To be perfectly honest, I am not the type of person who enjoys publicly dissecting someone else's work or dragging them through the mud with third parties; if I have an issue with someone, I prefer to address it privately and settle it directly between us. That being said, I suppose there are very few people in this country whose communication is truly beyond reproach, and I could probably list a series of flaws for almost anyone if I tried. We all make mistakes, and nobody is perfect.
It seems quite evident that there are deep-seated grievances and unresolved tensions lingering here. I suspect it would be most beneficial if everyone who was active on these forums about ten years ago were to convene in a private group chat, lay all their cards on the table once and for all, and finally clear the air so we can move forward. Old grudges are constantly being resurrected, which suggests they were never actually resolved to begin with.
A great deal of progress is still required, though things are certainly better than they used to be. Perhaps one day they will reach a higher standard. I believe people need to learn how to think beyond the confines of their own personal biases, but I realize that is a difficult process.
Who insulted whom? The man simply stated that introducing the IDEA of attributing divine qualities to any human being is as ruinous as a plague. That the mere IDEA/THOUGHT itself is catastrophic.
Who, precisely, is being insulted here? And where exactly is the hate speech? Do you even have a grasp on what constitutes hate speech?
So, I suppose it isn't hate speech when you start threads attacking Islam? That is perfectly acceptable to you, I guess. And interestingly enough, one can't even suggest that giving divine attributes to humans might be wrong. Yet, you feel entitled to open a thread claiming the Quran is not divine revelation, and then you have the nerve to argue with me just because—heaven forbid—I changed two words in the title. It seems you find it problematic if the title asks, "Is the Quran divine revelation?" instead of insisting on "The Quran is not divine revelation." Essentially, you feel authorized to speak on behalf of someone else's faith and declare their holy book is NOT divine, while someone else isn't allowed to say that attributing divine traits to a person is ruinous. You didn't even start a thread about that. What if someone had started a thread titled "30 reasons why Catholicism is not divine revelation"? You seem to be intentionally nitpicking posts just to find something to complain about, all while completely ignoring your own behavior.
Look, you take offense if someone says it's ruinous to give divine attributes to a human, but it DOESN'T OFFEND YOU TO OPEN A THREAD CLAIMING SOMEONE ELSE'S RELIGIOUS BOOK IS NOT DIVINE REVELATION. If your post was truly so offensive that it was impossible to look at—which is how you treated your own thread—what should we have done, set it on fire with napalm?!
Give me a break. Please, don't push me. Because what I am about to say is something you won't like, and you'll likely just end up playing the victim again.
This isn't hate speech by any stretch. It wasn't even directed at anyone specifically, whether as an individual or a group. My point is simply that attributing divine qualities to humans is a mistake. He didn't target anyone; he was making a general observation. If he had claimed that Catholicism was as destructive as typhus or the plague, that would be a different story. But he didn't.
If someone feels personally attacked when nothing was actually aimed at them, I suppose there isn't much I can say about that. After all, Jesus Christ isn't the only figure to whom divine attributes are ascribed... we still see examples today where various divine qualities or characteristics—call them whatever you like—are attributed to people, such as Sai Baba, certain healers, or spiritual gurus, and so on.
We are adults here, and the post remains. That is my take on the matter.
So, you're twenty-six years old and claiming you have zero hobbies, haven't ever pursued anything, and nothing interests you whatsoever??? How is that even possible? What have you actually been doing with your life besides staring blankly at a wall?? I suspect you are exaggerating when you claim absolutely nothing captures your interest. It seems more likely that you are simply being lazy and avoiding effort. Everyone finds something interesting; there isn't a single person on this planet who is truly indifferent to everything—be it reading, movies, art, sports, collecting, or making things... absolutely nothing.
If you don't want to look for a seasonal job—fine, you don't have to. If you don't want to continue with college—that's your choice too. But to say that nothing interests you?!
I honestly cannot grasp what your actual problem is or what your objective here is. I don't understand. Whatever anyone suggests, you reject it. Fine, you aren't obligated to listen. But that implies that if you refuse to change anything, you are perfectly content with your current situation. In that case, why even start this thread? 🤔
Carol Turner3 said:Yeah, I'm done. Technically I've got three years under my belt, but I'm not feeling super optimistic about these last two given how everything is going and how little motivation I actually have left...
