Banned from Christianity

Gareth37

Hi,

I am looking to confirmation as to why I was banned from Chrisianity.

I thought that I made a very important post in relation to the "mark of the beast" or 666. I stated that my interpretation may be flawed and opologised if anyone would be offended etc.

However, this morning I was amazed to find that I was banned for making the post and the thread closed. This is a very common discussion amongst Christians and interesting I think too. I was looking for feedback on my interpretation but the thread was locked. I cannot understand why this is?

Gordon

You have been speaking with Asiaprod via pm haven't you?

Beruthiel

Gareth37 wrote: »

I cannot understand why this is?

Asiaprod wrote:

Gareth, we have been very patient with you in this forum. You have been warned both in forum and via PM to stop the nonsense. You managed to get yourself banned from A&A, now this is the final straw. Its people like you who in fact do more damage to religion and to those that do follow this faith. In respect to those individual you are banned for 1 week while I consult with the other mods how to proceed with you.

The above and the fact that he has talked to you via PM would suggest that it has been explained to you already and I fail to see how a thread in Feedback will cast any further light on it.

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

Dudess

Stop forcing your twisted old testament views on other people.

6th

I have no problem with his views but I have a problem with 2 things:

• Pushing those views on people
• Gareth being singled out as a Boards user and ridiculed by other posters

seamus

6th wrote: »

• Gareth being singled out as a Boards user and ridiculed by other posters

Gareth has singled himself out.

Much in the same way that you did/have done, but in an entirely different context.

Dudess

6th, Gareth has told people they're the antichrist (how many antichrists are there?) Do you expect people not to have a go at him after that?

Rev Hellfire

I think he was just a little enthusiastic in his posting, certainly his views on the Christianity forum seemed no more extreme in my view to those of the 'regulars'.

That said if he received a PM from the moderators he should have taken that into account and altered his actions to match.

6th

seamus wrote: »

Gareth has singled himself out.

Much in the same way that you did/have done, but in an entirely different context.

True, but seeing someone (no matter how extreme) being singled out in forums with threads about them, mocking them kinda shows the bad sides of Boards. I've had it happen to me but the nature of my character and my experience on here means that I can take it and that I know when its meant in a semi-friendly way.

I dont agree with Gareth but peoples responses to him highlight deeper issues within Boards.

6th

Dudess wrote: »

6th, Gareth has told people they're the antichrist (how many antichrists are there?) Do you expect people not to have a go at him after that?

In cases like that he should be moderated by the appropriate person, its not a green light to the community to go after him.

javaboy

Rev Hellfire wrote: »

I think he was just a little enthusiastic in his posting, certainly his views on the Christianity forum seemed no more extreme in my view to those of the 'regulars'.

That said if he received a PM from the moderators he should have taken that into account and altered his actions to match.

AFAIK extreme views are ok on the forums and I don't think anyone's going to get banned for those alone. IIRC the post Gareth got banned for drew some particularly tenuous links between credit card designs and the number 666. He then went on to say he wasn't looking forward to the replies.

Having read a lot of his posts in A&A and Christianity, it's hard to know if he's trolling or serious. All I know is that if you get banned from both, you're probably doing something wrong.

Hobbes

Actually forum says he is banned for 1 month.

Surprised he isn't banned from Atheist forum.

Handsome Bob

6th wrote: »

True, but seeing someone (no matter how extreme) being singled out in forums with threads about them, mocking them kinda shows the bad sides of Boards. I've had it happen to me but the nature of my character and my experience on here means that I can take it and that I know when its meant in a semi-friendly way.

I dont agree with Gareth but peoples responses to him highlight deeper issues within Boards.

While I do agree with what you are saying, Asiaprod hit the nail on the head when he said that

It's people like you who in fact do more damage to religion and to those that do follow this faith.

It got all too much with the multiple threads in A&A and I, even though I'm agnostic, despaired at some of the things he was saying because it gave certain posters free reign to spit their generalizations out about religion.

javaboy

Hobbes wrote: »

Actually forum says he is banned for 1 month.

Surprised he isn't banned from Atheist forum.

I thought he was? He started a very trollish thread about the average atheist being a 14/15 year old boy trying to rebel.

6th

LZ5by5 wrote: »

While I do agree with what you are saying, Asiaprod hit the nail on the head when he said that



It got all too much with the multiple threads in A&A and I, even though I'm agnostic, despaired at some of the things he was saying because it gave certain posters free reign to spit their generalizations out about religion.

They are his beliefs and he is intitled to them Surely based on what you say its the people making the generalizations based on what one posters says that are the problem?

Hobbes

javaboy wrote: »

I thought he was? He started a very trollish thread about the average atheist being a 14/15 year old boy trying to rebel.

With the occasional girl thrown in. Funny thread.

Handsome Bob

6th wrote: »

They are his beliefs and he is intitled to them Surely based on what you say its the people making the generalizations based on what one posters says that are the problem?

That is a fair conclusion.

Gareth is entitled to his beliefs, and that's something I feel strongly about, but with threads such as "average age of atheist 14 or 15" you can't help but think that he is being naive if he thinks it will fly insulting people no?

