Banned from Christianity

monosharp

Hey lads and lassies,

So I was banned from the Christianity forum two days ago, I sent the mod responsible a PM and have waited for a response. He has ignored me, so I'll bring it here if thats OK.

The ban I got was;

You have been banned from Christianity for the following duration:

Permanent

for the following reason:

Spreading lies about another poster. The ban will be lifted when you apologise and agree to withdraw the falsehood.

So I've two points regarding this;
1. I've been posting on the Christianity forum for a long time and I've gotten a few warnings in the past but never a ban. Isn't a permanent ban a bit over the top ?
2. The 'other poster' I am supposed to have been spreading lies about is the moderator that banned me.

So what did I do wrong you ask ? Here is a link to my first relevant post on the issue; http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=65378030&postcount=41

Its quite long, but the 'spreading lies' line is summarised below:

Monosharp wrote:

We had a discussion before where you (Moderator) expressed the opinion that a Christian world, to the exclusion of other cultures and traditions, would be a good thing.

The moderator in question then responded to this line in the following post;
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=65378608&postcount=58

Its quite short so here it is;

Christianity Mod wrote:

monosharp wrote:

We had a discussion before where you expressed the opinion that a Christian world, to the exclusion of other cultures and traditions, would be a good thing.

Here we go again.

I'm calling you out here and now. Either support that assertion with a link or withdraw it.

I am really sick of you misrepresenting me. This board, and this forum, should allow for a diversity of opinions - but you have no right to make false claims about me.

I responded in the following post;
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=65379089&postcount=63

monosharp wrote:

Did you not say that you would be happy if everyone in the world was a Christian ?

Did you not say that you believe it's good that many customs and traditions in the past, which largely owe their destruction to Christianity, are gone ?

Did you not say that many customs and traditions today in the world are incompatible with Christianity ?

If you want everyone in the world to be Christian then surely that means you want all the traditions and customs in the world which you view as incompatible with Christianity to be gone ?

So, after this post I received the ban and sent the following PM to the moderator.

monosharp pm to moderator wrote:

I said you expressed that opinion, I didn't say you wrote that exact sentence.

In different threads you have stated;
1. If everyone in the world was Christian it would be good.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showp...8&postcount=15

"I would be happy if everyone in the world became a true Christian, but I doubt very much if it will happen, so it's about as relevant as wondering whether I would happy if all the mountains in Ireland were made out of chocolate."

2. It's good that many customs and traditions in the past, which largely owe their destruction to Christianity, are gone.

I can't find the link but you have made references to how christianity changed society for the better by getting rid of aspects of ancient greek culture, african and chinese cultures. (some of which I wouldn't disagree with)

3. Many customs and traditions today in the world are incompatible with Christianity.

I hardly need to find a link for that do I ?

I really don't understand why I have been banned here, it seems completely over the top and I also don't appreciate the fact the mod has ignored my PM.

monosharp wrote:

We had a discussion before where you expressed the opinion that a Christian world, to the exclusion of other cultures and traditions, would be a good thing.

Is that really ban worthy material ?

PDN

I find it particularly offensive when people say things, and ascribe views, to others that are untrue. It is even more galling when the views ascribed are pretty much the opposite of what someone believes.

Monosharp has a history of doing this. He will take what someone has said and then say, "Come on, are you seriously saying X?" Where X is completely different from anything the person has said. This pattern has been increasing so that I keep finding myself having to patiently repeat myself, point out that I never said such a thing, and all the while I'm wondering to myself, "Is this person really so stupid that they can't understand English? Or are they deliberately doing this again to wind me up?"

Then, in the case now under question, he came out with a claim where there was no room for ambiguity or doubt. It was as clear and blatant a reversal of whgat I believe, and have articulated repeatedly since I joined boards.ie, as I could possibly imagine.

I am a committed multiculturalist and secularist. I passionately believe in diversity, freedom of expression etc. I have consistently opposed anything that stinks of religious coercion. I oppose the Church running State schools. I oppose laws to legislate personal morality. I vocally supported the new civil partnership bill and opposed the blasphemy bill. I have also stated, many times, that I believe Christianity works best as a countercultural minority rather than as a culturally dominant majority.

So I was absolutely shocked and horrified when I read the following accusation directed at me:

monosharp wrote:

We had a discussion before where you expressed the opinion that a Christian world, to the exclusion of other cultures and traditions, would be a good thing.

