From the Forum = from this thread. Sorry for the inexact language.

Well, he *did* get me to unmute the thread.

I'll never un-mute the thread
It's a marketing ploy to attract normal open-minded and interesting people

Mute and Blacklist. Done and Done.

Well, between those people and the ones that get drawn in by "extremely offensive material of a graphic sexual nature", I'd say you have the majority right there.

Sorry Mujus, but I'd say you have quite a graphical imagination. I'm not a mod, but it takes only one person to be offended, and that's you (or anyone else that feels offended). Being offended is a main part in 'normal' life and during adolescence people learn to accept that they can be offended and how to deal will that.
I don't see how the graphical post derails the topic: simply ignoring this person/post works, however I do see how the first responder derails the topic by instigating the the poster to respond more and more. Maybe the mods should ban this responder from your topic.

There are private threads on the Forum? You would like to "delete" some things or someone? How would you feel if they deleted you and your private thread?

Or indeed if the private thread was, by default, private (and muted) and only visible to people who had a password to unmute it? (that wa you could prevent people who don't know the password/js from viewing and posting in the thread...)

I might be offended by the daily bible thread; something like 'Advertize Live Games HERae' is entirely appropriate to have a permanent place on tue front page - because this is a diplpmacy forum. If you want a place to discuss your bible readings there are many Christian forums.

However this forum respects freedom of speech, so while i am offended by your attempts to advertise christianity, i accept you are free to do so. (even as i continue to ignore, but not mute your thread)

I would suggest you deal with the anger/hate which you have generated yourself - as this remains a self-moderated forum. (unless i'm mistaken and the mods are taking a much more active role on the forum)

Yes,you are mistaken,they do it,unfortunately.The last couple of their's interventions suggest they are clearly going that way - against the freedom of speach and towards stupidity.

I might be offended by the daily bible thread; something like 'Advertize Live Games HERae' is entirely appropriate to have a permanent place on tue front page - because this is a diplpmacy forum. If you want a place to discuss your bible readings there are many Christian forums.

However this forum respects freedom of speech, so while i am offended by your attempts to advertise christianity, i accept you are free to do so. (even as i continue to ignore, but not mute your thread)

I would suggest you deal with the anger/hate which you have generated yourself - as this remains a self-moderated forum. (unless i'm mistaken and the mods are taking a much more active role on the forum)

A point so nice, it deserves to be made twice.

"Anger/hate which you have generated" What the what??? I have no idea what you are talking about, Orathaic. A simple thread with bible quotations is anger/hate-provoking? Do you also froth at the mouth at Koranic passages? Does ancient Hindu text get you all warmed up? Can you not read the Iliad without a danger that you'll do violence?

I appreciate that this is a self-moderated forum. But there has also been a gentlemen's agreement that the bible thread would be given the leeway to exist without a constant derailing by those who dislike such things. But as there are several persons on this site who are not gentlemen, such agreements apparently have little effect.

I think the thread's reaction to his gay foreigner post completely vindicates his reaction. It was a satirical look at the guilt gay religious men feel. The utter disgust that some of the Christians felt from the gay imagery exemplifies what he (and others) feel is wrong with your beliefs, dipplayer.

We could discuss, in detail how Yael drove a strike through Sisera's head but the thought of two men fucking is too much to handle.

I, like Orthaic, really don't like having a daily bible reading thread on the front page at all times. However, I understand that this is a self moderated forum and the invent of the mute buttons allows me to remove what I perceive as prothlatizing hogwash. I didn't complain to Mujus or the Mods or the Forum because, here's the kicker,

If I want the freedom to post what I want on the forum I have to afford other people the same luxury.

If you don't like YJ's commentary on your religion, mute him.

Personally, my suggestion would be to take the emails of everyone who reads the posts and communicate privately with them. If you'd like to make sure future members get a chane to be read it, post once in a while recruiting more people for your email chain.

*steak, not strike. Sure there's other typos in there too. It's early.

Aye, Dipplayer, well said!

I can't believe I'm seeing guys here, respected as players on this site and writers on this forum behave so immaturely.
"Freedom of speech?"
Your freedom of speech brings to mind a little kid rushing around shouting "I HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH! I HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH!" in everyones face effectively eliminating the possibility of real, caring *communication*.

Do you guys ever take your eyes from off your computer screen and try the adventure of respectful communication with other human beings?

I have to say Ora, I think you're wrong this time...

Yonni, it has nothing to do with the nature of the pornography. It could have been gay, straight, or whatever. It was not the place, and it was only done to provoke and to interfere. If someone posted something of the sort in a thread about Diplomacy tactics, or in a thread about sports, or in a thread about philosophy, others would find it tasteless and offensive. But throw it at the religious people, and all of a sudden it is a brilliant satire? Seriously?

Another thing is that this forum is not suited for Mujus' project. But that's no reason for being offensive. This Forum is not well designed for all this desire for discussion that it hosts.
Mujus' thread is no less appropriate here than all the other political, religious, scientific etc discussions.