That part about feeling trapped... maybe it feels that way right now, but as you get older, you'll realize that nobody can actually force you into chains or keep you held down UNLESS YOU LET THEM. The choice is ultimately yours to make...
Look, I get that the decision is mine, but clearly I haven't been able to pull myself together enough to actually make anything happen on my own...
You can always shake things up when it comes to your social life if that's something you want to fix... just go for it! I don't see where the struggle is there...
I think I made it pretty clear—I'm just totally burnt out by all of this...
I mean, I really don't know what I have to offer someone like that. I'm not looking to cry on anyone's shoulder, I'm not trying to party every night, and I don't even have the cash for trips or hanging out with people...
Basically, you're only 26 and you're being way too rigid about everything. Life doesn't work like that. Everything is fluid, things change constantly, and there's really no reason to get worked up. I think you're seeing the situation as much worse than it actually is...
Maybe, but I seriously don't see any chance of things ever turning around for me. I might be able to steer them in the opposite direction, though even this current state is pretty rough...
I'm only saying this because, at the end of the day, I know myself pretty well...
You think you know yourself, but you are only 26. As the years pass, you will realize that you change, and many things that seem impossible right now will not only become achievable, but you will find it almost laughable how much of a monster you made them out to be.
Your fear lacks any rational basis. It is entirely internal. Ask yourself: What is the absolute worst-case scenario if I do this? Once you face that worst-case outcome and realize that the world keeps turning regardless, you will understand that fear is merely an anchor without any real foundation.
If you signed up for those two more years, then complete them. You don't need to be a party animal; surely you have at least one friend. Reach out to them, go somewhere together—times are better now. Go outdoors, take a walk, try cycling or running...
You claim nothing interests or motivates you, but I suspect that isn't true. We all enjoy certain activities while finding others repulsive. Find whatever brings you a modicum of joy and try to do at least a little bit of it every day. It will likely improve your outlook.
Carol Turner3 said:I've pretty much laid out my anxieties through these posts, honestly... from this feeling of being behind in life, to having zero clue what I actually want or how to build a decent life. Plus, the realization that living a "normal" life requires a paycheck that's way out of reach given my current skill set...
How much more modest am I supposed to be, and for how long?
I'm not really sure what you mean by that, so feel free to elaborate... I'm definitely not talking about any fancy vacations or anything.
And I already mentioned that at the start—I don't even know what I enjoy anymore, because I'm just so weighed down by more pressing stuff...
There is no such thing as being late to start life; you are 26, not 56. You don't need to have everything figured out immediately; you can figure it out over time. Who is actually born knowing exactly what they want to do? People evolve throughout their entire lives.
A "normal life" is a subjective term. Anything can be a normal life.
Given your current situation, I suggest looking for seasonal work in an area with plenty of young people and a good social atmosphere. That way, you can combine utility with enjoyment—earn some money, meet new people, and spend the summer productively. Check the Facebook groups for "JOBS WANTED/JOBS OFFERED (COASTAL REGION)." There is plenty of demand there. I know there are other groups for the Atlantic Ocean region as well. I would recommend Springfield.
Wait, did you actually graduate or not? I couldn't tell from what you wrote. Anyway, if you haven't finished your degree yet, my advice would be to just own that and focus entirely on school instead of exhausting yourself looking for jobs or worrying about whether you're a good worker. It isn't as if everyone currently employed is some top-tier employee or perfectly suited for their role. Your anxiety over that seems completely unnecessary.
Regarding what you said about not knowing what you want to be—it doesn't matter. You clearly enrolled in your current major for a reason, so just finish it. Once that's done, you'll have plenty of time to figure out if there's something else you're interested in pursuing. These days, there is an endless array of courses, certification programs, and trade schools available.
As for this idea that you are "shackled"... it might feel that way right now, but as you get older, you'll realize that nobody can force you into chains unless you personally agree to let them. That choice is entirely yours.
You can always influence your social life, and if you want to improve things there... then just go for it! I honestly don't see where the struggle lies.
In short, you are only 26 years old and you are being far too rigid about everything. Life doesn't work that way. Everything is fluid, and everything changes. There really is no need to get worked up. I suspect you are viewing the situation as much worse than it actually is.
