A&A Feedback

smacl wrote: »

That's fine, it works for you so go for it. I think the problems start happening when people start presenting their beliefs as undeniable truths that others should accept and live their lives accordingly. In this case, they should be able to evidence their beliefs if they are to have any kind of a convincing argument. Someone tells me they're Christian, Muslim, Wiccan, or Jedi I've absolutely no problem with it. The problem happens if they tell me I should also become Christian, Muslim, Wiccan, or Jedi or whatever, or try to teach it to my kids. Likewise if they try to set down rules as to who can or cannot get married, have sex, or engage in planned parenthood.

Absolutely, as long as you're happy why should anyone else try to convince you will be happy +++ if you close your mind with restrictions...

Christianity is very restrictive and might I add vindictive...I found when I became a pagan I opened up to a whole new world that's amazing and all inclusive...

Whether you're an atheist, Christian Mulsim Jew Buddhist we can all get along ok

But being a dick head doesn't discriminate.

Call a spade a spade, I notice a lot of anti religion and spirituality and point's being scored on this forum, collective thanking and moderators taking the atheists side more frequently, and shutting people down and ruining some banter and the odd squabble which could be sorted out here rather than face the rath of somewhere else to sort out the problems...

So in effect if this forum represents Atheism as a whole on board's it's quite PC sterile and boring... don't question a mod, you're banned because you questioned a mod ?

One more infraction and you're out, it's like school..

Then the mod puts up a smart comment...so and so are taking a break for a few days to cool down and the usual happy clapper's giving it a like.

Seriously, there needs to be a bit of room for heated debates and discussions...

This place used to be very popular and entertaining now it's been run like a politically correct Californian college campus...one strike and you're infracted...

A bit like what Atheism doesn't stand for...ye left the church and religion only to create something that's so similar.
Very much like the Abrahamic dogma without the god head in charge.

Mark Hamill wrote: »

What I see is a lot of critical discussion of theistic and spiritualist claims, well written and thought out posts receiving thanks from other posters who appreciate the points made and effort invested, and moderators working quite well with posters to keep discussions moving.
The other thing I am seeing is posters who don't like their ill-thought religious and spiritual crutches being deconstructed in front of them, aghast that the mods don't step in and rescue them from the nasty atheists with their offensive reasoning and logic.
I am sure that you are not one of these people and that you actually have plenty of evidence of your claims happening in this thread.


There is a feedback thread to discuss this kind of thing and I would genuinely like to continue discussing this with you there because I honestly have no idea what you are talking about. The only times I have seen mods exercise their powers is when posters are directly insulting someone or ignoring direct mod instructions and they are very lenient when they do use their powers (any other forum on this site where calling a mod an idiot to their face would only get you an infraction?).


It is still entertaining, maybe the problem is that your posts and banter aren't as entertaining as you think you are?

Where's your evidence for me thinking my post's are entertaining or my banter is appreciated ?

My favourite personality trait is not giving a sh1t what people think of me, my humour, banter or debating style...
As long as I'm not intentionally harming anyone else and I can sleep at night without any resentments or guilt.
I think I'm doing ok.

You assume that some people are deconstructing others belief's in front of them.
I think that's quite egotistical to be honest.
Cohesion isn't about destroying people's beliefs and using my post to validate your argument or discussion is a poor attempt to get your point across.

Proselytizing isn't tolerated on the Atheist and Agnosticism forum, why should deconstructing people's beliefs be allowed ???

Then I've a moderator telling me maybe this forum isn't for me, maybe it's not the forum but the way it's been moderated isn't for me and many others...
I'm ok I accept that.

I'm not going to discuss this with you where you'll have the upper hand in a discussion.

I often can have these discussions with friends who are Atheists over a coffee or a hike.
And we find common ground and agree to disagree.

You've a right to your opinion and me mine.
It doesn't mean we don't have anything else in common, only our beliefs in how certain things work.

There's more than one way to prune a tree or set a sail.

