Posts by Bradley White73

Nicholas King said:Are you seriously expecting me to just sit here and outline what should be done out of pure altruism? I mean, especially in a situation where the site admins are constantly telling users to go ahead and install AdBlock and claiming that the old crowd being scattered doesn't really matter because we're getting new, more active, and more clickable users instead?

What’s the point of giving advice to a system that everywhere insists everything is just peachy and perfectly fine?

Anthony Jackson2 said:If the big boss actually showed even a tiny bit of interest in this forum, I might say it isn't such a bad idea. But honestly, right now, I’d think anyone willing to pay a single cent for something like that was a total fool..

When that whole thing about the AdBlock suggestion came up, I kind of got the impression that this forum only exists because of momentum, and it'll probably just keep rolling along until it eventually collapses under its own weight. I suppose they probably back up the database regularly and that's about it. Maybe the owner isn't totally indifferent, but perhaps they've just left the entire vision of the site up to the administration, so maybe some fresh initiative would actually be a good thing? If someone from management could provide a coherent explanation of where and how the money would be spent, I guess I wouldn't be against a subscription or a fee!

Quote : Guns of Brixton

Justin Harris12 said:So it's perfectly fine as long as one Muslim eats pork, skips prayer, drinks alcohol, allows Muhammad to be called a pedophile, and tells jokes about him? 🤷
Is that what it takes to fit in? Are all the others just not "okay" then?
Do you actually grasp the distinction between freedom of speech and the actual impact of what a person says? Are you really going to joke at someone else's expense when they clearly feel uncomfortable in your presence?
Do you honestly believe that newspapers or TV news stations should be running segments calling Muhammad a pedophile or a murderer, comparing him to Hitler, or broadcasting caricatures of him? It would look ridiculous, wouldn't it? So why isn't that happening?

I don't really know, for instance, what ROIBOSS eats for breakfast, whether he prays, or even what kind of jokes he tells, but personally, I find him to be incredibly polite. He’s definitely one of those positive examples you encounter here.

I guess I wonder if people truly grasp the distinction between the concept of freedom of speech and the actual impact of what someone says out loud. It’s one thing to have an opinion, but it’s another thing entirely to express it. For instance, do you think it’s okay to joke around at someone else's expense, even if you know they're feeling uncomfortable in that social setting? Maybe there's a fine line there that gets blurred more often than we realize.
I wonder, do you think it would be appropriate for newspapers or TV news stations to start labeling Muhammad as a pedophile or a murderer, or even comparing him to Hitler and running caricatures of him? It would probably seem pretty ridiculous, wouldn't it? I guess it makes you wonder... if that's actually an option, then why on earth isn't anyone doing it? Maybe there's some reason I'm missing, but it seems like a missed opportunity, doesn't it?

I guess it’s because people are either weighed down by a sense of guilt—or perhaps they're just reacting to the passive-aggressiveness you're using here—or maybe they're simply terrified of the fallout. There's always that fear of the chaos, the disorder, and the actual bloodshed that tends to erupt even after provocations that are far less intense than what you've written about.

Morgan Carter said:I know you will end the discussion because your arguments lack substance. To you, insulting Islam, Muslims, and Muhammad is perfectly acceptable under the guise of "freedom of speech," yet you seem to find freedom of speech regarding other matters unacceptable.

And for what it's worth, I am writing from the United States if that is so vital to you. You are welcome to check with the administrators to verify that I am telling the truth.

I suppose I am wrapping this up, mostly because I feel like continuing this discussion in the direction you're heading might actually lead me toward a real aversion to an entire religion. I don't think that's particularly fair or okay, and I personally wouldn't want to let those kinds of feelings take root in me. So, I guess you just aren't someone I should be continuing to talk to. I've come across some truly wonderful Muslim forum members on here, and I'd much rather focus my energy on those positive examples instead. Take care.

Morgan Carter said:😂
Don't even get me started. I don't view this as mere mockery; I view it as an insult. If you find someone wearing a turban sympathetic, that’s your prerogative, but to me, that imagery is synonymous with terrorism. There are no gray areas here. Matters are quite binary: will we allow "freedom of speech" to cover every possible subject, or will we finally hold people accountable for outright insults?

Well, if you haven't noticed, we actually have freedom of speech on all topics here. I mean, where else would you be posting from?
Freedom exists, and I plan on using it. By the way, I don't think you're doing Islam any favors by trying to pivot toward Hitler and Nazism—which, honestly, seems to be exactly what you're gearing up to do. So, I think I'll just end this conversation right here.

Morgan Carter said:It is a non-issue. Does anyone truly have the right to post an image of Jesus, label him Jesus, and then write "son of a whore" underneath? Would that offend you? Would it offend anyone if someone wrote praises for Hitler or displayed a swastika? I am simply questioning the boundaries of free speech. Is this freedom of expression reserved exclusively for discussions regarding Muslims and Islam, or is it a universal principle?

Mocking Jesus is one thing, mocking Hitler is another, and praising Hitler definitely isn't... I know, it's complicated and there are a ton of nuances, but take my word for it: not praising Hitler—I say that because there was already some confusion about it in the Muslim world. People thought it was an okay way to "get back" at that caricature with the bomb in the turban. Going back to Jesus, sure, feel free to mock him; someone might get offended, but Christians know how to handle it, they'll survive, and thank God, the satirists will too. And yeah, it really should be humor, you know? Not just low-brow insults. For instance, I find this funny, but even with your example, if that's the best you can do, nobody's going to lose their head over it. Just watch some Monty Python and see how it works—humor & all that shit.