Yes, things have been quite hectic here. There’s plenty to catch up on, especially since I haven’t been checking everything regularly. Moving forward, if anyone commits serious offenses—specifically personal attacks against members or bringing up people's parents—please just send me a direct message. I’m only seeing this thread now, and once I get back online, I tend to skim through topics rather than monitoring every single comment on Amtrak or other forums.
If you keep this up, you won't just find your thread locked; you'll be facing a permanent ban.
I believe I have already advised you to refrain from posting those theories about "child eaters"—you chose to ignore me. Furthermore, this platform is not some random PDF where anyone can just blurt out nonsense regarding "bisexual orgies" without any regard for the context or the subject at hand. It is quite evident when a thread author begins entertaining such constructs and trolling within their own discussion that the topic has lost all merit. If you feel the need to discuss bisexuality and orgies, perhaps you should head over to a hazelnut forum instead.
You have received exactly what you sought, and I shall not dignify your insults toward me or the rest of the community with a response, as I have already reported your conduct to the moderators.
Lawrence Torres56 said:Listen, guys, you really need to wrap your heads around this: metempsychosis is coming for you, and there’s absolutely no escaping it. 😁
So, I was thinking about some of these theories floating around, and honestly, it makes a weird kind of sense—what if we aren't just spinning in this same circle of souls because of all those messy, unfinished karmic ties? Like, sure, maybe we're stuck together because of old business that never got settled, but what if there's a more purposeful side to it? What if we’re actually circling back to one another just to act as a sort of cosmic support system, purely to help each other navigate and lighten the load of these crazy lifelong lessons we're all forced to learn? Isn't it possible that we're basically just celestial study buddies helping each other pass the ultimate test?
Or make them harder 😬 , depending on how people treat one another.
A twin flame?
Nicholas Ward5 said:with this woman in Chicago. It’s kind of like guided meditation—you just lie down, get totally relaxed, and let go, whatever happens. 🙂 It lasted about forty minutes or so. I went because I wanted to figure out the catch regarding a specific person, and I told her that right at the start.
And boom—I was thrown straight into the deep end of some situations. The regression worked. Don't know if my brain is fried or anything,😁 but honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by the whole thing. It wasn't like watching some trippy movie or seeing flashing lights; it was more like an emotional reality experience, if that makes any sense.
As for why you always look the same—maybe it's just because you had a mix of dreams and actual memories.
I don't know, I have never really messed with meditation; I am simply not that type of person nor do I have the patience for it, which is why when this started happening to me, I was like: Dafuq 🤔 , it just happened out of nowhere, while others spend a hundred years trying to reach that state using various techniques.
I don't know if it was a mix of dreams and memories; I was definitely sleeping and dreaming, but whether I actually "remembered" something within a dream, who knows.
Nicholas Ward5 said:Man, I tried regression once, just went in with an open mind and zero expectations. But honestly? It totally caught me off guard how intense those emotional bonds were with people I was seeing—kind of like what you’ve been talking about. One of them turned out to be my sister in this life, plus a few others. I went through two different scenes. In the first one, I was a guy, maybe 45 or 50, white, rocking a mustache, living somewhere in the Midwest. It was me and my family in a house, wife was prepping some kind of big Sunday dinner, maybe around 1800? Just a huge farm, pretty dry soil, and this heavy feeling of hard work after a long day, plus just how much I loved my wife... The second scene was somewhere like Tibet or the Himalayas. Me and my kid, a little boy maybe 5 or 6, looked Tibetan. We were poor but happy, cooking up some porridge in this little mud hut in a tiny village. That feeling of loving my child was just everything. Probably sometime in the 1900s.
It was wild, man. Honestly felt more real than real life.
Who did you go to for your regression, and what is the actual experience like?
I have read claims that it might cause brain damage.
You always seem to have different experiences, whereas mine remain remarkably consistent... 🤷
Douglas Hall59 said:Lately, during my meditation sessions—even when I’m actively trying to focus—I keep getting this recurring vision of an old stone well sitting in the middle of a dusty desert plaza in some forgotten little town... It isn't even that the visual details are sharp, it’s more that the emotional weight of the whole scene hits me all at once.
Beyond just the well, I see this pale blue moon shining through a narrow window into a completely empty room, and there’s a young girl there, someone for whom I feel this incredibly deep, inexplicable bond.
