The Atheism Thread - Part 6

[regwec]

We'll agree to disagree.

 

[Doctor Evo]

We'll agree to disagree.

You know when that would have been more appropriate?

In the JCAaW thread.

 

[regwec]

No, I don't think naked prejudice should go unchallenged, but thanks for the thought.

 

[Doctor Evo]

No, I don't think naked prejudice should go unchallenged, but thanks for the thought.

Ah, the internet warrior. Ever so valiant and brave.

 

[regwec]

I claimed nothing of the sort, and am unsure which values you are purporting to represent.

 

[Doctor Evo]

I claimed nothing of the sort, and am unsure which values you are purporting to represent.

If only you were about six inches taller.

 

[regwec]

I don't understand what you mean, but I think we have reached the level of "ner ner ner".

 

[Doctor Evo]

I don't understand what you mean, but I think we have reached the level of "ner ner ner".

Better make it twelve.

 

[regwec]

I'd have to sand down the door frames, then.

 

[Marvolo]

You guys seriously got the JCAaW thread closed? You couldn't just leave them alone?

Yes, what many of them were saying was disgusting, offensive and intellectually bankrupt. But was it really our place to go in there and derail the **** out of the thread? Seriously, guys, come on. I think what happened constitutes a major breach of message-board etiquette (and this comes from someone who has little regard for such nonsense).

The breach of etiquette was when people started belittling gay people and saying that allowing them to get married would lead to bestiality.
Bigotry and intolerance is not allowed on these forums. Just because it is in the bible doesnt make it right.

 

[Feenix]

You guys seriously got the JCAaW thread closed? You couldn't just leave them alone?

Yes, what many of them were saying was disgusting, offensive and intellectually bankrupt. But was it really our place to go in there and derail the **** out of the thread? Seriously, guys, come on. I think what happened constitutes a major breach of message-board etiquette (and this comes from someone who has little regard for such nonsense).

I don't think anyone expected the thread to be closed. I don't think it should have been, but that's not my call. On the other hand, you can't just post things like comparing homosexuality to pedophilia and beastiality without getting flack. If the atheists in this thread started likening certain groups of people to animals or criminals, I would fully expect members to come in here and raise hell, as they should.

 

[Doctor Evo]

The breach of etiquette was when people started belittling gay people and saying that allowing them to get married would lead to bestiality.
Bigotry and intolerance is not allowed on these forums. Just because it is in the bible doesnt make it right.

Don't pretend that the debate didn't extend far beyond that particular topic.

I don't think anyone expected the thread to be closed. I don't think it should have been, but that's not my call. On the other hand, you can't just post things like comparing homosexuality to pedophilia and beastiality without getting flack. If the atheists in this thread started likening certain groups of people to animals or criminals, I would fully expect members to come in here and raise hell, as they should.

The difference is that debate is openly invited here. It was explicitly discouraged in the other thread by request.

The more appropriate course of action would have been to approach the mods about specific offenders, rather than launch some weird crusade (yes, the irony is intentional). At least then some sort of targeted action could have been taken that didn't involve the entire thread becoming one large cluster****.

It's not that anyone expected the thread to be closed - it's that we should have recognized it as a potential consequence. We know how the mods operate around here. When the thread turned into a giant mess, the incentive for a targeted approach was diminished.

Regardless of whether I agree with the premise of the thread in general, I think we should be able to agree that it had the potential to be a very positive experience for the Christians of this board. And based on what I saw, it was, until one or two zealots ruined it for everyone.

 

[The End]

I tried my best to encourage them to discuss it outside of that thread.

 

[Doctor Evo]

I tried my best to encourage them to discuss it outside of that thread.

Are you implying that they forced your hand, so to speak? Forgive me, but that seems to be a rather weak justification.

 

[-Arya-]

I recall many of us trying to shift the discussion over to this thread, but it just didn't happen.

 

[Doctor Evo]

I recall many of us trying to shift the discussion over to this thread, but it just didn't happen.

Again: how does this justify the continued discussion of the topic in that thread?

Now, I will say this: either we should have dropped it, or they should have dropped it. They're not entirely blameless here. The fact that they perpetuated the debate isn't lost on me. I just happen to think that we should have acted as the "bigger man," so to speak.

 

[The End]

Are you implying that they forced your hand, so to speak? Forgive me, but that seems to be a rather weak justification.

You're talking as though I closed the thread. I didn't close the thread. I had no way to predict some dude was gonna start comparing homosexuality to beastiality. Put the blame on him.

Furthermore, why should you expect that people are just gonna sit back and not say anything when there's anti-gay bigotry flying around? 2014 is a different time than even 10 years ago and that stuff is not cool, and I really think an apt comparison would be to expect people NOT to call out racism. Why would people just sit back and not say anything? It isn't realistic or even ethical to expect people not to say anything.

 

[Doctor Evo]

You're talking as though I closed the thread. I didn't close the thread. I had no way to predict some dude was gonna start comparing homosexuality to beastiality. Put the blame on him.

Furthermore, why should you expect that people are just gonna sit back and not say anything when there's anti-gay bigotry flying around? 2014 is a different time than even 10 years ago and that stuff is not cool, and I really think an apt comparison would be to expect people NOT to call out racism. Why would people just sit back and not say anything? It isn't realistic or even ethical to expect people not to say anything.

The more appropriate course of action would have been to approach the mods about specific offenders, rather than launch some weird crusade (yes, the irony is intentional). At least then some sort of targeted action could have been taken that didn't involve the entire thread becoming one large cluster****.

It's not that anyone expected the thread to be closed - it's that we should have recognized it as a potential consequence. We know how the mods operate around here. When the thread turned into a giant mess, the incentive for a targeted approach was diminished.

I love being able to respond without having to type anything new.

 

[-Arya-]

Again: how does this justify the continued discussion of the topic in that thread?

Now, I will say this: either we should have dropped it, or they should have dropped it. They're not entirely blameless here. The fact that they perpetuated the debate isn't lost on me. I just happen to think that we should have acted as the "bigger man," so to speak.

I agree with you, and I do usually drop many discussions. However, certain topics garner stronger reactions than others. Sometimes you can't hold back as much you would like to.

 

[Doctor Evo]

I agree with you, and I do usually drop many discussions. However, certain topics garner stronger reactions than others. Sometimes you can't hold back as much you would like to.

I'll admit that it took a lot of restraint for me not to jump in to the discussion. It was almost painful.

 

[Feenix]

I don't think we were the reason the thread was closed. There have been debates in that thread before, and it just took a mod to get everyone back on track.

It was The_Harvest and what he was saying. Before we even got to that thread, he was going off on the other Christians for how they viewed homosexuals (and one of them has a gay daughter). He was bound to get it shut down with that kind of crap.

 

[regwec]

He was a deeply unpleasant character, and I am glad he was banned.

 

[Gr0oT]

I don't think anyone expected the thread to be closed. I don't think it should have been, but that's not my call. On the other hand, you can't just post things like comparing homosexuality to pedophilia and beastiality without getting flack. If the atheists in this thread started likening certain groups of people to animals or criminals, I would fully expect members to come in here and raise hell, as they should.

Well most atheist I know accept that we are animals.
I think the problem comes in when people start likening accepted sexual practices with bestiality and all other manner of depravity.

We shouldn't really be dragging that debate into this thread for fear of this gloriously behaved thread closing after 6 parts.

 

[The End]

He was a deeply unpleasant character, and I am glad he was banned.

Agreed.

He was pretty damn old school in his biblical views.

 

[regwec]

This thread won't be closed, because nobody here is demented enough to harbour such malignant, medieval views.