AckwelFoley

It only 1 month and only a forum.

Ive a life time ban from my local church...

6th

LZ5by5 wrote: »

That is a fair conclusion.

Gareth is entitled to his beliefs, and that's something I feel strongly about, but with threads such as "average age of atheist 14 or 15" you can't help but think that he is being naive if he thinks it will fly insulting people no?

No he should not be allowed to insult people and as I've said I've no problem with how he has been moderated. I suppose I am just defending him based on peoples reactions to him. Why, I dont know.

Nerin

LZ5by5 wrote: »

That is a fair conclusion.

Gareth is entitled to his beliefs, and that's something I feel strongly about, but with threads such as "average age of atheist 14 or 15" you can't help but think that he is being naive if he thinks it will fly insulting people no?

Hmmmm. I thought in the beginning he was a troll. Now i think he is genuine,but that thread was trolling.
Hes been warned enough,he deserves the ban. But i agree with 6th on the fact threads singling out a user shouldn't be allowed.

seamus

6th, you're going to have to show me what you're talking about. I've no problem with people mentioning someone's name in passing when a topic that they are "zealous" about is being discussed; For example in a thread about thumb scanners, someone saying, "Oh I can't wait until run to the hills gets here". That's fine, because he's exposed himself as that kind of poster and opened himself up to it.

Obviously though, specifically starting threads to abuse or ridicule any poster is out of line.

Handsome Bob

6th wrote: »

No he should not be allowed to insult people and as I've said I've no problem with how he has been moderated. I suppose I am just defending him based on peoples reactions to him. Why, I dont know.

I hope this isn't taken as an insult by A&A but it's very much a pack mentality. If some of them smell blood, their prey is in for trouble. For me, I don't like seeing it.

Nerin wrote: »

Hmmmm. I thought in the beginning he was a troll. Now i think he is genuine,but that thread was trolling.
Hes been warned enough,he deserves the ban. But i agree with 6th on the fact threads singling out a user shouldn't be allowed.

I don't think he's a troll, based on his replies in my thread in Christianity. Gareth seems to have a willingness to defend his faith on a solid platform, going by what he said in that thread.

I agree with you and 6th on the singling out aspect.

6th

seamus wrote: »

6th, you're going to have to show me what you're talking about. I've no problem with people mentioning someone's name in passing when a topic that they are "zealous" about is being discussed; For example in a thread about thumb scanners, someone saying, "Oh I can't wait until run to the hills gets here". That's fine, because he's exposed himself as that kind of poster and opened himself up to it.

Obviously though, specifically starting threads to abuse or ridicule any poster is out of line.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055425054

Obviously mods are dealing with it as it happens but I dont see anyone being told its wrong to single another poster out, its just inferred by the locking and deleting of threads.

seamus

6th wrote: »

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055425054

Obviously mods are dealing with it as it happens but I dont see anyone being told its wrong to single another poster out, its just inferred by the locking and deleting of threads.

In that case, the poster had a genuine suggestion. The aim wasn't to single out and bully a particular poster, he was just used as the current topical example. Bad form perhaps, but not unfair.

That OP in particular didn't ridicule Gareth's beliefs. It ridiculed his style of "debate". Which perhaps isn't so worthy of defence.

The thread was locked because it turned into what you say, but what do you do? Ban them all? Locking the thread implies that the thread should not continue.

CuLT

snyper wrote: »

It only 1 month and only a forum.

Ive a life time ban from my local church...

To say nothing about your local daycare...

6th

Ok I'm gonna stop defending Gareth but thats not exactly what I am doing. We've seen plenty of posters on here who stand out and we've seen them become easy targets ..... mostly by their own doing.

Gareth, when your ban is up try to listen as well as speak. You might feel that you are in some way doing the words work by posting what you do but remember, the lord works in mysterious ways. Maybe you ended up here at Boards.ie not to teach but to learn? Look at the community as a whole, look at how the community works ... love thy neighbour and turn the other cheek.

toiletduck

LZ5by5 wrote: »

I don't think he's a troll, based on his replies in my thread in Christianity. Gareth seems to have a willingness to defend his faith on a solid platform, going by what he said in that thread.

On most of the threads he started he didn't defend anything, merely stated a view, and then wouldn't really even engage with what people were saying (particularly true of his posts on A&A). Hard not to think the worst of someone when they do that.

Handsome Bob

toiletduck wrote: »

On most of the threads he started he didn't defend anything, merely stated a view, and then wouldn't really even engage with what people were saying (particularly true of his posts on A&A). Hard not to think the worst of someone when they do that.

Let me rephrase; I started a thread called "Christian Apologetics" and in that thread he indicated that he was interested in reading up on the subject. But before that thread, I agree with what you said in regards to Gareth not engaging people.

_blank_

Has a user been banned here for not backing up his arguments?

Nerin

Des wrote: »

Has a user been banned here for not backing up his arguments?

He was warned about pushing his beliefs on others in pi and spirituality.