Site stuff type question

[picklemewalnuts]

Could we report comments on this board and have them deleted for being effectively 'off topic', please?

I've noticed it's really hard to have a conversation specifically within a religion, without people spamming the thread with 'God doesn't exist/your God is evil' type comments.

It's really off putting, and makes a decent conversation hard.

I'm not trying to stifle discussion, but when the OP has specified they want a response about or within the Christian tradition (for example) or a response from Christians, it would be good to be able to keep it free from 'only idiots and psychopaths believe in God' type comments.

@vincitveritas, I know you've had similar problems on threads. Would you agree we need this? I've reported this post, to request that facility.

Just to be really clear, I'm not talking about good faith contributors who have a different world view. It's the posters who take every opportunity to Barack people for being so stupid as to believe in a sky Fairy, despite science, or accuse people of following a god who is either made up or evil.

It's so, so offensive. Well ok, I can just be offended. It's also impossible to discuss the issue the OP is asking about!

Can I get a hallelujah 🙌 I second that picklemewalnuts, it's very frustrating and the original question often gets lost in the (mostly) angry replies.

@daisyjoy, your post was at risk of being derailed by people banging their own drum. What do you think?

Hi @picklemewalnuts thanks for posting. We look at things on an individual basis rather than have a blanket rule for all things but if someone was derailing a thread/barracking posters then we can/do ask them to step back.

As always, report such posts to us and we'll take a look.

Fab, thanks @YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet ! It's never occurred to me to report those posts, because they aren't (necessarily) abusive or obviously NITS, but they do make conversation hard!

It is a bit annoying. And I notice it doesn’t tend to happen across religions - you don’t get Muslims jumping on threads about Christianity to go “WELLACTUALLY Jesus was a PROPHET, lol you idiots” or vice versa.

I do think if major religions who’ve fought actual wars over this stuff can manage to start their own threads rather than hijack each others’, then probably the “I haven’t really thought much about this but lol sky fairy” crowd could do it.

Great point, @GoldenOmber !

@YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet I have reported a few posts for this reason and for being offensive towards my faith but they haven't been deleted as yet. Lots of the Christian themed threads end up in a bun fight. Such a shame.

And I notice it doesn’t tend to happen across religions - you don’t get Muslims jumping on threads about Christianity to go “WELLACTUALLY Jesus was a PROPHET, lol you idiots” or vice versa.

Great point 👍🏻

I agree with the OP. I think it's different if you post in Chat or AIBU, but in philosophy & religion I think it's not on. If I went on threads in the Doghouse and said how ridiculous it was for anyone to ever keep a dog etc etc it would be very annoying.

I haven't anything original but just wanted to put my name to this. I've only fairly recently started commenting on the religion boards but already have found what these posters are saying to be true.

I am a little --fighty fiesty and would genuinely love to engage these posters in a good faith discussion and hash out some of their claims about my faith but someone constantly contributing to a thread about (for example) how to find a new church in a new area with sarcastic and unhelpful comments about how all churches everywhere are evil is unhelpful. On top of this, we then get called names for suggesting that if you don't believe in God then maybe a Christian thread is not for you.

This isn't about not wanting differing opinions. It's actually about not wanting trolls.

Could that board maybe be hidden from active - that might help? It has with some other topics that regularly got brigaded.

reporting isn’t a solution as it can take days for posts to be looked at

I’d support this. It is trolling to go into a topic and castigate posters there Because Sky Fairy / Because Racism Is In Your Head / Because I Hate Dogs.

I lurk in Philosophy and Religion because I find some really interesting, thoughtful posts there. It’s supremely irritating to see ploppers land, snark and no doubt swagger off thinking they’ve made an excellent contribution. Why should genuine posters have to put up with that?

Thanks guys! I'd prefer things stayed in active- I actually don't seek out the P and R board, but fall into it occasionally. I am interested in a really wide range of views, from people of all faiths or none, but not where the argument derails the original thread and not where the person is attacking rather than contributing.

It's about understanding other people, not telling them they are wrong and ridiculing them.

I’d rather it wasn’t hidden from Active as well, although I do get that reporting can take a while and it isn’t always clear whether the detailing is a reportable offence anyway (so I appreciate YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet’s post above).

Maybe a note at the top of the threads like a “we have not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here” threads in Relationships? Just to say that while everyone is welcome to post on the board, we ask people not to derail existing threads and to start their own thread instead if they want a broader discussion?

(it perhaps won’t matter much with the most wilfully dim of derailers, who don’t even seem to read the OP beyond the word ‘God’ or ‘religion’ before wading right in with the “let me tell you all how much more correct I am than all you idiots’ stuff, but it might help set expectations more clearly.)

Mumsnet hated Christianity. No other religion gets such nastiness aimed at it.

It'll be much easier to ignore the derailleurs now we can simply report them

I've noticed this too. Don't use social media, but I got so fed up at reading all the vitriol on here over the years that I recently registered to challenge some of it.
I would hope the reports get taken seriously. If not, I will be taking further action in regards to some of the more extreme viewpoints.

I lurk here, too, I think I've contributed to only a couple of threads. And it's entirely because I can see that I'd spend my time getting annoyed by trolls! Which is a shame, as I love this stuff: I teach philosophy and World Religions, have a background in the history and philosophy of science, and am half-way through a distance-learning theology degree. I'm kind-of, sort-of, a Christian more often than not. I'd love to be more involved, if the discussion could be protected from derailment. So, sign me up to the virtual petition!

I am a little --fighty fiesty and would genuinely love to engage these posters in a good faith discussion and hash out some of their claims about my faith

Yes, me too! There's a few home truths I'd like to deliver to a few posters, but I won't - to quote Beyoncé - 'cause my Momma taught me better than that.

<waves to Photodad> Saw you holding a sensible line on another thread, recently. It's always nice to recognise someone that sounds reasonable

I'm feeling much more confident about joining in, as there are a few of us interested. I always sigh deeply when someone fairly new posts as I know what they'll be met with and I worry for them.

This is so true. It seems that every other group and characteristic is protected on mumsnet (except maybe step mums and in law's!!!!).

I don't let it bother me. There is a dumb thread at the moment that was so lame i couldn't join in on. It was about envying people with faith (subtext, or just plain text depending on the poster, "I could never be so stupid but wouldn't it be a comfort"...)

I don't really understand why mumsnet condone some of the out and out bigoted comments some people come out with. You definitely couldn't get away with it for racist or homophobic comments and the anti-trans stuff is very heavily policed. I don't know if moderators just don't see it as a problem.

Like other above mentioned thread someone referred to faith as bullshit.

Now admittedly someone might turn up on a royal family thread to espouse Republican views but they'd be told to go elsewhere. Seems that Christian posters are expected to take the hectoring.

I agree with this - I'm an agnostic but I find different religions really interesting so often lurk on threads about points of faith.

I find the 'sky fairy' thing really annoying. People think it's clever, and perhaps it was the first time it was said, but now it's just parroted by idiots who think it's a gotcha.