Whenever this vision comes flooding back, it brings with it this overwhelming surge of affection, a sense of family, and pure love, yet it's always underscored by this heavy feeling of poverty and constant struggle...
A few days ago, while I was meditating, I actually found myself praying for an answer, asking who this girl is to me and why on earth I feel such a profound connection to her. About thirty minutes into my prayer, there was a knock at the door. It was my girlfriend, and she happened to be showing me a photo of her father with his grandkids.
I can't help but wonder if that was actually the answer I was looking for. Has anyone else here ever had experiences like this, and is it truly possible for the same souls to follow us across multiple lifetimes on this earth? Because if that’s the case, I would give anything to finally meet that girl from my visions in this life...
I have never actually practiced meditation, though I suppose I have experienced certain... unusual occurrences, if one could call them that.
When I first met my ex-boyfriend, these strange occurrences began to manifest, though they only appeared within my dreams. I had this one vision where we were both in some rural township, working in the mines over a century ago—we were even wearing period-accurate clothing. There was some sort of war going on, and he ended up saving me; his mother was there too, the exact same woman who is his mother in this life. We all looked identical, and I even had the same hairstyle I wear today. In the end, I managed to escape while he stayed behind, eventually reuniting with his mother on a vast meadow. Looking out at the rolling hills and the endless green fields ahead of us, I asked her if there was any way for us to survive. She simply replied that we would make it, provided we could cross the border out of the ______ region.
Even after I woke up, that name she mentioned kept echoing in my head, along with that image. I immediately searched on Google, and when the first image finally popped up, it was that exact scene from my dream—that specific view from the top of the hill looking down. I found myself wondering if I’ve lost my mind or if everyone else is just delusional. But I'm not crazy; that place actually exists, it's called that, and that is precisely what the picture shows. It turns out the area is famous for its mining operations from the turn of the last century, and there were conflicts there because of its position right on the border near Finland.
I told you to be smart. 😲😲😲
I have always had this tendency to experience vivid premonitions where I can see exact glimpses of what is to come—the specific clothing someone will be wearing, identical scenes playing out, or even the precise words that will be spoken.
I once had a dream about a complete stranger—an attorney, specifically—including his full name. Upon waking, I decided to Google him, only to discover he was a real person, an actual practicing lawyer.
I once experienced an astral projection where I observed my astral self hovering near the ceiling of my room. She possessed the exact same hairstyle as mine—and since I am quite obsessed with that specific look, I suspect there is a much deeper significance to why all my various "versions" share it.
There is more to consider, though I suppose it is difficult to say who will actually remember it all. Basically, this phenomenon occurs and persists, though I suppose one can only speculate as to what truly lies behind it.
I knew from the very first moment that he was the one for me; there was this immediate sense of connection, an intuitive feeling that we were cut from the same cloth and that he held a truly unique place in my heart. However, if one looks at this through a more long-term lens, I suppose being with someone because of a bond from a previous life—or even just within this one—might simply suggest that you are caught in some kind of unfinished karmic cycle.
That is simply not true. The clutter bothers other users too, especially those who take the time to report issues and ask when the mess will be cleared out. Not to mention what would happen if threads started accumulating hundreds or even thousands of off-topic posts!! It would be total chaos everywhere.
While some discussion boards might allow for more leeway, our structure is strictly organized by topic. Allowing off-topic chatter to pile up—regardless of whether it’s constructive or not—helps absolutely no one; even a single off-topic comment can trigger a landslide of others. If an off-topic remark is actually useful, it can be moved to its proper place, which is fine. However, non-constructive noise is the death of a thread because there is nothing you can do with it, and meanwhile, high-quality, on-topic contributions get buried under a sea of spam. We cannot operate this way, as our primary goal should always be improving the quality of our discussions. My motto is simple: Quality over quantity! 🧐
Furthermore, in the long run, forum members need to learn how to moderate themselves. They need to realize when to move a conversation to the right section and understand their own contribution levels. Ultimately, we aren't just doing this for myself and my colleagues; we are doing it for ourselves, since we don't take these forums home with us in a PDF format—these threads remain here for everyone to use. That level of awareness still needs to mature; some users have already reached it, while others haven't quite gotten there yet, but I am hopeful they will. Things are better than they used to be, but they can, and should, be even better.
