(December 5, 2012 at 7:23 pm)Vincenzo "Vinny" G. Wrote: It has come to my attention that some people hate my guts. I have opened this

You are mistaken. We've found no guts in you to hate.

(December 5, 2012 at 8:30 pm)Annik Wrote: Tired troll is tired.

-yawn-

...Yeah, even I'm bored of it now. WELL...time for me to be hittin' the ol' dusty trail.

See ya 'round, kemosabes. *dons desperado hat, climbs his doughty steed, and gallops off into the sunset*

(December 5, 2012 at 8:47 pm)"Vinny" G. Wrote: I realize the urge to ban burns in you like a fire and it takes a lot of self-control to talk to me without wanting to snap my neck and defecate down my throat.

No, I don't really have an urge to ban anyone. I only ban because that is one of the things I have to do as a staff member whenever it is advised for me to do so. And I can only ban under certain conditions and the decision has to be agreed upon by the rest of the staff members as well. And yes, I have a lot more patience and self-control than to want to snap your neck and defecate down your throat for any reason.

If you do get banned, then just remember that it will be a consequence of your own actions. Therefore, you can't blame anyone or anything else but yourself.

Unfortunately, you have been sinking yourself deeper and deeper as of late, especially with your insults which I do not have to tell you about.

(December 5, 2012 at 8:47 pm)"Vinny" G. Wrote: [...] please, take everything I say with a grain of salt.

I sure will.

I take many other things that people say with a grain of salt. I have some level of skepticism about my own religion as well, and on the existence of God, although I still believe in them.

On the internet, just like in real life, people can say many things about themselves - and usually - I take most of the things they say with a little bit of skepticism although I do believe them. I don't think that's a bad thing, however. In fact, my experience in this forum and other forums over the past several years has somewhat reduced my overall trust in online personas.

Ultimately, we cannot always be 100% sure whether or not what we are reading about a person is entirely true indeed. For example, sometimes a person may add falsehoods to the truth such as by lying, fantasizing, and/or exaggerating certain things about himself. Someone might even write a long post in a forum with beautiful English, grammar, and all that, and it can sound very believable to everyone else, but I know that there is still a possibility that he or she is actually not telling the truth. Maybe they are doing it just to feed their own egos, or maybe just to gain more attention, or maybe for a different reason which they are trying to conceal from us. I can't really tell; but, there's almost always a little grain of salt lurking inside me when it comes to online discussions.

That being said, I will also give you the benefit of doubt that maybe you are, in reality, more honest than people in this forum perceive you to be.

(December 5, 2012 at 8:07 pm)Rayaan Wrote: Now, the question to you, is - Are you an atheist or not?

I posted a comment on that earlier, but you gave no response to that, and that itself tells me something.

Honestly, as a Xian, I do not understand why it is so important for you guys to know whether or not you can categorize someone as "atheist" or not. What difference does it make?

What I can tell you from personal experience in related matters is that it can be really stressful and hurtful to people to insist that you will deny them their identity or insist forcefully your view of them upon that person.

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(December 5, 2012 at 7:49 pm)apophenia Wrote: For what it's worth, though there is no rule about it, I think it as improper for you to create a thread about yourself, likely for the reason of manipulating opinions about you, just as I think it was improper for TGAC to create a thread with the identical aim, to manipulate people's opinions about you (and Greneknight before him). That you feel no shame at all in this is simply one more character flaw that I will add to the list.

Why can't you just ignore the thread if it's on a topic you don't like??

Quote:Being among atheists, you'll find some common values, including the value of empirical inquiry, honesty and rationality. Perhaps that's why they and I get along. As a result of my childhood and my uniqueness as an individual, I value three things above all others: truth, honesty, and good thinking. You, for your part, manage to offend all three of my gods. Be that as it may, you are so pathetically bad at it, I find it hard to give a rat's ass about you. I'll certainly take advantage of when opportunity shines upon me to swoop in and skewer your bullshit, but it has nothing to do with hate. If anything, it's simply good sport.

