I want to play with the Christians...

[Loki_999]

I signed up for the Christian Forums not long ago to see if I could a) play by the forum rules while b) challenge some of their views, and maybe c) convert some people to the dark side.

What i discovered is that most forums are off limits to non-christians and that any posts there by non-christians that dare to challenge their beliefs (even if done with the upmost politeness) are deleted with accompanying warnings. Even posts in the areas where non-Christian's are allowed to step foot are still heavily censored. Polite challenges to beliefs are also censored. I can understand why Christians may come to forums like atheistforums, because they don't get any real challenges on their own forums... worst it gets is "does god approve of homosexuality" and "abortion".

I noted there were some long term members on these forums who somehow play by the rules and even have gained reputation.

Basically, i don't want to play nice. I tried to play by their rules but the censorship is astounding. I want to play with them and mess with their heads, and the only way to do this, i say i'm a Christian.... then I can post where I like whatever I like as long as its by the rules.

So, i need to come up with an approach that allows me to challenge them while pretending to be a christian. I'm sure the mods will deal with me eventually one way or another, but that isn't a worry. So, looking for ideas for my approach. I'm thinking I need to create a new form of Christianity, possibly involving a visitation or vision, personal revelation, possibly the return of Jesus (met him in McDonalds yesterday and he told me everything, how the bible had got it all wrong, etc), or possibly Jesus II: The son of the son of God.

Need to be careful though, there are rules about mocking God or Christianity... I would need to be a good Christian by their definition of the term.

You can find their rules and FAQ here:
http://www.christianforums.com/rules/#faq_rule_0

Relevant points:

Blasphemy
You will not insult or mock God or Christianity. Honest debate about the nature of God and Christianity is welcome, but insults or derogatory remarks about God or Christianity will be promptly removed.
The names or titles of God, including Jesus Christ and the Persons of the Trinity (Father, Son, or Holy Spirit), in any language, are not to be used as expletives or interjections or in an abusive, mocking, or insulting way.

Promotion and Proselytizing
You will not promote or proselytize beliefs or religions other than Christianity. For the purpose of these rules, Christianity is defined by Christian Forums' Statement of Faith.

The Christian areas of the site (i.e. Edification, Theology, and Christian Ministries) are meant to facilitate discussion among Christian members. Only those members who have selected a Christian icon may post in these forums. Challenging the existence of God or the validity of Christianity in these forums is prohibited.

No Prophecy Threads
Whereas CF has designed its public forums for dialogue/conversation, CF's blogs are places where you can record and present your personal views and experiences, as well as journal your own walk of faith.

Since prophecy, by its nature, is not a conversation but a monologue where a person records what one feels has been revealed to them by the Holy Spirit, prophecies should be limited to one's blog. This will provide an opportunity for posters to share with others without being subject to excessive criticism. Therefore, prophecies posted within the general forums will be considered off-topic to the forum.

And to be a good little Christian I probably should adhere by the Nicene code:

The Nicene Creed (with scriptural references)

We believe in (Romans 10:8-10; 1John 4:15)
ONE God, (Deuteronomy 6:4, Ephesians 4:6)
the Father (Matthew 6:9)
Almighty, (Exodus 6:3)
Maker of Heaven and Earth, (Genesis 1:1)
and of all things visible and invisible. (Colossians 1:15-16)

And in ONE Lord Jesus Christ, (Acts 11:17)
the Son of God, (Mathew 14:33; 16:16)
the Only-Begotten, (John 1:18; 3:16)
Begotten of the Father before all ages. (John 1:2)
Light of Light; (Psalm 27:1; John 8:12; Matthew 17:2,5)
True God of True God; (John 17:1-5)
Begotten, not made; (John 1:18)
of one essence with the Father (John 10:30)
by whom all things were made; (Hebrews 1:1-2)
Who for us men and for our salvation (1Timothy 2:4-5)
came down from Heaven, (John 6:33,35)
and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, (Luke 1:35)
and became man. (John 1:14)
And was crucified for us (Mark 15:25; 1Cointhians 15:3)
under Pontius Pilate, (John 19:6)
and suffered, (Mark 8:31)
and was buried. (Luke 23:53; 1Corinthians 15:4)
And the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures. (Luke 24:1 1Corinthians 15:4)
And ascended into Heaven, (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:10)
and sits at the right hand of the Father. (Mark 16:19; Acts 7:55)
And He shall come again with glory (Matthew 24:27)
to judge the living and the dead; (Acts 10:42; 2Timothy 4:1)
whose Kingdom shall have no end. (2 Peter 1:11)