I think in action and pictures rather than number's and targets...

I adapt more metaphorically rather than intellectually...

I'm dyslexic and slightly autistic, so neither of us have an advantage over the other.

iceman700 wrote: »

I have to say Iam quite happy I posted here, its easy to converse with like minded people where everyone more or less agrees.
I knew I was walking into the lions den, but felt I had to challenge my beliefs.
I understand totally where you are all coming from and would like to thank everyone who took part.
Not been able to give evidence for the existence of God, in a logical debate, was an eye opener, seriously,that is a problem.
Again thank you to everyone who took the time, but may I ask one more question, and could we apply the same strict parameters of logic and science and dealing with the five senses.
Can anyone give proof/evidence for the existence of love.

Love is all around, you experience it iceman and I wouldn't ask anyone here about the existence of love. Like yourself I dip into the lion's den now and again and it's the only forum on board's where one has to walk on eggshells.

A moderator here in a roundabout way suggested to me that if I want to share and respond in my usual way, that after hours might suit me better.
And I appreciate their heads up about that.

Not everyone in here will try to set a trap for you, there's more reasonable people than unreasonable...

I love debating with banter and a bit of heated debate doesn't cause me any bother, doesn't do me any harm.

You'll get people plagiarising from Richard Dawkins book's and other popular author's, thinking they're intelligent or scoring point's.
And the lion's will start coming out of the grasslands and my observation is they're not there for a balanced debate.. only to push people out. It's their territory.
I like holding ground until the lionesses or lion tells me that it's time to leave our den now, so like a cheetah I'm sprinting to greener pastures and then when I feel safe I'll have a look through the tall grass and pop my head up only to be chased off again.

I've heard it all in here,and I'll admit yes I do derail the thread now and again.
You'll never get someone agreeing to disagree, or respond to your genuinely nice post above, and say..

No worries man, were all different but we can get along all the same and sure it's like being being in the lion's den but our roar is worse than our bite. Oh no there's not an ounce of that here.

I tried to be friendly here or put my hand up and apologise for my attitude or upsetting the decorum of the subject matter, and when I do it's only the moderators who'll thank your post,as they have mine sometimes.

Maybe we should have a better place to discuss these matters, such as a loosecloak type of sub forum.

Where people can let off steam,slag each other off etc.. and have a warning that if you're highly sensitive or lack emotional intelligence maybe it's best you steer clear.

There's a sub forum here where you share about the Hazard's of belief etc and it undermines religion and spirituality quite a lot, so what's good for the goose should be good for the gander...

smacl wrote: »

I note you still haven't given us your definition of what love is. Can't exactly put forward evidence indicating that something exists when you haven't even said what that thing is.

I've seriously come to the conclusion there's a lot of sock puppetry here,and if the moderators had access to the IP addresses they'd get multiple accounts under the one IP address.

Love exists all right,and quite frankly cupcakes if you have to question it's existince maybe you don't exist at all.

This thread has a bang of narcissism and gaslighting, what a place this turned into.

I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people in here are chatting with themselves, just one person who has multiple accounts.

Iceman seems to be making a lot of sense about the existence of love...but if you smacl are going down the same route of trying to push iceman out of the forum as Robindch is with me, well this is going to be a lonely place...

There's been tumble weed blowing through here for a few years now, and with the present situation I'd say it'll be a ghost town soon.

I'd love a permanent ban from Atheism and Agnoticism to be honest...love it

Username here wrote: »

Why do you want a ban? So you can play the victim card? Or is your impulse control so poor that you need someone else to take that decision out of your hands?

Oh and by the way - the mere fact that people don't share your worldview doesn't make them narcissists.

I'm far from playing the victim, it's you lot running to the moderators every time I supposedly derail the thread, or say something which ye deem to be upsetting athiests...

The only time I ever ever get infractions is in the A+A forum.

And I'm being told by a moderator to abide by the forum rules, because I'm upsetting other forum members.

