A Word of Suggestion

[ignoramus]

Hey Rev, I'm fairly new here.
I'm genuinely fascinated as to your motives for wanting to be here.
You're a better and smarter man than others who like to troll and leave.
What drives you? It's gotta be more than preaching. It's almost like you care what we think! I'm sure you are smart enough to know how we think and why we think the way we do. I gather it may be no fun or satisfying preaching to the converted sheep, which is why you're here. Is your ultimate goal still to try to convert people or something more? The way we look at atheism is to not convert anybody. No-one can force anybody to willingly change their personal beliefs. We are basically a Defence Force.
We defend the "scientific official" truth to how the universe and the world we live in functions. Good luck, enjoy!

[Ravenshire]

I'm genuinely fascinated as to your motives for wanting to be here.

He's admitted the only reason he's here is to save the heathens.

I'm guessing it get's him extra milk 'n' cookie break from the round the clock ass-kissin' and knob-slobberin' that all powerful deity of his requires in heaven.

[Esquilax]

I would like to know how I can contact monitors. I am not sure if the next time I get banned if I will be permanently terminated? Is there three strike rule?

Each of our profiles has a "send X an email" button on it. As for bannings, those are staff decisions based on the severity of the matter and the prior context surrounding it. Each case is considered on its own, so there's no hard and fast three strike rule, but each successive ban does make us less likely to give a pass on further rulebreaking. You best bet would just be to, you know, follow the rules.

How come Chettu Dreaming didn't post anything on this thread? He has a red title and might wield executive power? He once took down my warning level from 25% to 0%.

Red usernames denote administrators: they have more powers than a standard mod, but they participate in discussions on banning the same as anyone else. Nobody has executive power to change stuff over and above anyone else.

In addition I do not feel it is fair that I get banned if I use a Bible verse or reference AIG to defend my arguments. One to me is infallible truth and the other is a reputable reference resource.

You didn't get banned for that. You got banned for copy/pasting one of your bible study threads wholesale from another website without acknowledging that fact, which is against the rules. To be clear: we have absolutely no problem with using outside references, so long as you link back to the place you got it from. It's a little bit of academic integrity we insist upon.

With regards to the bible and AiG... all things in moderation, Rev. This is a discussion forum: we want to hear from you, not your sources. Post a reference, go right ahead, but tell us why you think it's compelling too, rather than just posting without comment. I know you think the bible is infallible, but you're talking to atheists; we aren't just going to assume that because you do, you've gotta demonstrate it. That's an especially difficult task, since we know the bible is at least semi-fallible. As for AiG, you can call it reputable, but again, you'd need to demonstrate that, which will be difficult when we can all show you that it's not.

Generally speaking though, it's not about the source, it's about the information. If you can show something to be true, I don't care if it comes from satan himself, I'll believe it. But just pointing to AiG and saying "they say it's this way,"... well, AiG has a history of lying. We won't believe them sight unseen, and frankly neither should you.

You say "soft touch" I feel like you guys punched me in the gut then kicked me while I was down. I forgive you all but I got hog-tied for a week and couldn't respond to some of your posts. I am going to move on from this and start posting again and hope I don't get zapped again.

Just review the rules again. They're hardly draconian or crazy or anything.

[Bad Wolf]

You say "soft touch" I feel like you guys punched me in the gut then kicked me while I was down. I forgive you all but I got hog-tied for a week and couldn't respond to some of your posts. I am going to move on from this and start posting again and hope I don't get zapped again.

What is wrong with you? Typical christian persecution complex. You know we atheists get banned for being atheist if we are ever stupid enough to visit any christian forum. You have it so good here, yet you will never fully appreciate it. Can you at least acknowledge that what you did was against the forum rules? And that your one week ban was justified? I don't know how many times you were warned about the situation before you were banned because i'm not a mod, but I suspect it was satisfactory.

[Napoléon]

For fuck sake

[LastPoet]

I suggest that you take the oportunity we gave to you by making it a temporary ban, Rev

[Esquilax]

I suggest that you take the oportunity we gave to you by making it a temporary ban, Rev

That's what I think grinds my gears the most about this. I've been here for eighteen months, and I haven't had a single infraction from the mod team, both before and after I became a part of it. Rev's been here for five, and he's already had a warning and two temp bans. But somehow, those are our fault?

Anyone else would have been out on their ear permanently by now- in fact I've literally watched the staff here be harder on most everyone who violates so many of our rules in such a small span of time- and yet we give Rev a third chance when most who we ban don't warrant a second, and he's so magnanimous as to "forgive" us for what happened?

[Cyberman]

Rev, as has already been stated by m'colleagues, you have been given plenty of opportunities to learn from the sanctions you have received. Even this last time-out was granted as a chance to consider your approach and why it isn't working. It's not as though you haven't been told, in explicit no-nonsense terms, precisely what you are being sanctioned for each time. I've been on the administrative side if things long enough to know that Staff patience, while equitable, is not infinite; persist in flouting the rules without making any attempt to understand why you need modify the behaviour that is getting you into trouble, and you will find yourself banned for good.

And as for this whiny, self-indulgent sulking about censorship: either present just one, single, explicit case where this has happened in your very next post in this thread or else shove your pathetic martyr complex as far up your arse as is medically possible. Publicly, the way you made your allegations. Thank you.

[Whateverist]

I have to admit I'm not quite sure how I would communicate to the reverino what it is he needs to avoid.

It has something to do with preaching and proselytizing. But I think we all understand this is his actual motivation for being here at all. I wonder how you do tell him what it is he is not permitted to do?

Sometimes I feel like the toilette bowl when these guys drop scripture around like it was diarrhea. But what is it these obvious missionaries are allowed to do? Where is the line between arguing for their beliefs and just shamelessly repeating endlessly repeating loops of dogma? What do you say to someone who is actually here to do just that?

[LastPoet]

Permaban usually works wonders on such cases. I guess we are feeling charitable.