I haven't read all of this thread or the one that spawned it but a few responses are enough to make me glad I haven't and remember that the following things need to happen on this forum, because y'all tire me the fuck out (please excuse me if I'm rehashing):
1) Get a goddamn sense of humor. You are arguing with people who, as far as we know, have no bearing on public policy, each other's lives or (unless you're foolish enough to use your real name and put all of your information out there) or your public persona. Once we log onto here, we are all the equivalent of this:
Your opinions matter fuck all in the long run, and other people's opinions of you matter fuck all in any run. So get over yourselves.
There are some people on this site who absolutely, purposely ignore humor in order to try and insult and/or insinuate. It's pathetic, it's not funny in return, and no, I know you're not doing it because there's a language barrier. You're doing it because you're taking EVERYTHING too goddamn seriously.
2) Grow the fuck up - for much of the same reasons as above. Sometimes I feel like this site is going to turn into a long Jerry Springer episode. Why do you care one saggy tit what ANYONE half a world away on the internet thinks or says? (Barring frankiej - we all know how he feels about saggy tits, and FSM bless you for it.)
3) Learn to walk away and breathe for a bit when you're angry. Come back later. It works in real life too.
4) Related, but only because of the way people have been acting: This forum is not a conspiracy. It is not run by a conspiracy. It is run by a Brit computer geek and staffed by a motley crew of various other nerds, geeks and losers who have that kind of time on their hands (albeit, a dead sexy set of nerds, geeks and losers). No one is out to ruin lives. No one is out to stifle free speech. No one has set up a dictatorship that might ought to be overthrown (and by the way, RevJ, this ISN'T a fucking democracy - when you start paying regular taxes here and this actually affects your non-wank-time, we'll discuss it). There is no need to play like you're minutemen ready to overthrow a fascist. If you don't like it, fucking leave. Everyone here has an e-mail you could ask for to continue communicating.
I won't pretend I approved in any way of what happened in the fall out, on pretty much any side, but by and large my experience on this site has been positive and I hope the vast majority of people on here agree. If y'all can't figure out how to work things out like reasonable adults - in which you respect and understand each other's opinions and hopefully feel some empathy and come to a mutual peace, then the chips are going to fall where they may and most or all will not be happy. It really isn't that goddamn hard, but you have to swallow some of your pride.
That's my shekel's worth, and I'll give you another: this all contributed to me being so cross I had to eat a large chocolate+chocolate muffin. I'm blaming you - as it's about as rational a response as 90% of what's flown past me over the past few days. Atheist Forums: contributing to the Queen's curves. Fuck you all. Good day.