Thread is getting cluttered

I originally opened this thread to lay out some very specific guidelines, but things spiraled completely out of control once the usual crowd of bigots showed up. They started in with their classic, tired provocations—claiming being gay isn't okay, calling people sick, and insisting it’s something that can be "cured" (🤣)
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The whole discussion has become utterly pointless now that it's devolved into a total flame war. I’m asking a moderator to please shut this down if it’s even possible 🙂
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Hey, could someone from the mod team take a look at this PDF? I noticed the topic is actually open. 🙂

There’s been absolutely no response to my private message, and frankly, the entire topic has become nothing short of revolting.

The topic has drifted quite a bit from the original concept—though, personally, I’d prefer if we could just stick to the initial idea...

Gregory Turner71 said:The topic has drifted from the original point, but I’d prefer if it stayed...

I want it to stay right where it is because frankly, I find this insulting to me personally, and to every gay person across the entire country.

Don't even get me started on quoting all those comments claiming we're "sick" or whatever else. It's absolutely nauseating to read.

rustydrifter10, please, say something. 🙂 🙂

I mean, this thread has definitely wandered pretty far from where we originally started, but honestly, I don't think there's any reason to shut it down just yet.

To be honest, I can't help but wonder if this whole thread is just one big troll attempt—I’m really not convinced it isn't. But, if you aren't just messing with us, you actually have some solid responses and questions waiting for you on the last page. Let's try to get back to the heart of what you were asking. Why don't you share a bit more about God? Try to explain your own faith (especially since you mentioned you've "never read the Bible"). If you're being sincere, take a more theological approach to the question, much like how it's framed in that religion PDF.

rustydrifter10 said:The conversation has drifted pretty far from the original topic, but I don't see any reason to shut the whole thread down.

However, there is definitely a reason to sanction the offensive posts.

The community guidelines clearly state that insults aren't allowed.

Brenda Cook4 said:To be honest, I’m starting to wonder if this entire thread is just you trolling; I'm not entirely convinced it isn't. If it isn't, look, you actually have some decent answers and questions on the last page now, so let's try to get back on track with what you originally asked. Try to say something more about God, or attempt to explain your faith—since you mentioned you've "never read the Bible"—and take a theological approach to the question, assuming it was actually posed sincerely on the Religion subforum.

I would have phrased it more gracefully: the self-appointed moral police showed up and started throwing insults. Personally, this thread has become too depressing to read, so I don't even bother opening it anymore. There were a couple of insults where I actually stooped to their level and fired back, so feel free to hand out a warning to me as well as them—I won't complain.

And by the way, I've tried reading the Bible a few times, but I found it incredibly boring. What am I supposed to do about that? Not everything is found in the Bible.

frozenowl3 said:But there really is a need to sanction posts that are outright insulting.

The community guidelines clearly state that insults aren't allowed,

I would just explain things nicely—that the people jumping in to play counselor weren't the ones who actually started the insults. Personally, this topic is just too depressing for me to keep reading, so I don't even open the thread anymore. There were a few times where I actually stooped to their level and fired back with an insult myself—if that's the case, feel free to give me a warning card too; I won't be upset about it.

And by the way, I’ve tried reading the Bible a few times, but I just found it too tedious—what am I supposed to do? Not everything can be found in the Bible.

Did you report the problematic posts?

Are you seriously asking me to report fifty different posts? If I go through with that, are you actually going to step up and do something about it?

We aren't going to play nitpicker, are we?
Go ahead—list the specific posts you think are problematic right here. We'll take a look and decide if they actually warrant deletion, but let’s be clear: don't forget to include your own posts where you're just spamming the board, too.

- Insulting behavior; this is how flame wars start.
quoting: "homosexuality is a disorder, but it can be cured"

- Claiming I am Satan or the devil... basically implying that being gay is synonymous with being evil.

- Moving into off-topic territory by drawing a parallel between being gay and pedophilia, which is an outright insult.
- Off-topic

- They clearly haven't even read the thread. Now they're claiming being a lesbian is just popular because of The L Word. They're sniffing out a flame war; if my answer isn't sufficient, they'll just jump to stupid conclusions and provocation.
- Off-topic
- Off-topic
(People are actually debating The L Word on a religion thread...)
- Off-topic

- Going off-topic regarding the subject
- Off-topic

- I find terms like "faggot" and "derp" insulting.

