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I can see that feeling are running pretty high. However, I'll just put in my 2nd 2cnt worth
A forum is not a democracy. It is someone's property and being allowed topost there is like being allowed to use someone's house. You follow their rules.
I think we all know that. The problem is, this is being served up to us as being in the spirit of "respect" and "fairness" for all, which is a blatant outright lie.
If it's not applied ACROSS THE BOARD and POSTED IN ALL RELIGIOUS FORUMS with the censored words being tailored to the offenders, then it is NOT fair and it is NOT about respect. It is about shutting me up, and shutting up every non-believer on these boards simply because some pansy-ass sensitive little whiners don't like a word being used.
I would have a lot less to say about this if the mods had come in here and been honest and truthful and said "We're going to censor you and not the christers/Christians/believers because they have been whining to us about certain words and you have not."
If they were truthful about their agenda, then I'd say a lot less about it. But don't serve me shyte and tell me it's caviar.
After the huge number of posts from just yesterday I can see how this could spin out of control. I completely agree that we shouldn't insult each other but after reading many of the thoughts expressed on this thread I'm beginning to think that more emphasis should be placed on the tone of a particular post than to a list of banned words. I've used words to describe God such as The Big Fella or The Man Upstairs in an attempt to interject a little humor into my post. No insult was ever intended but I can see how the list of banned words could grow and grow until you have to check out a long list of them before you can even write a post. June mentioned on an earlier post that it's the manner in which your post is written that determines whether or not it's insulting and I completely agree with that point of view. After witnessing this flare up of heated opinions on banned words I'm feeling different about it than I did yesterday. I'm feeling that a post that sounds hostile to another member is the problem that needs to be addressed and starting a list of banned words could inflame the situation even further.
If it's not applied ACROSS THE BOARD and POSTED IN ALL RELIGIOUS FORUMS with the censored words being tailored to the offenders, then it is NOT fair and it is NOT about respect.
Special censorship for special people. From followers of a deity they tell us is loving, caring, forgiving, etc.
I still haven't read anything confirming that calling homosexuality immoral will be censored and infracted. That is a much greater insult than saying "sky daddy".
After the huge number of posts from just yesterday I can see how this could spin out of control. I completely agree that we shouldn't insult each other but after reading many of the thoughts expressed on this thread I'm beginning to think that more emphasis should be placed on the tone of a particular post than to a list of banned words. I've used words to describe God such as The Big Fella or The Man Upstairs in an attempt to interject a little humor into my post. No insult was ever intended but I can see how the list of banned words could grow and grow until you have to check out a long list of them before you can even write a post. June mentioned on an earlier post that it's the manner in which your post is written that determines whether or not it's insulting and I completely agree with that point of view. After witnessing this flare up of heated opinions on banned words I'm feeling different about it than I did yesterday. I'm feeling that a post that sounds hostile to another member is the problem that needs to be addressed and starting a list of banned words could inflame the situation even further.
I personally agree with the above in bold. Being a net veteran of seeing some VERY nasty war of words on other website forums, THIS is tame by comparison. Then again we are not all the same. Tact and diplomacy are not everyone's strong suit. Some people will just tell you, straight up, what is on their mind; no pulling punches or mincing words especially, in this case, toward adults still holding on to what is perceived as fairy tales which they are told must be "preached in all the world, making Disciples of all men" (see last chapter in the book of Mark for this fine command)
I remember once over on the Christianity forum a member (both of us from the Caribbean) had the audacity to suggest that slavery was a good thing because his god got us out of evil Africa and got us to learn about Jesus over on this side of the world. I had to resort to a whimper as not to tell this individual what I really wanted to say in response for fear of "offending" this individual and his asinine comments. Knowing me, I would have refrained from using some colorful words I could have used for the individual and just attacked the comments, but his bible (where he sources his wild ideas) would have been torn to shreds and moderators would have been alerted that I was insulting his holy book. It's like having your hands tied.
There are also two types of people on these forums. There are those who start threads (like me) who run the risk of being called a "troll" and those who only jump into threads to check folks. I have maintained that if one believes a thread is trolling, no one is holding a gun to their head to read it or even respond. As for those who sit on the sidelines and wait to jump in to comment, I also feel it is their right, but I admit a particular tone or choice of words can be counterproductive in some instances. Then again, some people, IMHO, have earned the right to be told to "get the **** out of here with that ****!"
I still haven't read anything confirming that calling homosexuality immoral will be censored and infracted. That is a much greater insult than saying "sky daddy".
I agree with your statement but the problem is that the majority of Christians do think homosexuality is immoral and if they're not allowed to state their opinion then those of us who support gay rights won't have the opportunity to explain to them why it is not immoral and we wouldn't even be able to have a discussion on this important subject. I think it's a matter of free speech and the ability to express your opinion that's at risk here if we start to ban certain topics because people can't say what they really think and at that point what would be the purpose in even having this forum?
After the huge number of posts from just yesterday I can see how this could spin out of control. I completely agree that we shouldn't insult each other but after reading many of the thoughts expressed on this thread I'm beginning to think that more emphasis should be placed on the tone of a particular post than to a list of banned words. I've used words to describe God such as The Big Fella or The Man Upstairs in an attempt to interject a little humor into my post. No insult was ever intended but I can see how the list of banned words could grow and grow until you have to check out a long list of them before you can even write a post. June mentioned on an earlier post that it's the manner in which your post is written that determines whether or not it's insulting and I completely agree with that point of view. After witnessing this flare up of heated opinions on banned words I'm feeling different about it than I did yesterday. I'm feeling that a post that sounds hostile to another member is the problem that needs to be addressed and starting a list of banned words could inflame the situation even further.
I agree, but could not rep you either. What is it with the rep system that will not let me rep the Atheist/Agnostics with good post? I seldom can give any of my A&A friends a Rep point and it is not because I don’t spread them around. I just spend most of my time in the A&A forum.
I personally agree with the above in bold. Being a net veteran of seeing some VERY nasty war of words on other website forums, THIS is tame by comparison.
I also belong to other forums and it's common to see the F word flying around even from the mods but they have some excellent discussions. But if someone starts getting hostile and personal with another member they're history.
A forum is not a democracy. It is someone's property and being allowed topost there is like being allowed to use someone's house. You follow their rules.
I don't think anybody is operating under the delusion that this is a democracy. I'm not upset that this forum has rules; I was peeved that atheists are being singled out. I was even more peeved that this discrimination is being implemented under the guise of 'fairness'. I went beyond peeved and finally reached anger when I read that theists are free to insult atheists as long as they cite the origins of their insults. I guess, it's okay to sling insults as long as they've been around long enough to be written down in a book.
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Some people will just tell you, straight up, what is on their mind; no pulling punches or mincing words especially, in this case, toward adults still holding on to what is perceived as fairy tales which they are told must be "preached in all the world, making Disciples of all men" (see last chapter in the book of Mark for this fine command)