Now there's only a fckn hand full of people who are here regularly, so it's not hard to see who is more than likely getting triggered by my posts...

So I think there's a double dose of impulse control going on here...

The amount of people who gave up posting here is phenomenal, ye have ran them all out of the forum.

This is like a middle class Christian mans club, no cursing, no going off on tangents, the mods decision is final, don't argue with a mod, you you're ok you can say what you like, I don't like your attitude you're very bold...I'm putting you in the corner..
Robin likes to fire his moderator whip in front of everyone, so you can all see how powerful and effective he can be, he is like a white knight swoops in like a hero and saves the day...
Then he tells you all he's sending the poster on a holiday, you all gleefully clap your hands like chickens..

Why on earth would I play the victim card ? there's feck all people interested in coming in here anyhow. If anything it's some of you people who play the victim card... I've been told by a moderator that people are upset.
And I've to tone down and stop my rant.

You're all experts at plagiarism and suggesting that so and so wrote a certain book and on page what ever it says.... they're well qualified therefore they're right.

Have ye not got mind's of your own ?
Are any of you original ?

Plagiarise this...

Be Fully Present in the Conversation. Finding common ground requires listening; you need to be fully present in the moment. ...
Realize and Vocalize the Things You Agree On. ...
Seek Understanding More than Being Right. ...
Honor the Other Person. ...
Commit to Communicate with Kindness.

Iceman and myself often might I add try to communicate with kindness, admit when we're off on tangents.
Or say we understand your side of things.
I've said sorry now and again in here for being a dick, but there's a lot of dick's in here who've over the years, belittled people, reduced them to hopping out of here like timind rabbits, and the moderators didn't flinch or batt an eyelid.

There was a member here frequently called sarky and he was left do and post whatever he liked, I had a feeling he had some connection to the website because nobody else could get away with his rants only him. And anyone who had a problem with him could end up getting an infraction or ban.

Haven't seen him here in a long time....

Pherekydes wrote: »

You're being asked to follow the rules of the forum. Every forum on boards has its own rules. If you breach the rules you get warnings or bans.

You seem to think that the trite style of AH posting you're used to will be tolerated everywhere.

So do you think if I created or got the permission to open a more loosecloak style subforum where people like myself and others who've been run out of here is a good idea..

It could be similar to The hazards of belief and we could scoff and discuss how we think agnosticism and spirituality is far more open minded than Atheism.

And we could post clip's similar to The Hazards of belief too.

One thing for sure it would probably gain more momentum than this haunted place and having to wear a straight jacket and a gag on entry.

Back in the day this place was a hive of activity and people were having a great laugh, JC coming in here winding you all up and the laughs etc

Maybe ye need a new management structure and bring in more relaxed moderators.

Bring back the zest and get the juices flowing...

Mod

Posts discussing moderation and containing suggestions merged and moved as this is the correct thread for them.

Mark Hamill wrote: »

They are civil, but nthclare's original post was a question about what should and shouldn't be allowed on this forum (on topic for this thread) and when answered he responds with anecdotes about his life (wildly off topic). This is not the first time they have done this.

Maybe this place did used to be "buzzing" before, but the quantity of non-atheistic posters capable of discussing their points in even a semi- rigorous and thoughtful manner has largely fallen off of a cliff. It is unfortunately not unusual for a non-atheist poster to admit that they aren't here for discussion, don't care about what anyone else says and to immediately decry heavy-handed moderation when they are inevitably told that insults and soap-boxing don't make for engaging and entertaining posts.

You're like a dog with a bone, but I respect your opinion.
I'll keep it on topic and stick to the charter, myself and the moderators have been quite civil to each other via pm

And I'm trying to adhere to the principles of the A+A rules and I'm entitled to move on and be left get on with it.

So Mark can we just move on please as I've made my points with the moderators, and I know this isn't after hours and the discussions are more serious here so I'll have to engage in a more professional manner, and leave my ego outside.

I think I can do it.