My observation concerns the Religion section, specifically regarding this thread...
Evolution, Evolution with God, or Creationism (Part 3)
The truth is, this topic is primarily intended for discussions on biological evolution... however, since the references constantly point toward the biblical Book of Genesis—which merges biblical cosmogony with the creation of life and humanity—it is extremely difficult to avoid comparing scientific perspectives with theological views on evolution and creation as a whole during a debate.
At the start of this thread, that wasn't an issue, but for some time now, it has been... quite a few posts have been deleted.
It is true that there are separate threads for Flat Earth, the Big Bang, and Science vs. Religion, but in my opinion, those aren't entirely sufficient.
I really don't want to make extra work for Grace Kim80; whenever I notice people drifting off-topic from other threads, I step in... but for this specific topic, I suggest a change by renaming it to encompass both the origins and the evolution of the universe, including scientific developments in astronomy, particularly regarding geocentric and heliocentric theories. I don't see why that would be a problem.
That isn't possible.
The issue would be that the subject matter becomes too broad, effectively covering two distinct scientific fields. We aren't the FBI, after all, and I won't run this place like a circus where one thing is treated as one field and another as something else; I provide everything on a silver platter, literally. There is an index containing more or less all essential topics, and anyone who wants a decent discussion on the development of the universe certainly has a place to go.
The problem is that either most people who want to write there lack the necessary knowledge to understand the subject, or they simply CAN'T BE BOTHERED to go to a different thread and post something meaningful. Instead, when this specific thread is active, they just dump everything in here: the origin of species, the expansion of the universe, maybe a bit about the earth's crust, then a bit about atheists, a bit about Jesus Christ walking on water, a bit about the nonexistence of God... I don't even know how many posts I've had to delete myself.
This thread is specialized; if you don't have the knowledge, you shouldn't be posting here. The trouble is there is no option to ban a specific user from participating in one exact thread, otherwise, I would have sorted that out a long time ago.
Isn't there a thread on the NASA/Astrophysics section regarding the development of astronomy? 🤔
I believe we had something regarding the Church's contribution to scientific progress, which discussed similar themes... you should look it up via the search function or Google. I can't be expected to remember everything forever.
And keep in mind that we are not primarily a scientific forum, and we don't allow just anything here—no rejected or unfounded scientific theories, and God forbid, conspiracy theories. Still, a certain standard must be maintained. If you have an idea for a topic but aren't entirely sure about it, or can't find it in the search/index, you can reach out to me so we can discuss how to proceed and whether it's appropriate in the first place. Generally speaking, I am always in favor of constructive, intelligent, and coherent topics from which any reader might actually learn something new.
No, it does not exist. The roses are in bloom. That is why we were cleaning until 3 or 4 in the morning. Every single day. For months. Starting from scratch every day. Because the roses were blooming, and well, just for the fun of it. So we could look at the flowers. 👍
In exchange, what did we receive: lies, disparagement, spitting, accusations. People told me I was some male American politician they were going to publicly expose. They even said they needed to kill me, take me down... and I can't even remember the lesser insults.
I don't know if anyone ever actually said thank you to me. I think maybe just a few people. But instead, when things aren't cleaned up or there is a mess, people fall from Mars: asking how on earth it hasn't been cleaned yet. As if a PDF cleans itself, rather than someone actually doing the work.
Topics are not respected. Interlocutors are not respected. Many people don't come here for a civil conversation; they come to proselytize and spread nonsense, intolerance, and insults.
And the worst are the whining "believers." First of all, the internet can handle anything. How am I supposed to believe whether someone is a believer or not? Or something else entirely? How is that even verified?
Then you have this "devout" person writing that Jehovah's Witness are satanic scum. Yet they constantly complain about how believers are being persecuted. But the fact that he, this great believer, persecutes others and insults them... that doesn't count??? Apparently not. Then you have the "great believers" writing that homosexuals are sick, zoophiles, or pedophiles... Or the "great believers" who hate other great believers and insult each other.
I could write until tomorrow about everything I have witnessed and heard... but it would all be in vain. Because I know that changes didn't happen because people realized how they should behave, but because I handed out so many warnings and bans that they know they will be punished if they post whatever they want.
