Is it just me, or is that "other" forum really nasty lately

[Heddi]

Just nastiness. Personal attacks and hyperbole and outright lies and slander...tsk tsk.

seems desperate. "I don't have an argument so fuck you, bigot."

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[Curmudgeoness]

1. It's just you.

Actually, I have no idea. I have always found it nasty, so I avoid that other forum unless someone here sucks me into going there. Damn the people who do that to me.

[deucemagnet]

2. I recently made a lot of additions to my ignore list.

From the obstinately agenda-promoting, to the snarky, to the simply inane. There's no discussion happening, and I have no time to deal with such toxic personalities. I find my DU experience to be much better without them.

On edit: "Peppered", because what's not better with pepper?

[Heddi]

3. It's very frustrating, I find, when someone from outside the "I believe" crowd asks a question

and immediately they're bombarded with "I wonder what your motivations for posting this here are" or "I don't think you're asking this question in an honest manner," or "I think you already have your opinion made up and just want an echo chamber," etc.

There's this constant cry for "MORE POSITIVE DIALOGGGGGGG" but when we (and I mean "we" to not necessarily mean people who read or post in this forum, but people who are A/A or non-believers) ask questions about religion, or beliefs, or politics, we're shouted down as being insincere mooks who are just looking to troll a forum.

I've seen some very poignant questions asked by A/A's that are just dismissed out of hand by the self-declared Religion Forum Thought Police And Arbiters Of Stuff. Then they get huffy if we DON'T ask questions and make "judgements." Well, when we ask questions, we're told we're being nasty assholes. When we don't ask questions we're told "why don't you ask the the believers" and are told we're being nasty assholes.

For a group of people who I swear get a nickel every time they cry POSITIVE DIALOGUE! RAISE THE LEVEL OF DISCOURSE! they sure do a lot of, well, not making positive dialogue and not raising the level of discourse

[skepticscott]

5. No, most of the prominent religionistas over there have lowered it

As you say, despite their calls for "civility" they've just taken to flinging out the label "bigot" as every opportunity. And the truth is, they really have no interest whatsoever in "civil" discussion. They love a good dust-up as much as anyone, they just won't admit it. They lead everyone to believe that they could have all of these "deep" and "meaningful" discussions of "faith" if only the mean ol' atheists weren't always spoiling things. Maybe they even believed it themselves. But turns out, when they got their chance, they discovered that there is nothing meaningful about their "faith" to discuss, and that sitting around telling each other how wonderful each other's beliefs were and how much they deeply respected each other's differences got boring really, really fast.

[Goblinmonger]

9. I don't go to Interfaith

Because I said I'd stay out and I haven't gone back on that word. Are you telling me it isn't a hopping den of deep discussion? Clearly atheists must have infiltrated there and stifled the discussion.

[skepticscott]

12. It's not even a hopping den of OPs

Unless I'm missing wisdom from the guy I have on ignore, one person does 95% of the OPs there, and there is basically no discussion at all…almost sad…but not really. Totally as expected and predicted.

[Act_of_Reparation]

19. The Kumbaya Rapid Deployment Squad is a clique in every since of the word

You have the tyrant at the top; the hatchet men (or women) in the middle who vie for the tyrant's favor like yapping dogs; and at the bottom are the fawning minions who are happy just to be noticed by the upper echelons of the group.

There's no dialogue because they aren't especially interested in dialogue. The tyrant's there to lecture; the hatchet men are there to defend the tyrant; the minions are there to see and be seen; and all under the general objective of confirming by majority consensus their ill-conceived predetermined conclusions.

[cleanhippie]

21. That's it exactly! Tyrants, hatchetmen, and minions.

[TxDemChem]

4. I stay away from the "other" group

I get enough shit at work about religion. I like talking to you all much better.

[awoke_in_2003]

43. I live in Texas too

like you, I have no time for the religion forum

[TxDemChem]

44. It's ridiculous here.

On the flip side, people at my job seem to be questioning their beliefs a lot more. I think it's the "Christians" spewing hateful shit that's doing them in.

[Warpy]

6. I avoid that particular forum

unless someone here points me to some particular idiocy among so many.

Just be aware that our very existence as rational and reasonable people and not sociopaths challenges them at the deepest core of their being and that hurts, they don't want to think about it, they might start asking questions and then they won't feel safe.

And that's why I don't bother with it much.

