ADMIN Atheists and religious threads

Dennis Olson

Dennis Olson

Chief Curmudgeon
_______________
I wanted to take a moment to talk to those of you who are atheists, and who wish to participate in religious threads.

In general, I don't mind if you participate in them. However, since most of you can only make disparaging remarks about people of faith and denigrate their beliefs, I have to put you on notice that such behavior will not be allowed. For those of you who keep doing that on religious threads, you will be sanctioned up to and including removal from the forum.

If you wish to be POLITE and participate in those threads, then you are welcome to do so. But understand that this forum will not become one of those places which, because of one or two atheist complaints, will restrict or eliminate religious discussion. Nor will you be allowed to drag such threads off-topic. The bottom line is simple: if you want to participate in religious threads in a positive way, you are welcome to do so. If not, STAY OFF OF THEM.

Consider this to be forum policy.



Thanks

Dennis
 
Dennis Olson

Dennis Olson

Chief Curmudgeon
_______________
One more thing:

We have all faiths among our membership. Christians, Jews, Muslims (probably), Buddhists, Shintoists, Taoists, Wiccans, and Atheists. (Yes, Atheism is every bit as much of a "religion" as the others.) And I've probably missed a few in my list.

I don't care what faith you are. Hell, I have a Wiccan on my staff (you heathen! ;))

I Just. Don't. Care.

But I DO care that everyone allow people to believe as they wish without being beaten up for it. (except Muslims, who like to blow people up and behead innocents. They can go burn in hell. Just sayin...)
 
Jeff Allen

Jeff Allen

Producer
Seems very reasonable to me!

Apologies if I EVER come across as and impolite ass to anyone!

I think respectable citizens seek to be enlightened, not to disparage others.

Of course my wife lets me know I often fail...

J
 
Be Well

Be Well

may all be well
Dennis Olson said:
One more thing:

We have all faiths among our membership. Christians, Jews, Muslims (probably), Buddhists, Shintoists, Taoists, Wiccans, and Atheists. (Yes, Atheism is every bit as much of a "religion" as the others.) And I've probably missed a few in my list.

I don't care what faith you are. Hell, I have a Wiccan on my staff (you heathen! ;))

I Just. Don't. Care.

But I DO care that everyone allow people to believe as they wish without being beaten up for it. (except Muslims, who like to blow people up and behead innocents. They can go burn in hell. Just sayin...)
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You left out Hindus!
 
Ragnarok

Ragnarok

On and On, South of Heaven
We have Muslims?

Where?

I wanna talk to 'em about...

....some...thing...

I knew we had someone who was professing Islam but I haven't seen him in a while...
 
marsh

marsh

On TB every waking moment
Although I am not an atheist, I try to stay off religious threads because they can piss me off. I hope the "religious" folk extend to me the same courtesy by not coopting other non-religious threads spouting fundamentalist absolutes and scripture as dogma and not expect a contrarian view. No fair to run to Dennis complaining that someone is goring a sacred cow on a non-sacred thread. I should have just as much right as a "Christian" to express my own views and beliefs.

Oh, and the thread should clearly be marked religion and not "education" or something else. Otherwise, everything becomes religious. Remember that this board has a history where religion caused a MAJOR schism in the board. TB2K was to be the non-religious branch. Are we going to have to go through that again?
 
Dennis Olson

Dennis Olson

Chief Curmudgeon
_______________
Directly quoted from a Lounge discussion not two weeks ago. These can be considered the definitive rules on posting religious threads on the forum; those that can't live within these rules are cordially invited to exit TB for a different cyberhome.

Okay, here's exactly how it works: in REL SIG, no hostility is allowed AT ALL. No name calling, no holier-than-thou, none of it. "Living room polite" is the standard.

On Main, only religious threads that are "religion lite" are allowed to stay. If they start getting in-depth (or start out that way), off to REL they go.

Religious threads on Main are given no extra protection. Alternative viewpoints and heated discussion are allowed just like for any other thread. If they want protection, they have to be in REL.