That is what hurts most... and most of them are older, more mature people. The average age is around 40. It makes me wonder, is this a cross-section of the American public, or is it truly this bad. Is it normal for the average person to mock, insult, and humiliate others? Apparently, it is.
Ego told me a long time ago not to think that I could make them self-aware or re-educate them. I somehow thought that if I showed them the right way, they would understand...
I also see that the forum users are either unwilling or unable to cooperate. Including you. I told you a long time ago regarding your topic to write a nice introduction and send it to me. You still haven't. So what am I supposed to think? It means it is easy to complain about this or that, but hard to write an introduction for your own thread. And I won't write it for you out of principle. Because I cannot do everything. You have to learn what to do and how to do it yourselves. Without me. So that when I am gone, you can survive on your own and keep the PDF clean.
I could keep writing until tomorrow, you worriers, and I wouldn't finish. But I think in the end, it doesn't even matter. Because generally, I feel you don't appreciate what someone does for you. And you act as if you are doing things for us, rather than us for you.
Because realistically, I don't have to clean. I don't have to move things to the off-topic section. Do you understand? It is my goodwill. If I wanted to, I could just let it all go... and cause a little chaos every 5 or 10 days. Do you think anyone would say anything to me? They wouldn't. If you don't believe me, we can always test it.
All of this is my goodwill. And that isn't appreciated. And that is the worst part of all.
Very few people have ever apologized for the insults and humiliations they directed at others. Two of them, as far as I recall. One was a Muslim and one was... I don't know, let's say an unaffiliated believer.
And how much fighting I've endured with rude atheists... for days, for months. If I hadn't been here, they would still be running around disparaging and insulting everyone with rhetoric like "backwater sheep-shaggers, religious zealots, fanatics." Sometimes I think you might have actually deserved it. Because then you would at least have material for complaints. But again, the problem is that I personally cannot live in mess, chaos, disorder, or stupidity... it bothers me. I believe we must always strive for something better.
And after all that effort, not a single soul bothers to say thank you.
Do you honestly think I wouldn't file a complaint? I suppose we'd just end up in a situation where I'm forced to lodge a formal grievance.
So, while you’re over here pretending to advocate for reform and begging to have certain "unfair" allocations stripped away, you’re simultaneously running a burner account to aggressively spam the same topic without any shred of remorse.
Maybe the book will be unlocked eventually, but we'll just have to wait and see.
A locked thread isn't a permanent state of affairs, so there is no reason to be upset right now. 😉
The reality is that lately, the book itself has been frequently misused as a platform for private chatting—which turns it into a comedy routine while the actual thread remains virtually empty—as well as being used for calling people out, which creates an incredibly awkward atmosphere.
It simply cannot continue this way.
Musa is joking a little bit about it being "because of our behavior"... and yes, that is exactly why.
I feel bad that all the forum members end up facing the same consequences as those who broke the rules, but you have to understand that we can't be babysitting the book 24/7; we have lives outside of this, and when we log on between our other jobs, we shouldn't have to spend our time cleaning up a thread that is supposed to serve merely as a reminder or a place for quick questions. It certainly shouldn't involve mediating personal disputes and call-outs.
I have said it a hundred times: NO reporting others or naming names and calling people out here. Use the report button for that, not the book.
But instead, people do the exact same thing in the book, and then we run into these problems.
We will see how things unfold, and whether or not we decide to unlock it depends entirely on you. After the third instance of massive spam involving dozens of posts, I finally snapped and thought, "Where is this even heading?"
You all need to pull it together. 😉
The complaint card thread exists, and you have private messaging, so I don't see any issue at all.
And yes, you all seem to be joking around regarding the concept of "manners," but once you realize that basic courtesy should be your primary mode of communication, there won't be any more disagreements, neither with us nor among yourselves across different threads. You just have to reach the point where you realize that is truly the case.
Regarding locking threads... there is that old saying: those who seek a little, receive a little.
Those who seek more, will receive more.
The more you demand from people, the more effort they will put in.
Everyone knows how threads are supposed to be opened and the proper way to do it. If you want to start threads for small talk, there are dedicated sections like Socializing & Coffee, Random Chat, etc., where the atmosphere and dynamic are specifically designed for that kind of topic.
Things cannot function that way here, and providing a good introduction is absolutely vital for the topic and for moderation.
And when you fill a thread with off-topic chatter and spam... well, my goodness, of course it’s going to be locked. 😁 You have to learn not to do that.