- Just a massive amount of quoting without substance; a complete derailment.

- Off-topic

- Great, more talk about pedophilia.

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This is offensive to me; it has nothing to do with the topic and it's off-topic.

- Pedophilia again.

- This individual needs to be sent to a psychiatrist—forgive me for speaking my mind.
And here we go again with the pedophilia talk.

- More pedophilia... what was that title again? I can't recall.

- Pedophilia? Yes.

I could list every single post here since they are all off-topic. It's a massive derailment because people keep bringing up pedophilia instead of staying on the topic, which isn't even as mild as The L Word! You can look at the posts above yourselves, but I've already given you the most biting summary. That's that.

- More intense homophobia, back to the "healing" nonsense again. Disgusting.

- That "healer" doctor is at it again—they’re even bringing up Mengele now. Chilling.

They're claiming I'm Satan, or rather, that there's some kind of Satanic chain around me and that I'm not "normal."

The "healer" strikes again.

There's even more on the previous page...
So, they've officially pivoted to attacking GAYS AND PARENTING. ☕

Calling me mentally unstable and preaching about "cures" once more.
And right here, too.

They've even veered off into talking about Texas Hold'em poker on this page.

Ad hominem?

THIS ON THE FORUM: when we discuss homosexuality as a disorder, we have to understand it doesn't fall into the category of serious mental illnesses—actual diseases like schizophrenia, which in its various forms is a truly grave issue and, in certain cases, essentially incurable...

He called me unintelligent and stupid right here.
And I gave him a taste of his own medicine over here.
Since the moderator explicitly told me to mention that, fine—enjoy it, revel in it if you want. If anyone actually cares about justice, isn't 99% of this thread a red card offense for off-topic rambling, or am I going to have to quote the rulebook?

I've covered maybe 30% of this thread because most of it is just pure spam after the first few pages. If you think you're dealing with an idiot, you're mistaken—this isn't okay. People get banned for much more benign things, yet this is allowed to slide? Am I expected to endure this level of garbage and harassment both on the streets and here? Ha!

🙂
Well, we'll see about that!
Honestly, you didn't need that tone at the end of your list—it doesn't exactly help your case if you’re actually looking for an honest debate or some genuine feedback on your topic.
Getting worked up leads nowhere, especially on a forum like this...😉

I'm going to temporarily lock this thread so I can touch base with my colleagues, then I'll reopen it. Once it's back up, the responsibility falls on you as the author to monitor it and give us a heads-up if things start veering off track—after all, none of us are logged in here 24/7.

frozenowl3 said:If you all know how much I value fairness, does that mean 99% of this thread is headed for a red card because of off-topic chatter, or am I actually going to have to start quoting the rulebook?

I’ve only even scratched the surface here—maybe 30% of the topic at most—mostly because after the first couple of pages, it just turns into an absolute sea of spam. If you honestly think you’re dealing with some idiot, you’re dead wrong. This isn't right. People are getting banned for things that are perfectly harmless, yet this garbage is being allowed to stay? Seriously? Am I supposed to just sit here and take this kind of nonsense and harassment? Between the chaos on the road and now this, I feel like there's nowhere left to catch a break.

Don't go overboard here. Honestly, those posts you linked don't even come close to warranting a ban. You started a thread in the Religion section specifically asking Catholics what they should do if they’re gay—basically asking how that denomination and their concept of God view the situation. Look, I get it. If someone starts calling for violence, spreading intolerance, or stripping people of their basic humanity, then yeah, they deserve a sanction. But if a believer responds to your question by saying, "That isn't in line with our faith, it's a sin," what exactly are we supposed to do about that? That's just an opinion within the context of the discussion.

Spam? No way, man. Like I told you before, none of your posts have even attempted to dive into any kind of theological debate. When I brought up that moment where you mentioned you hadn't really read the Bible, your response was simply that it felt premature and that the Bible doesn't contain everything.
If this isn't spam, I honestly have no idea what is. You’re posting this under the Religion section and asking questions specifically directed at Catholics—it just feels out of place.