No, they don't have proof or even a reasonable argument. That's the problem, they never will. It just becomes religious wanking and one-upmanship.

[Warren Stupidity]

7. since I started my observance of lent, that forum has become a whole different place.

I'm generally not a big fan of "ignore", but it does literally change the landscape.

[Goblinmonger]

8. You and I have the same person on ignore

I had never done that before with anyone (he's my first ). And just that one click has, as you also noted, made an enormous difference in the experience over there.

[Heddi]

11. if I put all the annoying people on Ignore i'd only see the AA posters

and only when they're not responding to the ignored....

so I'd be like being in here...

[Warren Stupidity]

13. Annoying is ok with me.

Heck, I find myself pretty annoying at times. Perfidious trollery with no intention to engage in discourse is a different matter entirely.

[skepticscott]

14. I agree…I've never minded a little snark

as long as there was at least some attempt at actual intellectual content to go with it. But the usual cast of characters over there rarely even make a pretense of that any more. They just cut and paste or post the same shtick every single day, it seems.

[Act_of_Reparation]

20. I've been ignoring a particular poster "over there" for about six months now...

...and it certainly filters out the noise. I suspect we're ignoring the same person.

[Promethean]

29. Its interesting. I don't find that one all that annoying.

It is the one who tries to portray herself as even handed and not taking a side. Then immediately jumps at every opportunity to side against Atheists who bothers me.

[Vashta Nerada]

10. I try to stay out of there unless I feel like being a jerk.

[RussBLib]

15. assume I don't know what "other" forum you mean

that would be a safe assumption

[defacto7]

17. In this group

we try not to say the whole names because it's bad voodoo. There are a couple that would fit the general understanding here, one that begins with "R" and the other "I".

Seek and you will find!

[RussBLib]

24. oh please

I thought this group didn't entertain superstitious nonsense?

"bad voodoo"? really?

[defacto7]

28. No... not really....

Do you really need a smiley face to alert you to humor or sarcasm... or just having fun? Maybe you're just super serious? Or maybe I need one from you showing me you are not serious.



There are rules in the house. Some of them include calling out other groups or users. These comments don't constitute an infraction but it's humorous to some of us to play as if we needed to abbreviate. Before rushing to judgment on group statements you may want to read up on the gist of group comments before posting critical commentary about users of a safe haven group.

Welcome anyway.

[defacto7]

16. I pass

I haven't been on the "other" side in a long time, I just don't go there anymore. But I remember how it was and that is the playground of the deceivers.

I don't go there and they like that, I like that, we are all happily separated into our own philosophical worlds... Mine where honestly meets self and the joy of evolving, and theirs where honesty meets an immovable dogmatic train crash.

[progressoid]

26. Me too.

I've occasionally wandered into a post that is on the greatest page but I don't deliberately go there.

[onager]

18. Lately? LATELY!?!

It's always been that way. It just got a lot worse after the new and improved DU, with the jury system.

On another PC, I have some interesting posts I saved from right after the launch of the new DU.

A certain Constant Poster over there is practically having multiple organisms about how much "nicer" the Religion group will be under the new regime. Once they get rid of a few troublemakers, that is. Guess who that would be.

That poster used some colorful language to describe the more argumentative non-believers. I don't think they went Full Goebbels and called us "vermin," but pretty close as I remember.

[skepticscott]

40. Actually, they did get rid of ALL the troublemakers

And the I group was the result. A rousing success, by all accounts.

[cleanhippie]

22. Oh, yes, an it had gotten worse lately. I just live watching them foam at the mouth.

[NastyRiffraff]

23. Add me to the list

of those who avoid that forum. I don't mind debate, actually I like it. But it's hard to find honest debate there Just name-calling and being asked why you're posting there.

[Act_of_Reparation]

25. They've largely stopped asking why we post there...

... and have taken instead to telling us why we post there.

Because we're divisive bigots who carry water for Republicans, I'm told.

[onager]

41. Let's do the Time Warp again...!

Because we're divisive bigots who carry water for Republicans, I'm told.

That one always cracks me up. Since obviously no Xians are carrying water for Republicans...

I mention the Time Warp because they seem to be stuck in one. I swear, most of the robo-posters in there think it's still 1960 or thereabouts.

The Lib'rul Protestant and Lib'rul Catholic Churches are growing growing growing and soon we will all agree that good liberal religious beliefs are absolutely necessary for a decent liberal society!!!