I think I have done quite enough on my end; there is a specific section for off-topic posts, and I almost never issue warnings for it—instead, I would just clean it up, move the off-topic stuff, or post links to other threads... yet, just a few days later, here is the same off-topic clutter in a thread I just finished cleaning. Naturally, I am going to get frustrated.
It cannot work this way. There must be order. You wouldn't throw things all over the floor at home; you take care of your space, right? Think of this place as your online home where you spend a lot of time. You have to make an effort to keep it clean yourselves.
Sandra Adams66 said:Unless there was some glitch with the settings in the meantime, they should still be coming through. They show up just like posts from ignored users in a thread > if you click on them, they can be opened.
If someone actually wants to restrict their inbox access, they could edit their contact list and adjust the settings so that messages can only be received from those specific selected contacts. Alternatively, one could disable the message receiving option entirely. I am certain about the second option; as for the first, I don't quite recall, but whoever tries to send a message would get an error saying they can't email that user, and conversely, the person who blocked their inbox via email would receive a notification that someone attempted to send a PM (provided that message notifications are enabled at the same time).
My messages are locked.
If they aren't on the list, I suppose I have no way of knowing what he receives, though I personally don't get any email notifications when someone attempts to message me and fails because they aren't on my contact list.
The only time I ever receive an email notification is when my inbox is full and someone tries to send a message but fails. Otherwise, I haven't turned on email notifications for messages.
Here is the situation: As the author of this thread, you essentially received a warning right in your opening post. That was enough to trigger a lock, because a problematic introduction is never a good starting point for a productive discussion. Dorian told me as much at the time.
I was actually the one who said, "Let's give this a chance; maybe it could turn into an interesting hypothetical debate." But clearly, that didn't happen. You triggered another warning using the exact same pattern, and then another user followed suit based on that same logic... and now we find ourselves debating the execution of homosexuals in Iran. I simply have no desire to constantly monitor a thread where the author themselves tends to push intolerance, which naturally leads others to follow their lead. You know exactly why you were warned.
That was my line in the sand regarding locking this thread. I even asked Bubija if he wanted to keep the thread active and continue moderating it. He stated that, as far as he is concerned, the thread can stay locked.
So, that is that.
Keep in mind that Dorian is traveling for another few days; once he returns, he can decide if he thinks the topic is excellent and wants to pursue it—if he chooses to unlock it, I won't object. However, in my view, this topic is flawed. It invites discriminatory and intolerant remarks, and it starts from entirely different premises: Christianity and Islam. Specifically, regarding so-called Islamic states where the social and religious order is diametrically opposed to Christianity, they are built on fundamentally different foundations. Discussing how Christianity might experience a second revival in Iran or similar nations is simply misplaced from the very beginning.
If you want to discuss parallels between Christianity and Islam, we have plenty of other threads for that. Furthermore, no one is stopping you from starting a new thread about Christianity if there is something you want to discuss that isn't already in the index.
Today's world has plunged into hopelessness.
The world, and primarily the part known as Christian civilization, is being spread with and promoted
satanic teachings that run contrary to the New Testament,
which speak of the right to abortion, homosexuality as a sexual orientation...
allowing participation in the ranks of satanists who carry weapons and kill in the name of king, country, and people...
Right down to the point where they won't kill their unborn children and refuse to accept so-called tolerance, where nature's abominations or unnatural sexual relations among men, as the New Testament describes them, will be defined as a false orientation...
Satanists carry weapons and kill in the name of king and country, satanic teachings... What exactly are you talking about? For instance, constructions like these are precisely why a thread gets closed.
Islamic societies, regardless of what evils they may contain—be it something like the Armenian genocide or violations of Quranic dictates that define Christians as a community that must be tolerated—are those currently closest to God's ideal, as they most consistently follow the New Testament ideal and provide the safest refuge for a Christian.
🤔
from evils like nationalism, false tolerance regarding so-called gender minorities, the false equality of men and women and I won't list any more...
One last thing: denying the equality of men and women constitutes discrimination against an entire group based on gender. That borders on hate speech, which is precisely why you were flagged for excessive trolling. Furthermore, if we flipped the premise—saying there is a false equality between white and Black people, or between Jewish and German people, or between Romani children and everyone else... the nature of this argument would be painfully obvious. You also conveniently tucked a dismissal of the Armenian genocide into your post.
