Anti-Religious Trolling On Mumsnet

^off topic comments. Typo.

Which includes the both of us on this thread!

Yes, since I have responded to your comments, head, off topic. I keep trying to steer posts back on topic.

I am thinking perhaps it is best not to respond to off comment topics at all but that just gives posters a platform for saying whatever they like without being challenged for it. So threads get majorly derailed. Certain valid discussions get shut down. This is why moderation can be helpful.

Demanding justifications of the ot from ordinary people trying to make sense of the big stuff is derailing. You must surely be able to see that.
Those discussions can certainly be had. We can start whatever thread we want on here. And hope people take it in the spirit it was intended.
People who actually want to discuss will do that, people who only want to proselytize about their own world view won't.

By your God I mean generally if someone does.

People trying to find a path, no leave them to it, it's nothing to do with you.

Im not barging into a church and shouting at you while you're praying.

I'm engaging with people on a public forum who are airing their views. I assume we're all grown adults. I'm not going to insult people here by patronising them and seeing them as unable to formulate a reason. And why not use that logic everywhere in MN. Never criticise what someone thinks. That's nonsense.

There is a difference. One is not okay, one is okay.

You have referred to 'your God' assuming I follow this faith, which I don't.

piling in with their own agenda

Which includes the both of us on this thread!

'What matters is you can answer the question for yourselves'
Well yes. But that's non of your business. Its a private matter.
Lots of people would be interested in religion as an aspect of public life. Start a thread , im sure there will be lots of responses.
Since we climbed out of trees humans have wondered about life, death, the universe. All the big stuff. People have found answers, or semi answers through religion, philosophy, a vague sense of connection... it's part of the human condition to try to understand. It seems insulting to me to demand answers from someone who has come to their own sense of peace about these matters.
Public institutions based on religion? Fair game. Indeed necessary.
People trying to find a path, no leave them to it, it's nothing to do with you.

I think this post (from green above) sums it up:

MUMSNET HQ have an interesting conundrum. If they try and insist on basic netiquette which is based around mutual respect for the person behind the screen then they will upset some anti theists who insist that people of faith should not be respected. Richard Dawkins was quite clear that people of religion should be mocked and ridiculed.

That is why this thread is very much needed. It is extremely helpful that Dione started it.

MNHQ need to decide what their position is.

Just to repeat, I am an atheist.

"is just using the thread as a platform to spout out hateful and nasty comments."

Great- maybe we're getting somewhere! Can you please highlight the hateful and nasty comments on this thread?

Right. So it's ok to be rude to people on an internet forum because of the actions of other people thousands of miles away. Can you not see any issues with that?

Not really.

Personal attacks are not permitted on Mumsnet. Being sarcastic, cheeky or even derogatory about someone's opinions is acceptable elsewhere on the forum. Why should threads about religion being any different, who decides which beliefs have a right for special protection?

Offensiveness is subjective. And so far MNHQ have avoided over controlling content. Use of the words Fuck and Cunt are left alone. There are no rules about derailing, the only time subjective Moderation is used when a thread turns into a 'bun-fight''.

Religious threads digressing because of posters piling in with their own agenda is what the OP's complaint is about head. This behaviour means specific aspects of faith and worship cannot be properly discussed, it shuts down discussion.

the only person that is carrying baggage about it is you, is it worth it??

Me? What I think/my past doesn't matter. What matters is that you can answer the questions for yourselves.

Why is it hurtful that someone doesn't believe in your God?

So you're not going to explain what you think specifically about God ordering the Israelites to kill the babies? I don't need another vague paragraph about contexts and so on. Did that happen. Did God actually do that?

Start a thread on this then, head.

this is just getting silly, I don't care what people think or feel about the Koran/ bible/ Torah or any other religious text
If an individual person interprets it in a way that allows them to have faith in God then just leave them be. Does their person belief in God hurt you, or interfere with your life if your choice is to not believe in anything??? Not it does not. If it's not something you believe in then just pass it by, the only person that is carrying baggage about it is you, is it worth it?? It just causes hurt for others and that's just plain mean.

But the thread has gone that way with all of us posting.

So you're not going to explain what you think specifically about God ordering the Israelites to kill the babies? I don't need another vague paragraph about contexts and so on. Did that happen. Did God actually do that?

Yes, head, it demonstrates just how distracting continual bombardments of questions/comments regarding a certain type of (very rigid, fundamental, controversial,) Bible interpretation can be. I fell for it, maybe rather stupidly.

hateful and nasty comments.

Have there been any on here?
Are you referring to my mentioning the OT violence? So it's nasty and hateful to point out nasty and hateful bible versus too?

Underneath it all I know none of you are in anyway comfortable with those versus because you're good people. I would like to see how you explain them away.

Well silver birch if you don't share the view of those that do have faith why are you even commenting, can you not just ignore the thread instead of posting what you have.

I usually do. However the threads about 3pm were on chat and this one is on Site Stuff.

The basic premise on this thread is that challenging (in a 'disrespectful' way) religious beliefs should be subject to a new Rule on Mums-net. I feel I have the right to express my view that religious beliefs are no different to any personal stance or value of a poster.

There is simply no need for a special rule that protects the threads of people who have a faith from specific arses who have an agenda.

Capsium!?! You just posted to me about interpretation!? Isn't that derailment???

^ and, head if talking about aspects of worship, for example - arguing interpretations of sections of the Bible which do not deal with worship is off point.

The point of this thread is derailment of religious threads not the validity of different methods of Bible interpretation. More derailment.

If your interested in what I think then I'll tell you. If you go onto a thread and realise that it's regarding the treatment of thread about a particular faith group the by all means comment on how opinions can be voiced better or ideas not slated in a derogatory manner but don't spew out intolerant view about that faiths holy book or central ethos as that's not relevant to the thread in question and is just using the thread as a platform to spout out hateful and nasty comments.

all are taken into account when interpreting it.

So your thoughts on a loving god ordering the Israelites to kill babies?

If someone said the Department of Transport wanted people to undertake on a motorway it would be entirely fair for someone to refer them to the current edition of the Highway Code and ask them how they came about their belief. It would be silly for them to get offended by them bringing up the Highway Code.

The Bible is not simply a rule book though. Yes, there are laws contained within the narrative but it largely consists of narrative, poetry and song. Church tradition, contextual reading, translation issues and reason all are taken into account when interpreting it.