But the standard rules of decency and decorum still apply to any thread on Main.

If a religious thread is moved from Main to REL and it was heated, all such behavior must stop once the thread gets moved. Thread cleanup is at your discretion after the move.

If someone can't abide by the rules for REL, they are stripped of their access (yes, just like for the Bomb Shelter, we have a user group denying REL permission.)
Click to expand...

Now, those are the overall rules for religious threads. That being said, my OP stands. Since Atheists have no vested interest in religious discussion I don't want them participating on religious threads UNLESS they can keep it non-denigrating. An Atheist who gets onto a religious thread and makes snarky comments such as HerbInOregon did recently, they're off the thread and/or infracted. Multiplie such infractions indicate their unwillingness to leave people of faith alone. Those people will be escorted to the door.


THIS POLICY IS NOT OPEN TO DEBATE.


Clear?


ETA: Prayer request threads are allowed to stay on Main. This decision was the result of WEEKS of discussion and debate amongst the membership and staff a few years ago. BUT - if there get to be too many of them on Main (page one) at once, they will get moved to the Corkboard to keep from overrunning Page One. Usually, when I see five of them, I start paying attention, and six will usually generate a move.

NOTE: Prayer requests on Main should be limited to family members, close friends or pets. Someone's co-worker's second cousin's bestie for example, should be posted in the Corkboard. (And as harsh as this sounds, that includes "some baby in a NICU" that someone saw on FB.) However, a reference thread may be posted on Main to let folks know.



ETA2: All of these rules were adopted after lengthy discussion between members and staff. Sometimes multiple threads over an extended period. None of these rules were "edicts from above" (no pun intended.)
 
Hansa44

Hansa44

Justine Case
Dennis Olson said:
Reptilian secret agents don't worship cows. Yes, we captured your leader from the planet Ork...

:lkick:
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Good one, Dennis. But you promised you wouldn't tell anyone I was reptilian. You are correct. We eat them. Same as you!
Hi bro.

Just wondering. Since I'm part of the nazi spelling police, do we spell reptilian with 1 or 2 l's?
 
Dennis Olson

Dennis Olson

Chief Curmudgeon
_______________
I've always spelled it with two L's. It "looks" more correct than using one. And yes, I've had that argument with myself - heh.

That being said which is correct: canceled or cancelled?
 
marsh

marsh

On TB every waking moment
no it is not clear to me and I am not trying to be snarky. If a "religious" topic thread is posted in main with a non-religious header, are non-religious able to voice critique/debate on that thread and what are the limits? For instance, there was recently a thread where debate was attempted to be cut off by the spouting of fundamentalist dogma from a certain sect as the final word. (Ironically I believe it had something to do with tolerance of other religious beliefs.) I shared my PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with my frustrations as a prior member of that sect on the sects lack of tolerance, which caused me to leave that church. It was a criticism of the dogma and the sect. Is that allowed?

Tolerance is a hot button of mine in religion because I had an ancestor who was burned at the stake as a heretic when one religion replaced another in England. It is why his descendants migrated to America in 1624, as did others. I believe religious tolerance to be a keystone of our fundamental principles in America and I am called to defend that point of view. I found myself afraid to post because I was afraid I would be dinged. That is just wrong Dennis.

I wonder why the steps to heaven post is under education in main. It assumes general belief in "heaven" and a systematic way to achieve heaven in an afterlife. IMHO, it should be under REL. It is in your face to those who do not so believe and, being under "educ" on main, actually invites challenge to those assumptions. Who are you educating? The board through the discussion? the initial poster? the church community? Are you proselytizing to the general board? Do non religious have the privilege to call into question all assumptions? Are there sideboards where they cannot question the assumptions? or the dogma?

Not trying to be a contrarian- Note I did not post on that thread but chose to gloss over it. I just don't want to get a surprise ding because I got tired of someone using dogma to cut off debate.
 
