New Subforum - Atheism

Look, boss, I’m really trying to drive home the point regarding the purpose of this PDF. 🙂 I felt compelled to provide an example to illustrate my perspective.

Here is how I see it. I certainly understand the anxiety and the underlying prejudices people have when opening a document like this, but those issues can be mitigated through much more effective moderation. Moderation isn't just about handing out warnings or deleting posts that don't fit the rules, is it? If you are planning to implement changes within the scope of Religion, then we are looking at the necessity of radical measures. To be blunt, any meaningful reform requires bold, decisive action. Some people will embrace it, while others will inevitably push back, but I believe it is an absolute necessity. Every individual eventually learns this through their own experience—society is in a constant state of flux, so why should this forum be any different? The core issue is that you want to modernize this platform, to make it higher quality, more engaging, and more welcoming. But sir, that kind of evolution doesn't happen without making some radical moves. This doesn't strictly apply to Religion, though that is our current focus. Please give it some thought and let me know if my reasoning holds water.

no Nick, there’s actually some logic to this, and honestly, it isn't the first time someone has floated the idea of spinning off a subforum under Religion
it’s just that you know how things go—good intentions alone don't cut it, and we all know exactly where that road leads (especially over in the Religion section)
🙂
don't get it twisted and think anyone is just afraid of change or making things better; it's more about actually having a coherent vision for what happens once we take that leap
personally, I can't even wrap my head around what people would actually debate in an Atheism subforum, and frankly, I haven't seen a single proposal that doesn't fall completely flat if we were to actually separate the atheists from the theists

As far as I’m concerned, it would be best if the atheists themselves weighed in on this matter; if they find it agreeable and believe there’s a viable path forward for the Democratic Party, then fine, why not? But if not, that's perfectly alright too—we’re all just learning how to coexist in the same society 🙂

Well, I suggested that they give it a shot—it won't cost them anything. Let's say we try it for about six months; if it makes sense, great, and if not, then we move on. Honestly, I am quite indifferent to the outcome. However, just as you (or any other member of the administration) want to see constructive arguments for why we should or shouldn't open that specific sub-forum, I feel the same way. 🙂

And let me reiterate—why do you perceive this as separating atheists from theists, vice versa?? There is absolutely no intention of segregation here, boss. Who is stopping atheists from participating in the main sub-forum? Or preventing any theist from joining a specific sub-forum within the Religion section? Perhaps I view this through a slightly different lens because I have experience managing forums myself, but to me, having distinct sub-forums is perfectly logical; when there is such a large volume of people circulating, it is simply more organized to know where everyone belongs. I am willing to consider whether this might not be the ideal approach, but despite my best efforts to see it otherwise, I haven't been convinced yet. I certainly don't expect people to flock to new sub-forums to flood them with endless posts and new threads. Take the Spirituality sub-forum, for example. When I first joined this forum—and if you check my registration date, you'll see I've been writing here for nearly four years now—Spirituality was actually part of the Religion section. Later, Philosophy was spun off, eventually becoming its own thing, even though the connection seems tenuous. It likely happened because many users requested it, perhaps wanting to distance themselves from the chaos of the Religion section. As for how much sense the Spirituality sub-forum makes to me personally, I'll refrain from commenting. My point is this: if Spirituality can exist as a standalone section, then a sub-forum for Atheism/Islam/Christianity is a completely normal and legitimate way to categorize the Religion section. You have roughly 40% Christians, 30% atheists, and 10% Muslims. The main sub-forum would handle general topics, which naturally include discussions touching on atheism, Christianity, or Islam (with other faiths implied), but if someone wants to dive into a more nuanced debate, it is only logical that they head over to the Christianity sub-forum to start a thread regarding Jesus's pre-existence. Within that specific space, I don't see a need to argue about whether Jesus actually existed or if the Bible is the Word of God, not because those things are forbidden, but because everyone knows exactly where those debates belong. With better moderation—specifically, higher quality moderation where the mods actually understand the nuances of what they are overseeing, rather than just being "parachuted" in—do you really think this couldn't work in practice? Of course, there will always be some friction, petty jabs, and other trivial nonsense, but I believe it could be kept to a minimum. If this doesn't work out, you always have the option to merge all the sub-forums back into one main section.

In the end, although I wouldn't personally cast a vote since I rarely participate in polls—what if you simply posted a poll to see if there is any actual consensus? It feels somewhat futile to debate this if it truly is the best solution but the vast majority of users don't want it. Even if the majority isn't always the perfect metric, it isn't worth pushing the issue without knowing where the bulk of the community stands. According to this poll, most people voted "yes" to opening the Christianity sub-forum, but interestingly, they didn't read the introductory question carefully. That question specifically asked for the opinion or demand of Christians; looking at who voted "against" the sub-forum, it is clear that the opposition came mostly from atheists, agnostics, or others, rather than Christians themselves. Poll results may shift by today, but you won't know the true sentiment until you actually conduct the vote.

But look...

To justify spinning off a new subforum, you need a critical mass of active threads on the current one that actually warrant a separate space. Let's be specific here. Does the Religion section currently have at least 5 or 6 atheist-focused threads—if not more—that are seeing daily engagement? If the answer is no, then creating a new subforum is completely pointless.

Fair enough, you make a valid point. But what about the PDF on Christianity? 🙂 On the Religion board, there are plenty of active discussions that touch upon Christianity, whether directly or indirectly, if that's how we want to look at it. 🙂

Steven Clark2 said:Alright, fair point. But what about a dedicated Christianity subforum? 🙂 On Religion, there are tons of active threads touching on Christianity, whether directly or indirectly, if that's how we're looking at it. 🙂

Look, Christianity belongs on the Religion sub. It’s its own thing, period. I don't get why people are acting all "sectarian" and demanding separate subforums... 🤷

If you think you can just carve out an exclusive Christian corner where everyone can just "hang out" in their own bubble, I doubt it'll happen. It didn't work before, and I don't see why it would now.

btw.

This whole pivot from atheism to Christianity (which is clearly the goal here, right? 😁) is just way too obvious...... totally transparent. 🙂