LOL, this religious forum is retarded

[emjay]

Well one example would be, would you be allowed to ask awkward questions... or point out contradictions etc? From a theist perspective I'd imagine that a lot of the questions we ask are what you might call pedantic/splitting hairs... but from an atheist point of view (well from my point of view at least) those sorts of questions are perfectly valid and shouldn't be glossed over.

I can't see why that wouldn't be allowed, so long as the intention is to have genuine discussion and not mockery, etc.

Well the reason for it would be for a genuine discussion because those things matter to a non-believer and indeed are part of the reason for not believing, so if it can be discussed at length, that would be good. So the problem could be that if you don't back down... ie you keep pushing the point until it gets a real answer rather than a deflection or whatever... then they might see that as aggressiveness. So really, what I'm saying is, are atheists allowed to win arguments on those forums... or do the theists just play lip service to whatever questions are being asked but ultimately expect atheists to drop it when it gets uncomfortable?

[Catholic_Lady]

There was one thread titled What I think about atheists that was filled with disrespectful content, but nothing was done about it. The theists are allowed their nonsensical, unrealistic views.

Well, it is their forum.

Can you link us to this thread so we can take a look?

[Silver]

Can you link us to this thread so we can take a look?

Oh, it's titled How I Feel About Atheists:
https://www.religiousforums.com/threads/...ts.202033/

[Catholic_Lady]

Can you link us to this thread so we can take a look?

Oh, it's titled How I Feel About Atheists:
https://www.religiousforums.com/threads/...ts.202033/

Yeah, I agree that it's definitely condescending (though I've seen much worse here aimed towards theists). But again, it is their forum. It would be trolly if an atheist went on a Christian forum and made a post titled "How I feel about Christians" with all these negative things. So yes, it is a double standard, but I can understand why they might allow one and not the other.    

My suggestion to you is to go on there and respectfully point this out via private message to one of the moderators. Maybe say something like "Hi, I have a question about the forum rules in regards to respectful dialogue between different beliefs. As an atheist, I find this thread (post link) offensive and condescending. If an atheist came in here and made a post titled "How I feel about Christians" with some negative stuff like that, wouldn't that understandably be against the rules? If so, why is it ok the other way around? I understand this is a theist's forum, but it seems counter productive to behave in a way that you wouldn't want "the other side" to behave on the forum. Perhaps I'm missing something. Can you provide some clarify?" 

...And then wait and see what he/she says.

[Minimalist]

So yes, it is a double standard, but I can understand why they might allow one and not the other.   

So can I.  It's called "fear."  The very act of challenging their faith-based nonsense is highly threatening to people who have nothing else to rely on.

[emjay]

I've only read up to about page three on that thread, but it looks perfectly reasonable; you can't police people's opinions so even the OP disrespects and strawman's atheists, what's new? I was more talking about the actual rules of the site; here you wouldn't get banned for strawmanning someone, so the question is, would you there? But from what I've seen so far, there were plenty of atheists having a go at him, and presumably they're still there? (ie I'll concede the point if all of them get banned by the end of that massive thread ). I'd also concede the point if there was a similar thread from an atheist that was banned. But from first impressions, that looks a fairly reasonable, civil site; not what I was expecting at all... but I haven't looked further into it.

[Joods]

That's fair enough if it's just to stop trolling but if it cuts off any and all discussion that's outside the box, even if it's respectful, then that's also what I was asking about. I don't know because I've never gone looking for a religious forum, hence asking Kit.

I agree. The religious forums I've been a member of in the past have all allowed atheists and discussions about the possibility of God not existing, etc. So long as the intention was to have respectful discussion/disagreement, not to go on there and start bashing their faith.

Yet it's perfectly acceptable for them to come in here and bash us and tell us we're going to hell because we don't believe in their god. Honestly, religious folk should be looking to atheists as the example on tolerance because we tolerate theists far more than we should have to while they scream persecution the second an atheist doesn't agree with them.

[Silver]

I've only read up to about page three on that thread, but it looks perfectly reasonable; you can't police people's opinions so even the OP disrespects and strawman's atheists, what's new? I was more talking about the actual rules of the site; here you wouldn't get banned for strawmanning someone, so the question is, would you there? But from what I've seen so far, there were plenty of atheists having a go at him, and presumably they're still there? (ie I'll concede the point if all of them get banned by the end of that massive thread ). I'd also concede the point if there was a similar thread from an atheist that was banned. But from first impressions, that looks a fairly reasonable, civil site; not what I was expecting at all... but I haven't looked further into it.

Even though I had a personal problem with the OP of that thread and the way she approaches atheists, the main point of my thread here was how the mods there were, from my perspective, wrongly policing me because of the content I had in my signature. I was always posting within the rules on the forum, but it seemed to me that they kept trying to find little silly reasons to give me warnings.

[emjay]

I've only read up to about page three on that thread, but it looks perfectly reasonable; you can't police people's opinions so even the OP disrespects and strawman's atheists, what's new? I was more talking about the actual rules of the site; here you wouldn't get banned for strawmanning someone, so the question is, would you there? But from what I've seen so far, there were plenty of atheists having a go at him, and presumably they're still there? (ie I'll concede the point if all of them get banned by the end of that massive thread ). I'd also concede the point if there was a similar thread from an atheist that was banned. But from first impressions, that looks a fairly reasonable, civil site; not what I was expecting at all... but I haven't looked further into it.

Even though I had a personal problem with the OP of that thread and the way she approaches atheists, the main point of my thread here was how the mods there were, from my perspective, wrongly policing me because of the content I had in my signature.  I was always posting within the rules on the forum, but it seemed to me that they kept trying to find little silly reasons to give me warnings.

Did you have all that actually in a signature on that site, or just post those things? And did you actually get banned? Basically, if you did, and it was within their stated rules, then it's no different really from any site; the bias of the forum can create bias in the proceedings even if it's within a framework of rules; ie if the staff is all made up of theists then you might expect them to be more aggressive towards card carrying anti-theists, but basically if you can say to yourself, it was within the rules, them banning you/warning you... then it's just human nature I guess... though I still think it's much fairer here; people are banned here not for opinions at all really, but just solid rules of conduct.

[Silver]

Did you have all that actually in a signature on that site, or just post those things? And did you actually get banned?

I had it merely in my signature. I didn't get banned, but two nonsensical warnings made me decide to leave voluntarily rather than waste any more time on the forum.