Dennis Olson

Dennis Olson

Chief Curmudgeon
_______________
marsh said:
no it is not clear to me and I am not trying to be snarky. If a "religious" topic thread is posted in main with a non-religious header, are non-religious able to voice critique/debate on that thread and what are the limits? For instance, there was recently a thread where debate was attempted to be cut off by the spouting of fundamentalist dogma from a certain sect as the final word. (Ironically I believe it had something to do with tolerance of other religious beliefs.) I shared my PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with my frustrations as a prior member of that sect on the sects lack of tolerance, which caused me to leave that church. It was a criticism of the dogma and the sect. Is that allowed?

Tolerance is a hot button of mine in religion because I had an ancestor who was burned at the stake as a heretic when one religion replaced another in England. It is why his descendants migrated to America in 1624, as did others. I believe religious tolerance to be a keystone of our fundamental principles in America and I am called to defend that point of view. I found myself afraid to post because I was afraid I would be dinged. That is just wrong Dennis.

I wonder why the steps to heaven post is under education in main. It assumes general belief in "heaven" and a systematic way to achieve heaven in an afterlife. IMHO, it should be under REL. It is in your face to those who do not so believe and, being under "educ" on main, actually invites challenge to those assumptions. Who are you educating? The board through the discussion? the initial poster? the church community? Are you proselytizing to the general board? Do non religious have the privilege to call into question all assumptions? Are there sideboards where they cannot question the assumptions? or the dogma?

Not trying to be a contrarian- Note I did not post on that thread but chose to gloss over it. I just don't want to get a surprise ding because I got tired of someone using dogma to cut off debate.
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First, see the third rule in the quote. That covers most of it.

Second, people sometimes make mistakes on their prefixes. Sometimes the staff will edit those mistaken or erroneous prefixes as deemed necessary.

Third, using Report This Post is a viable method of calling attention to a mislablled thread, or one that is transiting from "religion lite" to "religion in-depth". The staff will examine the thread based on the report and take action as deemed necessary.

Fourth, that thread is approaching the transition point, and one could expect it to be moved fairly soon.
 
Last Resort

Last Resort

Veteran Member
Hey, I'm Catholic and have enough to get on with keeping up with my own faith's dogma and traditions, much less anyone else's. I won't chime in on a Baptist, Episcopalian, Hindu, or Wicca topic 'cause I don't know a lot about them.

I WILL chime in on "Dindu" threads, though. :spns:

If you are an atheist, why bother commenting on religious threads? They don't want your proselytizing, I'm guessing, and all you are likely to do is come off as an ass.
 
NoName

NoName

Veteran Member
Dennis Olson said:
One more thing:

We have all faiths among our membership. Christians, Jews, Muslims (probably), Buddhists, Shintoists, Taoists, Wiccans, and Atheists. (Yes, Atheism is every bit as much of a "religion" as the others.) And I've probably missed a few in my list.

I don't care what faith you are. Hell, I have a Wiccan on my staff (you heathen! ;))

I Just. Don't. Care.

But I DO care that everyone allow people to believe as they wish without being beaten up for it. (except Muslims, who like to blow people up and behead innocents. They can go burn in hell. Just sayin...)
Click to expand...

Gotta' love ya man, LOL :)
 
G

Garryowen

Deceased
marsh said:
Although I am not an atheist, I try to stay off religious threads because they can piss me off. I hope the "religious" folk extend to me the same courtesy by not coopting other non-religious threads spouting fundamentalist absolutes and scripture as dogma and not expect a contrarian view. No fair to run to Dennis complaining that someone is goring a sacred cow on a non-sacred thread. I should have just as much right as a "Christian" to express my own views and beliefs.

Oh, and the thread should clearly be marked religion and not "education" or something else. Otherwise, everything becomes religious. Remember that this board has a history where religion caused a MAJOR schism in the board. TB2K was to be the non-religious branch. Are we going to have to go through that again?
Click to expand...

Actually, it was behavior that caused the schism. As with the moose limbs, they would not be a problem, except for their behavior, which is abominable.
 
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