And in the Holy Spirit, (John 14:26)
the Lord, (Acts 5:3-4)v
the Giver of Life, (Genesis 1:2)
Who proceeds from the Father; (John 15:26)
Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; (Matthew 3:16-17)
Who spoke through the prophets. (1 Samuel 19:20 ; Ezekiel 11:5,13)

In one, (Matthew 16: 18)
holy, (1 Peter 2:5,9)
catholic*, (Mark 16:15)
and apostolic Church. (Acts 2:42; Ephesians 2:19-22)

I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins**. (Ephesians 4:5; Acts 2:38)
I look for the resurrection of the dead, (John 11:24; 1Corinthians 15:12-49; Hebrews 6:2; Revelation 20:5)
and the life of the world to come. (Mark 10:29-30)
AMEN. (Psalm 106:48)

So, if you have any ideas or thoughts let me know, probably via PM because its possible some CF members hang around here and I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise for them. Anyone interested in following my antics and i'll let them know my username on CF site.

[Eilonnwy]

..........why?

[Paul the Human]

..........why?

He misses Gilligan?

[Thor]

Try signing up as a Christian to get access. Once allowed in, you can start posting things like "I'm confused. I believe the Bible, but my atheist friend pointed out....(fill in the blank)". This will have others believing you're one of them and you can debate them by asking how you should respond to your "atheist friend". You can then point out all kinds of bullshit in the Bible by using your "atheist friend" as cover. When they give you a response, you shoot back, "I tried that, but my atheist friend countered with this....".

I don't see why this wouldn't work. If you're interested, I can give you a site where you can debate Christians. It's a site I've been posting on for a little over two years now and there are a fair number of atheists who post there. However, you do have to be careful what you post. Their rules state that you must "respect" the opinions of others. Failure to be "respectful" can get you banned.

[Eilonnwy]

:/

In any case, play with the Christians all you like, but remember these are people who refuse to question their faith and let others question it for them. They've carved out their comfy little spot on the internet and they've made it clear they want everyone to play nice with their beliefs. If you think you'll be able to make someone think and question their faith with your "oh so clever" subterfuge, you're sadly mistaken. As much as we love to think our atheism is the product of superior common sense logic, that in no way means we are equipped with the tools to make cracks in someone's very compartmentalized belief in God. Besides, not all Christians are mindless idiots, and I suspect they'll sniff out your scheme and whack you with the ban hammer.



I would prefer to find far more constructive uses of my time, but to each their own.

[Minimalist]

Failure to be "respectful" can get you banned.

Fuck that. Then they should have opinions that are worthy of respect!

Guess I won't bother.

[leo-rcc]

:/

I agree. This just sounds like trolling to me.

[Thor]

Failure to be "respectful" can get you banned.

Fuck that. Then they should have opinions that are worthy of respect!

Guess I won't bother.

Yes, I do have trouble with the "respect" requirement. How can I "respect" stupidity like a pinhead telling me that the Earth is only 6,000 years old? I try arguing with this nimrods, but they have an answer for everything. I want to just say, "How can you be such a fucking idiot?". It's like arguing with someone who simply refuses to acknowledge reality. You can show them absolute proof that what they believe could not possibly be true, and they just pull out their trump card... "God can do anything!" And I'm supposed to "respect" this? Yeesh!

[Eilonnwy]

Yeah, it pretty much is.

[Paul the Human]

I can see how you would consider it trolling, but it doesn't need to be. If the motivation is a desire to have actual discourse with actual Christians (other than the ones that are here) and not to simply set them up to be called idiots, it wouldn't really be trolling, would it? Pretending to be a Christian in a 'crisis of faith' could open the door that will allow them to actually listen to the things that (allegedly) caused that doubt... and try to counter them. They are not going to do it with an atheist.

Again, though... if the goal is to ridicule them... it is trolling.

(EDIT: Upon re-reading the original post.

Basically, i don't want to play nice. I tried to play by their rules but the censorship is astounding. I want to play with them and mess with their heads, and the only way to do this, i say i'm a Christian.... then I can post where I like whatever I like as long as its by the rules.

That, I'm afraid, would be trolling.)