Dipplayer, I don't appreciate trolls in any of the threads but we've never had a mechanism for dealing with it other than self moderation. That's what I'm getting at. Mute him and call him a troll but I see no reason why the bible thread should get any more moderation than any of the others. Now, if you want visit the posting rules on te site, that's a whole different thing.

Also, since your offense is purportedly not stemming from homophobia, I'm sure you can understand why some people feel it is important to tackle the homophobia in the Christian thread.

Yes dipplayer, they may just be trolling (hate), because they know they can get a reaction, but implying that your bible reading is of some value is insulting to my beliefs.

There are no Koranic passages or ancient Hindu texts being discussed on a daily basis. There is no-one sending me this constant message that undermines morality.

And let me be clear (i'll feel free to rant here and not derail the daily bibke reading thread) The bible is a fucking disgrace, a terrible example which undermines morality. At best it is bad prose.

The ideas of the ten commandments as moral BECAUSE they come from God is damaging, the ten commandments are generally good and moral principles. But making this goodness dependent on a God for which there is no evidence weakens their moral authority. Anyone who doesn't believe in God can simply dismiss them as irrelevant BECAUSE of the claim that they come from God. There is no evidence that God exists, meanwhile there are good reasons to consider 'not killing' to be moral. (an idea which the US government might take to heart, especially those who think that putting the ten commandments up outside court houses sends a positive message)

Actually wait, let me backtrack - thou shalt not covet they neighbours wife/ox, no i think you'll find that the basis of our modern consumerist culture is covetting our neighbours ipad - and you can't covet things which are not owned. People should not be property. Thou shalt not steal? Well there is a question of property rights, i would prefer if someone promoted sharing. Honour thy mother and father? Well only if they deserve it, it is not immoral to dishonour your mother and father if they are immoral bigots. And that one about not acknowleding other gods? Pure intolerance of other religions right there. That is not a message i want anyone followig.

Thou shalt not commit adultery? Well if women are not property then adultery isn't a crime. Both men and women should feel free to fuck whomever they please. While 'cheating' is still wrong, that implies a certain set of rules which you are breaking - there is no reason for these social conventions, but if you choose to follow them then you shouldn't break them - i mean it is pretty obvious to say if you want a set of rules to apply to yourself then don't break them.

What's that, 7 or 8? Rules against covetting are like thought crime. Freedom of expression is a good thing, but presumes freedom of thought. It is the one thing i think we should protect above all else.

So yeah, seeing a group of people throw their hate-filled book in my face every day is something worth being angry about.

If you, say, had a bible reading week, followed by a Illiad reading week, and a Qu'ran reading week, and then a Buddhist texts week, and then a Star Wars Jedi Code week, and then a Pastafarian week... I wouldn't be offended. Oh and guess what just like the rest of you, i'm entitled to he offended, it just doesn't matter.

Your offensive religion is immoral and damaging. But i choose to ignore it rather than be get anrgy and attack it. If you find this puzzling then perhaps we can have a discussion of morality and priviledge.

So start a thread about homophobia in Christianity/theBible/a particular passage, if that's important to you.

I'll agree that this is not necessarily a place for mod intervention, due to the self-policing nature of the sight. But it is appropriate to call out the trollish behavior.

Ora, the Christian religion is the foundation of Western civilization and the salt which gives it savor. It is the foundation of the ethics you claim to hold so dear.

"Thou shalt not covet" is not about thoughtcrime. It's about an attitude. It's about being thankful for the things one has, and not spending all of one's energies or desires on what one lacks. My wife is lovely and smart and wonderful, but if spend all my time looking at the hot blonde my friend is screwing, I make myself completely blind to what I am blessed with. I harm myself and my wife.

"Thou shalt not commit adultery" is not about ownership of a woman, or a wife as property. It is the foundation of family life. It is the necessary precondition to preserving the husband/wife relationship, and therefore giving children the home they need.

And if you think the Bible is bad prose, you've never read the Psalms, or Isaiah. And you are in opposition to the vast majority of the great writers of the western tradition, from Shakespeare to Steinbeck.

You deal with trolls by ignoring them, not by giving them even more attention by tattling on them.

That stuff isn't half as bad as I see daily in most threads here. This is a self-moderated Forum. Grow up and deal with it. You do not want the Mods actively moderating the Forum. Trust me.

Ok, here is my gentleman's agreement. I will ignore your offensive thread.

However, that does not mean i will defend it.

If you choose to stand up and proclaim your faith in this public manner, then expect to have it attacked for all the homophobia, misogyny, rascist and other immoral and unreasonable claims it represents. Defend your own thread from the trolls, they want you to be outraged. How do you normally deal with trolls?

Dante, Newton, Tolstoy, Hugo, Milton, all pale in comparison to Orathaic's infinite wisdom

There are threads on this site every day where religious belief is attacked. What had been agreed upon was that the Daily Bible thread would not turn into yet another repetition of those. I don't care what threads people post, and I am happy to respond to threads that I find worthwhile.

Religion is not attacked on this thread any more than political views are.

You have no right to create a private thread with select members and rules.

So how about I start posting bible verses in every thread, then, Abge? You have no right to having a thread that is just about the NFL, or Syria, or Gunboat Diplomacy.

It's about taste and manners. It's about asking for some courtesy.