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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Anti-Religious Trolling On Mumsnet

882 replies

DioneTheDiabolist · 26/03/2016 00:36

I get that not everyone is religious and that some people are very anti-religious (some with good reasons).

But some MNetters are religious, others are simply curious. So how come so many threads are allowed to be derailed by anti-religious trolls? Today a thread about Good Friday was deleted because a troll came on. FFS, it's Easter! Threads about Islam are regularly derailed by Islamophobes. On a thread seeking information on Judaism in the Philosophy & Religion topic, a troll has posted LMFAO. Ok, serious question, why does the Jewish God make all men wear a funny beards? She continues venting for a few posts before eventually exiting the thread saying that she is on drugs because It's Easter, party time.

She is a MN regular, like most of the anti-religious trolls here. I have reported her posts but they still stand.

Trolls are not interested in knowing what other people think or believe. They have no desire to discuss the point of actual threads and rarely start threads of their own regarding their issues with religion or belief. They just derail threads in the hope of driving all talk of religion and different beliefs off MN. And they are succeeding.

Why are MNHQ allowing this to happen? Deleting threads instead of dealing with posters? Allowing blatant anti-religious trolling to derail threads that people may find supportive or informative? Is MN a religion free zone? Because if it is, that's ok. I just think that religious posters should be told. Then they can go elsewhere if they wish to discuss their beliefs.

OP posts:
headinhands · 27/03/2016 11:34

Mine is the opposite,

But that doesn't mean it's okay to have people in the House of Lords just because of what religion they are. Many Christians on MN want a secular education for all.

headinhands · 27/03/2016 11:39

Headinhands - do not start suggesting my child has schizophrenia again

If anyone tells me their child is upset about things they are hearing or seeing that are not there I will always suggest a visit to the GP. I won't apologise for that.

Is it all mental health issues you would be offended by the suggestion of, or just schizophrenia?

lottielou7 · 27/03/2016 11:40

Well, perhaps you could explain what qualifications you have that enable you to diagnose a child you have never met with schizophrenia over the internet?

What do you actually know about schizophrenia? Because the symptoms are very much more than seeing or hearing things. It is a very serious disorder which requires very intensive input from a psychiatrist and medication all the time. Most people who suffer from it do not function well without meds like risperidone. And if you were medically trained, you would know that seeing things is more likely to be a symptom of epilepsy than anything else.

Furthermore, if you read the thread properly you will see that I have said that seeing things should be checked by a doctor and that my daughter has been investigated for something neurological.

I don't mean to be rude but just maybe you ought to deal with the issues you have about spirituality if people have damaged you, rather than projecting onto someone else's child with worrying observations which you have no grounds for.

headinhands · 27/03/2016 11:46

I have not diagnosed your child with schizophrenia. I have suggested that a child who is frightened by things they are seeing and hearing that other people can't see/hear should be taken to the GP. That is the right course of action and while it's a shame some people are offended by that advice, being a parent means putting your child's wellbeing ahead of your personal beliefs.

lottielou7 · 27/03/2016 11:49

RTFT

headinhands · 27/03/2016 11:50

with worrying observations which you have no grounds for.

My grounds were that your child was upset by things she was seeing and hearing that others weren't. There are 100's of diagnosis. But they are all ruled out or in by a trained professional. Your job as a parent is to identify something outside of the norm that is distressing her and take her to the dr.

lottielou7 · 27/03/2016 11:54

headinhands - can you read the thread??!! FFS

headinhands · 27/03/2016 11:57

What alarmed people, and still alarms me, is your offence at the idea of a medical explanation for a child hallucinating.

It's not about my past or your past or any one persons history. It's about providing medical care. FWIW I reckon all the Christians I know would also urge a visit to the GP under these circumstances.

headinhands · 27/03/2016 11:58

I have read it

WantFriesWithThat · 27/03/2016 11:58

It's NOT lottielou daughter! Perhaps if you took the time to read the thread instead of derailing it.......

headinhands · 27/03/2016 11:58

What did I say on that thread that you wish me to explain?

lottielou7 · 27/03/2016 11:59

It alarms me that you seem to be having a conversation with yourself(!)