This expresses a viewpoint that is absolutely abhorrent to me. I am confident that I have never held such a position, have never expressed such an opinion, and have never posted anything that could cause any literate person to think that I held such an opinion. In other words, it is a blatant lie about me, posted up on the internet for all to see.

Therefore I called monosharp out on this and demanded that he post a link to where I ever expressed that opinion, or else he should apologise. He has refused to provide such a link.

I banned him until he agrees to either retract his accusation or post a link that demonstrates me expressing such an opinion.

In response he has sent me a PM which, to be honest, is more of the same nonsense. None of the points he raised support his accusation, in fact they are just red herrings and irrelevant smokescreens.

monosharp wrote:

In different threads you have stated;
1. If everyone in the world was Christian it would be good.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showp...8&postcount=15

"I would be happy if everyone in the world became a true Christian, but I doubt very much if it will happen, so it's about as relevant as wondering whether I would happy if all the mountains in Ireland were made out of chocolate."

It would indeed be lovely to think that everyone would receive Christ and thus go to heaven when they die. How does such a nice thought, which I said was plainly unrealistic, equate to desiring a Christian world where other cultures and traditions are excluded? How could anyone with the ability to read ever draw such a conclusion?

In fact, if you click monosharp's link you will see that in that same post (addressed to someone with a different user name who just happens to share monosharp's views and IP :rolleyes: ) the sentence he quotes above was immediately followed by the following statements:

I am absolutely indifferent as to whether customs about bowing to each other etc. die out or not.

I don't see that anyone is being forced to do anything. If they make those choices then that's up to them. I don't expect Asian Christians to pass judgement on my cultural habits, and I don't pass judgement on them.

and, in response to a comment about an atheist's (the poster's wife) cultural traditions:
Good for her. If it makes her happy then long may she continue.

If she chooses to make those choices then more power to her elbow. I'm a live and let live kind of guy.

So the very post that monosharp links to shows veryclearly that I favor cultural diversity and have no wish to enforce any cultural practices on anyone else, and am very happy that people should continue to observe non-Christian traditions. His own 'evidence' proves his allegation about me to be false!

monosharp wrote:

2. It's good that many customs and traditions in the past, which largely owe their destruction to Christianity, are gone.

I can't find the link but you have made references to how christianity changed society for the better by getting rid of aspects of ancient greek culture, african and chinese cultures. (some of which I wouldn't disagree with)

What I have said is that we don't live in a museum, and cultures and traditions come and go. I have also frequently stated my opinion that many Christian cultures and traditions were silly and needed to go!

How the heck does saying"Some cultures and traditions have not been good, but others have" suddenly become expressing an opinion that cultural dominance by Christianity to the excusion of everything else would be a good thing?

I would hope, as moderator, that I would act just the same if this occurred with another poster, not just because the false accusation and misrepresentation in this case was directed at me.

I do understand that as mods we have to put up with a fair amount of crap at times, but I see no reason why blatant lies should be permitted, particularly when they are the complete opposite to views I have consistently advanced ever since I first joined boards.ie

The bottom line here is that monosharp, apparently under at least 2 user names, has posted numerous threads (in the Buddhism forum as well as in Christianity) about how hard done by he is in Korea and about how nasty intolerant Christians are annoying him. My fellow moderator has advised him several times to stop continually banging on about the same stuff. Instead he appears to have simply switched tactics and has started to post absolute falsehoods in order to make people who are nothing like it to appear to conform to his stereotypes.

Tom Dunne

Ok guys, first things first - bickering here is casting neither of you in a good light (I have not approved some posts for this reason).

As I am not as familiar with the situation, could I ask if the Cmods have been asked for their opinions on this?

PDN

Tom Dunne wrote: »

Ok guys, first things first - bickering here is casting neither of you in a good light (I have not approved some posts for this reason).

I've only made one post here - the one above where I explained the reasons for my actions.

Tom Dunne wrote:

As I am not as familiar with the situation, could I ask if the Cmods have been asked for their opinions on this?

The Cmods have ruled that the ban was excessive and reduced it. I understand that this was communicated to both monosharp and myself by PM.

Tom Dunne

PDN wrote: »

The Cmods have ruled that the ban was excessive and reduced it. I understand that this was communicated to both monosharp and myself by PM.

Ok, so monosharp, is there still an issue with this or is the matter closed?

Scofflaw

Tom Dunne wrote: »

Ok, so monosharp, is there still an issue with this or is the matter closed?

In the absence of a response to monosharp, I can tell you that as far as I know both monosharp and PDN have accepted the CMod decision.

cordially,
Scofflaw