Look, if you actually want to have a real conversation here, you’ve got to meet me halfway. Try to dial back that defensive tone—it’s hard to get anywhere when the walls are up like that.

I’ve been quietly reading through the posts that actually offer some substance, though I haven't felt the need to reply to every single one. I was simply gathering more information.

I know exactly what the issue is here: you think I'm just some troll and you're trying to push me out because you find it impossible to wrap your heads around the fact that a lesbian would actually want to attend church in America!

Even within this specific thread, I am being met with nothing but pure intolerance. It's shameful, and frankly, it makes me sick to live in a society like this.

Why don't you just create a dedicated "gay and lesbian" corner? We can take our discussions over there, and if anyone decides to barge in preaching about "cures" or illnesses, you can ban them for good. Then you won't have to deal with these kinds of headaches anymore.

Brenda Cook4, if you truly believe that not a single person here deserves a warning, then you have no business being a moderator.

Goodbye.

frozenowl3 said:I’ve been following the posts here quite closely—the ones that actually get to the point. I haven't felt the need to jump in and reply to everything, but I have been paying attention. It’s been helpful to sit back and soak up all this new information as it comes in.

You know what your problem actually is: Do you honestly think I’m just some troll you can shake off? Is that what this is? You're all trying to push me out. It’s honestly wild to me that you all find it so unbelievable that a lesbian would actually want to step foot inside a church here in America!

Even in this thread, I’m running into nothing but pure intolerance. It’s honestly shameful. It makes me feel sick to my stomach, thinking about the kind of environment I have to live in.

Look, why don't you just set up a dedicated space for the queer community? Give us a corner where we can actually talk to one another without all this noise. If someone decides to fly in and start preaching about "cures" or dumping their views on illnesses and stuff like that, just hit them with a permanent ban. It’s simple: kick them out, and you won't have to deal with these kinds of headaches ever again.

Brenda Cook4, if you honestly believe that not a single person deserves a warning, then you shouldn't be in charge of moderating this place.

See you later.

Honestly, I feel like every single thing you post just reinforces my point, but you’re totally off base if you think there's anything "incredible" about an LGBTQ+ person wanting to attend church. It's not like anyone is out here trying to "fix" them or anything. The truth is, you just don't care. You aren't actually looking for answers; you're just going through the motions. And when it comes to intolerance? Let's be real—you're pretty intolerant yourself. One look at your posts and it's clear: there's a lot of aggression there.

What you’re actually witnessing isn't aggression; it’s pure, unadulterated disillusionment with the system.

You heterosexual types are the truly aggressive ones, constantly hammering on about how we need "healing" or labeling us as some kind of pathology—it feels incredibly violent and intrusive to me. And besides, since when did you all develop telepathy? How exactly do you claim to know the exact "tone" I'm using when I speak?

You’re honestly laughable. As far as this forum moderation goes, I give it a zero out of ten.

P.S. On another note, aside from the first few pages, I've had trolls trying to lecture me on whether homosexuality is curable in threads that have absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand. And you people just let them stay? You call yourselves moderators?

Honestly, mods, I expected better from you guys... 😁

frozenowl3 said:It’s called being disappointed in the system, not being aggressive.

You heterosexuals are the ones being aggressive—constantly bringing up "healing" as if we’re some kind of disease. To me, that feels incredibly violent and aggressive. Besides, since when did you people develop telepathy to know exactly what "tone" I’m using?

You guys are hilarious. Forum management? Zero stars.

P.S. Why would I even care? Aside from the first few pages, predators are trying to shove the idea that homosexuality is curable down my throat in a thread that has absolutely nothing to do with that. And you don't even ban them? You call yourselves moderators?

Oh, please.
That’s basically the requirement for being a moderator here...😂

Since you clearly have that same "telepathy" you claim I have, I guess you just *know* that everyone who is heterosexual is inherently aggressive and violent...
And honestly, how can you claim to be a victim... when you don't even know who these people are or what they stand for?
bluemason3 already pointed out exactly where you're failing—both in your logic and your attitude...
If you find it this difficult to accept objective criticism... I don't even know what else to say.

I’m asking for this thread to be locked...

bluemason3 said:Yeah, moderators—you should be ashamed of yourselves... 😁

🤣

...shame on you, former moderator...😂