What does my post of 00.53 today say, please?

headinhands · 27/03/2016 12:00

Sorry I saw a thread someone reposted about their child having hallucinations. I thought that's the one we were talking about. I'm genuinely confused!

headinhands · 27/03/2016 12:01

I wasn't trying to derail, I thought we were talking about the same thread, genuine mistake.

headinhands · 27/03/2016 12:04

Lottie you refered back to that thread and I then clarified what I said and yet I'm derailing??

headinhands · 27/03/2016 12:05

ConfusedConfusedConfusedConfusedConfusedConfusedConfusedConfused

lottielou7 · 27/03/2016 12:08

You are preaching to me about the need to take a child to the doctor if they're seeing things when I SAID THE SAME THING IN MY POST OF 00.53

Sheeesh!

headinhands · 27/03/2016 12:11

So why would you say I had no grounds to suggest a visit to the GP?

headinhands · 27/03/2016 12:14

So was that thread about the child hallucinating yours? Why did you repost it if you agreed with the advice?

headinhands · 27/03/2016 12:16

issues you have about spirituality

But if you agreed with my advice why would you have an issue with my beliefs or lack thereof?

lottielou7 · 27/03/2016 12:29

headinhands - your posts make you sound as if you actually just want an argument. THis thread is not about children seeing ghosts.

I've already made my observations here. If you don't want to read them then that is up to you - just carry on with your blinkered views.

Yesterday I was posting examples of threads which were derailed. I did say that I agreed that actually, the supernatural one probably wasn't the best example. My brain tends to remember individual posts rather than the whole thread sometimes and the post I remembered was the one which said something like

'Although I'm an atheist I think it's a shame the thread was derailed in spite of pleas from the OP not to'

I then posted some other examples of threads, which I feel are more relevant to the OP and which are not particularly controversial topics. There are many examples of these where someone jumps in and tries to derail.

I stand by my view that sometimes people deliberately derail threads to try to drive conversations with a religious/spiritual theme off MN. This can be either deliberate mocking or dressed up as 'concern'

I am not going to spend any more time on this thread now. MNHQ - I do think that this needs addressing in some way when it is obvious someone is deliberately trying to shut down a discussion rather than add to it.

OrlandaFuriosa · 27/03/2016 12:30

Going back to being treated with contempt, yes, I have been. Both in RL and on mn threads, though not this one.

Usually because people consider, or appear to, that

You believe God/ the deity is on old man with a white beard who lives above the sky
You believe in every word of the Bible, literally, or if you don't you ought to and not doing so is hypocritical and
you have to be a creationist
You never ever have any doubts
You don't take people like Betrand Russell seriously in their arguments against
You believe that every one who doesn't think like you is going to go to hell and has no ethical standards,
You go round persecuting your neighbours by telling them they have to go to church or they're all doomed
There is some material or social advantage in being a Christian. Not in my world, there isn't. You are treated with distrust by colleagues who regard you as fundamentally illogical, untrustworthy, having a hidden agenda, it's inconvenient and expensive. I could get the lovely music without going to church.

Heigh ho. All of life's rich tapestry.

headinhands · 27/03/2016 13:08

I think the same rules apply all over MN, say what you have to politely. If you're on a thread and someone posts a reply you feel is designed to derail then steer it back. Use it as a chance to demonstrate your devastating reasoning skills :)

And also, isn't the whole idea of derailing subjective. It supposes that there is a rail as such that everyone should follow. The thread will have many people with different ideas, even in a thread that was just full of one group.

So again, here is my take on the rules:

HaloSay what you need to politely
HaloDo not covet your neighbour ox

Are we all agreed?

headinhands · 27/03/2016 13:11

Orlando you don't exactly gush about your choice of faith Grin

headinhands · 27/03/2016 13:21

just carry on with your blinkered views

Which of my views do you feel are blinkered?

(See what I did there? You criticised my position and I turned it into a chance to discuss it. Seems more fun and more logical than getting upset)