Do you feel at home in the General Discussion forum?

[Dob Bole]

I don't know about anyone else, but it just seems like a really negative place sometimes...kind of drags one down. I used my Ignore button religiously today...maybe that will help. Is it just me, or does anyone else feel this way?

[RevCheesehead]

1. Hi, Dob -

While I sympathize with what you're saying, we're not supposed to use the groups in this way (to complain about treatment on DU).

Pretty standard behavior: if someone disrupts, breaks the rules, etc., hit "alert" and let the mods handle it. Make sure you read the DU rules (they've been updated), so you know what is and is not acceptable, especially on religion.

Behavior in any forum varies day-to-day, and some days are worse than others. I try to practice my self-control, by avoiding flameworthy posts, especially if I find myself emotionally invested in what's going on.

Maybe the best advice of all is the question: WWJD? (or post).

When you feel down, come on in here and we'll talk Jesus to ya, faith, hope, and love, and all that stuff. :)

[Dob Bole]

3. Hmm...

I wasn't really trying to complain about my treatment on DU.

But I was complaining :)

It just seems that a lot of DUers find it impossible to dwell on good things.

[mrgorth]

2. I stay on the "politics" forum

and don't encounter any problems.

[elshiva]

4. GD is not very friendly, don't go often.

hi, dob!

[superconnected]

5. what you posted is whay I stopped coming to DU for a while

then a friend recommended groups, and now I'm here and on the photography one.

Actually the Athiests that attack you because your Christian is what drove me away. I'm super liberal - believe gays should marry, etc.

I don't feel like going to the DU main board anymore because of the athiests who can't hand other people having religion.

They're too closed minded for me.

I don't care if a person worships cats, I'm not going to turn into some kind of extreme fundamentalists who only believes people should think like I do over it. I consider the athiests that I don't hang on the main board because of, as basically the same mentality as the extreme fundys, and just don't happen to have a God.

I don't know what the F@# they're doing on a liberal site.

And yeah, the main board is a downer. Almost always bad news.

[CBHagman]

6. I limit my exposure to GD and GD-P

For starters, who has time to visit all the threads and discussion boards anyway? Secondly, some threads are just not worth your while.

I do, however, find myself hopping around a lot. Breaking News is good for getting a handle on the headlines and recent developments, and I wind up visiting my non-political groups often, even if there's no action there.

In GD and GD-P, I find overt hostility and a lot of stereotyping of people who hold any sort of spiritual beliefs. From snotty cheap shots at Mormons for wearing "the garment" to stereotyping of evangelical Christians as money-grubbers and bigots, there's a lot there that simply does not belong on a supposedly progressive message board. So much for adherence to the ideals of promoting tolerance and personal freedom!

[mrgorth]

11. Yo

From snotty cheap shots at Mormons for wearing "the garment"

Man if you can't joke about special underwear to get into heaven you can't joke about nuthin'!;)

[shawn703]

7. I kind of feel the same way about Religion and Theology

Although it's not quite as bad, and I will sometimes post over there. If it's a complete Christian-bashing thread, I ignore it.

[RevCheesehead]

8. You are braver than I

I won't even go there.

Let me just say this: for people who claim they have no belief in God, why do they spend so much time arguing about it with others?

[Zhade]

9. Okay, a couple of things...

1) It's not a claim, at least on my part. It's a simple fact.

2) Religion is being pushed into politics. Hence, we discuss it.

I don't think you should stay away from R&T. While there are massive flamewars at times, there are also wonderful threads to be found, with open, uncritical discussions between atheists like me and believers like Bouncy Ball, Kathy in Cambridge, H2O Man, and other terrific people.

We need to be able to talk to each other.

EDIT: Wow, someone sent me the link to this, and I didn't realize the forum this was posted in, or I wouldn't have invaded your sanctuary. My apologies.

[RevCheesehead]

10. Thank you for your apology.

You might want to ask that person why they sent you here and what their purpose was in doing so.

We've had trouble with disruptions before, and some people are not allowed to post in this group.