Taking the high ground is a typical fallible defence. Take for instance if I said to you that as a Xian I value integrity, faith, morals and fellowship and you offend all four, especially the latter since it is you guys who want to the "us and them" bullshit. Who do you think on these forums keeps judging people for their beliefs? I'll give you a hint - it isn't me.

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(December 5, 2012 at 8:37 pm)Rayaan Wrote: I just read your introduction thread right now and it seems to affirm your statement above as well:

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(August 29, 2012 at 5:04 am)Vincenzo "Vinny" G. Wrote: You see I'm a skeptic. And it's hard being a skeptic in such a traditional family as mine [...]

http://atheistforums.org/thread-14499.html

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I also identify myself as being somewhat sceptical (not of my faith of course) - what of it?

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(December 5, 2012 at 10:01 pm)Vincenzo "Vinny" G. Wrote: There is a significant contingent of people here who want me banned.

But they won't admit it because it looks bad to say "Yeah I want you to ban him."

But trust me, it will very likely reach 51%.

Oh really - and how do you know that people allegedly want you banned?? Have they been sending you death-threats to your PM's?

Ohhh, Daniel. Does your peepee still hurt from the last time I whacked it?

This is starting to sound suspiciously like Rev's assertions that there was a conspiracy.

I said it was a trap because if people DID say they wanted him to leave, he'd probably go to his secret forum and say "see?!!?!"

If you can learn to handle the heat with a little more grace, then stay. You've been a complete cock up until now, most of the time for totally unnecessary reasons.

You said I made good points in my "Dear Atheist Forums" thread - if that was a real assertion of your opinion, well the reason I've changed a bit now is because I've realized a certain subset of people on this forum have no desire to have productive, happy discussion and are much more satisfied with someone to antagonize. So you if you want to continue to be a cock and bear the brunt of that, I'm not going to try and hold back the tide - it keeps the troll-baiters busy. If, on the other hand, you actually want to stay and do some good, then quit making attention-whoring threads like this and do it. No one gives a shit as long as you're not breaking the rules or disrupting the forum too much. It'd be nice to see your vocabulary and imagination bent towards something more constructive than elaborate insults.

(December 5, 2012 at 11:49 pm)Vincenzo "Vinny" G. Wrote: This whole scenario, with me genuinely caring about the anger and hostility you feel. And you asking me that question, and me NOT having to answer with a joke?

I can't stop laughing here.

Not at you Faith. But at your question. And the joke.

And the fact that I can't stop thinking about the movie Airplane. WTF.

Silly Vinny, you've confused me calling a spade a spade with anger and hostility. Feel free, however, to laugh at what or whomever you wish. Like I said before, just don't break the rules.

(December 6, 2012 at 8:22 am)Daniel Wrote: Honestly, as a Xian, I do not understand why it is so important for you guys to know whether or not you can categorize someone as "atheist" or not. What difference does it make?

If an atheist poe came to a Christian forum mocking Christianity and trying to make Christians look bad, whilst denying that he was an atheist, wouldn't you be at least a little annoyed?

Darkstar nailed it. It doesn't matter to us if he is an atheist, but if he is pretending to be an atheist in order to conduct one of those silly internet asshole social experiments nitwits love so much. If you're here to try to go, "Ha! I fooled you." You're an asshole, whether you are an atheist or not.

(December 6, 2012 at 8:22 am)Daniel Wrote: Honestly, as a Xian, I do not understand why it is so important for you guys to know whether or not you can categorize someone as "atheist" or not. What difference does it make?

There's a difference between not identifying as an atheist and lying about being an atheist. Do Christians like being lied to?

(December 6, 2012 at 8:22 am)Daniel Wrote: Why can't you just ignore the thread if it's on a topic you don't like??

Why should she?

(December 6, 2012 at 8:22 am)Daniel Wrote: Taking the high ground is a typical fallible defence. Take for instance if I said to you that as a Xian I value integrity, faith, morals and fellowship and you offend all four, especially the latter since it is you guys who want to the "us and them" bullshit. Who do you think on these forums keeps judging people for their beliefs? I'll give you a hint - it isn't me.

Are you using this thread to express a grudge against apophenia?

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To me, a person at a forum is as good as their last post. I'm not claiming it as a virtue, I'm just not good at hanging on to the past.