Being an asshole isn't going to win you anything. Why not accept that this person wishes to called be a "female". How will it hurt you?
In a country and culture where people make an issue of referring
to the Democrat or Democratic Party, yes,
once politics gets involved, anything can become an issue.
How does it hurt to have a cross on a teacher's memorial on the grounds of a public school?
Some people have sued to have such removed, based on principle.
Whether cheerleaders cite Bible passages as cheers on school game banners,
also became the basis of a lawsuit in court. What does it hurt to cite a Bible passage?
If people don't believe in something, that's one thing.
But to try to impose that on them by either govt,
or bullying or guilt tripping them into doing or saying something they don't believe in,
then human nature kicks in and people object, resist and refuse.
ScienceRocks I appreciate how you at least ask and try to understand
what is going on with people's thinking on the other side.
With issues like this which involve deep personal and spiritual beliefs,
the best way I know to influence change is to identify
what is the equivalent change on your side and the other person's side.
If you can find something you are asked to change
that the other person doesn't think causes any harm,
but you refuse on principle, that might demonstrate
a close equivalent of why that feels so wrong to them
because in a similar case it would feel wrong and imposing on you.
One of my friends wants me to be open to the theory
that the earth is flatter than it is spherical. Because I have
personally never seen the earth from space, it is equally
faith based which way it is. That is an extreme example
I can give of being asked to change how I say things to
be open minded it could be another way to accommodate someone else.
I have asked atheist friends would they be okay with equating God with Nature.
some nontheists are okay with substituting Life or Nature in palce of God.
Or the universe. But some say NO, God is not the same as Nature.
If that's not their way of saying or translating things from one
system to another, then it just doesn't work for them. So I find something else
that does work. So accommodating both people doesn't have to impose
change on one person more than another. Usually the solution is mutual,'where both
people equally stretch to meet the other halfway.
Thanks for being here and reaching out to others.
I hope your efforts pay off, and you influence as many people
to understand ways of thinking outside their own
as people here may help explain the thinking behind their beliefs as well.
Keep up the great work and intelligent posts, where I hope you continue to make the most of challenging conflicts in beliefs, turning them into opportunities to share greater insights and diversity of thoughts and experiences. Thank you
ScienceRocks for sharing here!