So, no, it’s not happening. Besides, I have no idea what you hope to achieve with this topic. I have already pointed out the problematic parts in your warnings, and yet here I am repeating myself because you clearly believe you are right and that nothing in your posts is objectionable. This is just one more reason to shut this thread down.
And let me be clear: I don't intend to respond or debate further. This is my comprehensive response, given that you stubbornly refuse to back down and act as though you don't see where the issue lies.
Kevin Vaughn14 said:It has been four days since I submitted my request to unlock this thread, which was closed without cause. As I originally stated, this topic was opened in accordance with forum rules and customs, addressing legitimate issues and posing certain dilemmas that are indisputable, except perhaps to those who cannot tolerate a minority that thinks differently and those who simply wish to profess their faith according to their conscience.
Once again, I urge the moderators to look into my request and resist the attacks from those who demand conformity rather than tolerance, seeking exclusivity in religious and other matters alike. I look forward to the thread being unlocked.
Oh, so you are using this topic to profess your faith? My apologies, it wasn't exactly apparent from what you wrote. In fact, your posts are miles away from expressing any kind of faith; quite the opposite, they radiate hatred, intolerance, and discrimination. Are you truly certain that this is what "professing your faith" looks like? I find that hard to believe.
And I love your little logic flip: claiming that *we* are the ones unable to handle a dissenting minority, when in reality, *you* are the one throwing mud at the very minorities I am calling out.
I have removed Pip from my contact list and I have no intention of communicating with him further; I will not tolerate condescension or nonsense such as "You know nothing." Let them have someone else moderate my PDFs instead of me; I am certain he would do a much better job 👍
If anyone feels the need to report me, please do so; I truly do not care if I get banned.
The issue with Pip is that, as usual, he insists on pushing his rhetoric in the style of radical feminists, which was perfectly demonstrated by his latest post in the thread. In a discussion centered on decent men and related concepts, he inserted a link to an FTC article about a middle-aged man currently going through a messy divorce. Apparently, we are now expected to chant mantras about wicked women driving poor, good men to the brink of a breakdown through divorce.
Furthermore, I refused to allow derogatory comments regarding other nationalities, which would have steered the topic into heavy off-topic territory—something that has plenty of dedicated threads over in Politics. However, the trouble is that moving those discussions to Politics is difficult because the rules regarding hate speech, discrimination, and racism are significantly more rigorous there. One of Pip's statements from the thread was: Children born in Africa inherently have below-average IQs.
In conclusion: I believe the type of writing that this individual Pip and other users of similar caliber (hint: toxic feminists everywhere) push across this forum is extremely harmful on multiple levels, and I believe someone in authority should finally address it.
Look, nobody ever actually sat me down and explained why I was partially banned. Honestly, I didn't even get a formal warning before they pulled the plug on me, so I'm thinking this was probably just some former moderator holding a grudge. Maybe it was personal. I was a highly respected member over at the religion forum, and I don't think many users there have dealt with fewer strikes than I did. So, really, there shouldn't be any reason to keep me off the chain...
Alright, look, I’ll be the first to admit it—I messed up too...
I promise I won't screw things up again...
.
So, this isn't actually your first partial ban on the Religion board; it is your second. The first one occurred during the restructuring back in the summer of 2012.
Following that initial ban, you were given another opportunity to participate, yet based on what was presented, it was painfully obvious that you had no intention of changing your behavior; in fact, you persistently engaged in trolling, sarcasm, and mock jokes—which weren't jokes at all, but were truly repulsive.
Even now, in the post I am quoting, you are claiming there is some personal animosity from Bob toward you, which is an outright falsehood. You are asking for your ban to be lifted and expecting us to believe you've changed, while simultaneously spreading baseless lies about our colleague—furthermore, your comments about being "unleashed" do nothing to inspire confidence; if anything, they do the opposite.
My assessment is that you have no intention of reforming, a fact you have demonstrated once again here. Had you actually desired to change, you could have done so following the first ban when the opportunity was provided.
Therefore, my decision regarding the removal of your partial ban is negative.
Additionally, you have also accumulated warnings over on the Politics board, which also fails to convince me that your conduct has improved or is acceptable.