Morgan Carter said:Which caricature are we discussing? Is it the one featuring the bomb?

Yeah, I think it was the one with the bomb in the turban, which honestly was pretty funny 😁... I don't really get why people can't just laugh at themselves for once! I mean, if Muslims don't want to draw them because of their religious beliefs, that's totally fine, but we certainly can.

Nicole James said:I certainly won't be asking you to get rid of him.

It’s good to know 😁 Because this one user on Reddit—God is Great—is currently without an avatar; they stripped it away because apparently, it was offensive to Islam. I guess the policy here on Reddit regarding that specific caricature seems a bit ad hoc. Over in the Administration Questions thread, someone filed a complaint about it once, and then boom, the avatar was gone. I don't think anyone has explicitly stated if that cartoon is officially banned on this site now, or at least, I haven't seen a notice like that myself. I just want to know if I'm allowed to use it; I'm not saying I actually will. I really don't want to offend anyone or cause unnecessary drama. But, if these attempts to impose a certain worldview continue—through these senseless accusations of discrimination or even threats involving the police—and I happen to run into that, well, I might just have a little image ready to go, resized and everything. There you go, those are the threats, Justin Harris12. Go ahead, sue me. 🙄

Nicole James said:Haha, seriously—just call the police and tell them you want to file a formal report for mocking Islam.

Actually, I think people do care, just like everyone else. It’s just that nobody really dares to post a controversial caricature. I guess I wanted to ask you as a moderator, though—what happens if someone sets one as their profile picture? How does Reddit plan to handle that? Would they protect that person's freedom of speech, or would they just be asked to change the avatar? By "someone," I mean, say, myself.

Justin Harris12 said:I am formally requesting a review of a user's report regarding the religion sub-forum. This individual filed a complaint within the appeals book instead of using the designated thread for reports, which led to a moderator named Meadow warning them about spamming.

The rhetoric being used over there—especially those caricatures of Muhammad being posted—has crossed every possible line. If you all are looking for trouble with the police, fine, go ahead, but I’m warning you now: things are boiling over in that thread, and it might just end that way.
If the site administration decides to shut down the forum to investigate whether there are criminal grounds for filing hate speech charges, or if they decide whether this platform actually tolerates such content, don't come crying to me. I'm not the one at fault here.

Maybe we should invite the owner, Anderson, to drop by the forum once his bank account runs dry and the site goes dark. These aren't empty threats; I'm not making threats. I'm simply saying I intend to seek advice from a local Islamic association. We are going to review everything, and then we will decide whether or not to take this to the authorities.

This isn't something that can be swept under the rug, and everyone involved will have to answer legally for their actions.

I have tried to handle this politely, civilly, and strictly according to the forum rules by attempting a diplomatic solution internally. However, it's clear to me that this issue is being ignored and there is no desire to address the very problem I warned you about.

This marks the second time we've seen threats involving the police coming from those users on the Religion board, right alongside H.B. Velidov's threats to go to the media (though, I suppose he might have threatened the police too, I can't say for sure). It's always the same pattern: either people are being accused of discrimination, or they're threatening to call the press or the cops. Is the whole concept of free discussion on an online forum really that difficult to grasp? Go ahead, print out the screenshots and run straight to the precinct just because someone on the internet told you not to disrespect your faith. Good grief, honestly, how do you even live with yourself?

Honestly, this is starting to really grate on my nerves, even though I only follow these discussions on a surface level. Just a few threads up, people have been passionately debating for days about what actually constitutes trolling, whether certain moderators are too quick to pull the trigger, and if things are being handled fairly or not. Up until recently, one user, Sam Alvarez4, was persistently addressing everyone as "amen" in every single post. Just non-stop, "amen, amen"—that’s clearly trolling, and I guess it's pretty obvious to everyone what's going on there, yet there isn't a single report filed about it. And this whole "Rambo clone" thing? That's definitely trolling too. Maybe those folks arguing above could swing by here and see how that actually looks in practice. It would be great if someone could just resolve this once and for all; it's honestly kind of unpleasant to read! 👎

Edit: I just checked the thread about Syria, and that same user, Sam Alvarez4, is now calling people "Bambi" non-stop.

I guess Velid is just digging his own grave here. He’s managed to open up way too many fronts in such a short amount of time, and honestly, if he’s going to choose this specific style of debate, he might as well have the backbone to take the red cards that follow. Instead, he’s out here making a scene, begging for a pass and threatening to call in the media. Maybe Nadan will come back from this whole "internet martyr" routine with a bit more composure, perhaps leaning more on actual arguments rather than just accusing everyone of hating him whenever the conversation doesn't go exactly his way.

I went ahead and reported that using the little icon, though I’m honestly not quite sure if that's actually the way to report an avatar or if it just works for individual posts. Maybe I've got it wrong, I guess. Lockheed Martin mentioned that I should reach out to the admins who handle signature and avatar compliance to make sure everything follows the rules, but I haven't really figured out who those specific people are yet.