F*ck me, it's like they slept...or prayed...thru the last 50 years. The rise of Xian Fundamentalism? Just a very temporary blip on the radar, those assholes are obviously wrong and any day now most Americans will come flocking back to the Good Lib'rul Churches.

Completely ignoring the fact that the Fundamentalists are still growing. Not only in the USA, but in places where the Catholic Church used to hold the monopoly on soul-snatching - Latin America and Africa.

It's weirdly delusional thinking.

And yes, anytime they find an atheist Republican, it's PWOOF that all of us are working for the GOP. You're either with us or against us. Our thinking is the Correct Thinking and anyone who disagrees should be Cast Into Outer Darkness.

Now where have I heard that before? All they need is someone yelling, "I have a list here of 157 Known Atheists Working for the State Department...er, I meant the GOP!!!"

Right now David Silverman of American Atheists is getting most of that flak. A couple of years ago, they went thru the same drill when Edwina Rogers became head lobbyist for the Secular Coalition of America.

I recently read a statement from an atheist and wish I could remember who: "What does your position on abortion, gun control or politics have to do with your atheism? Absolutely nothing."

And I think he's absolutely right. The more atheists the better, and the more Repubs and average Americans who join up make us more mainstream. Which will piss off the Pompous Party of Lib'rul Xians even more and make me happier.

[LiberalAndProud]

27. I love a healthy discussion.

My brother and I carry on fascinating conversations that challenge us both. It takes a different mindset than "filthy anti-theist, you're filthy," though. Those conversations don't happen here, sadly.

Still, I keep interjecting here and there, for those several readers who aren't posting.

[edhopper]

30. Don't you all be so glum

It's just a daily affirmation of the intellectual paucity of the arguments of believers.

[skepticscott]

31. It's a fact

that the usual suspects over in that other group constitute the smartest, wisest, best informed and most erudite defenders of religion that DU has to offer.

[edhopper]

32. Can you be both

sarcastic and accurate at the same time?

[skepticscott]

33. Affirmative

You've just seen it

[edhopper]

34. Yes

I have.

[LostOne4Ever]

35. I guess im a masochist

There is something about that place draws me in to duel with them

<----been wanting to find an excuse to use that smilely for a while now

That said, I have to take occasional breaks now and then

[Bryce Butler]

36. I never went to the "other" forum...

Checking it out now. If i'm not back in an hour, send a search party.

[Heddi]

37. I'm really disappointed in y'all

my waffle-house hash brown topping poll is NOT going as I had hoped.

Come on, more of you HAVE to love it covered. Peppered is in the lead? What the holy hell?? PEPPERED WASN'T EVEN AN OPTION UNTIL LIKE LAST YEAR.

i hate you all

[deucemagnet]

38. Typical anti-peppered bigotry.

[Arugula Latte]

39. This description is the biggest joke on DU:

"Discuss religious and theological issues. All relevant topics are permitted. Believers, non-believers, and everyone in-between are welcome."

Well, I guess it's true, except for the discussing issues part and the thing about everyone being welcome.

[skepticscott]

42. I was toying with the idea of putting up an OP there

suggesting that everyone just stop wasting time pretending to value or desire civil discussion.

Didn't think it would end well, though.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

45. All they do is make excuses.

I quote the bible: Jesus said I come not in peace but with a sword. I come to set families apart.

They say:Oh he was speaking in metaphors. He wasn't really violent, he was all about love.

They won't even define what they believe when I ask them what they believe as a Xtian.
They say "I never heard of original sin until I was in college" or "What's substitutionary atonement? Never heard of it."

I tell them the starting principles of xtianity are those two and they act shocked.

I ask them if they believe the Apostles' Creed for example, and they say they don't believe everything in it, if they recite it.

I then tell them they are hypocrites and they say, "everybody says things they don't believe." They are liars.

They insist on warning me about my language and I tell them I AM watching my language.

They insist it's not the doctrines that make people do bad things, it's just a few bad people misinterpreting things, like John Calvin barbecuing Michael Servetus.

Give em chapter and verse and they say "oh that's a biased anti-theistic website" (skepticsannotated bible website).

There are two in particular always dodging my questions. I was told my definition of a xtian was "too rigid" but they wouldn't tell me what they believed. And using the No True Scotsman fallacy.

Can't pin em down because they are not truthful.

And they get freaked out over my use of the Greek X for "Chi" as an abbreviation. As in "Xmas".



They don't want discussion.