular policy or person, but because the pendulum always swings and its what we do now that dictates what will be done to us in the future. In a democracy, when all of the votes are counted, the loser phones the winner and congratulates them. If the incumbent lost, there is a peaceful transition of power. It doesn't matter if the loser thinks (rightly or wrongly) that the winner will run the country into the ground and harm the people. It doesn't matter if their entire campaign was based on lies or misrepresented facts. The rules of the game say that you accept the vote and the process whether it goes your way or not.
That is what allows elections to not become riots and civil wars. It is what allows debates rather than assassinations. It is what allows me to hold the door open at the coffee shop no matter if the person behind me voted for $foo [wants to keep housing prices high and cut social spending, evil] or for $bar [promised free candy, savors of the nation] or if they are wearing clothing from a different faith from me. And they'll do the same for me.
This is all basic social empathy. You feel they're wrong, they feel you're just as wrong, you look past it because the alternative is so much worse. If you can't internalize that anyone would ever disagree with you and therefore we should not have a society which allows for peaceful disagreements, then that's on you.