Hail & farewell

[davem]

I'm just going outside. I may be sometime.

I have decided to depart for another life elsewhere. I am too old & a bit too bored for this.

Unfortunately, I do not respect any & every belief that people hold. Many of them I find a bit silly. I am not willing to be a hypocrite, so I will make fun of what I find funny, & treat as frankly idiotic what I find frankly idiotic.

Its been fun, but now its not.

The idea that before I post anything I will have to analyse it, go over it with a fine-tooth comb & determine whether some Bible-belt fundamentalist, some member of al-qaida, some Buddhist monk on a mountain in Tibet or some ..... (fill in the blank) will be offended by it, re-word it, edit it, or just not bother to post it at all is not appealing.

I am the way I am. I post the way I post. I don't ask anyone to like me - I merely ask them not to keep bloody whining about me (at least not in my hearing).

Its for the best. I'm afraid, as I said, I'm just too old, & too bloody minded, to change my ways now.

[narfforc]

The real problem was entering into a discussion about religion, we all know that we shouldn't but we dragged in, you should have left them alone, let them think what they want, I do the same thing with people who believe they have been abducted by aliens or think they know King Arthur. When there is real proof of any religion to exist then I will give it serious thought, until then it remains just another good story book, just like The Lord of the Rings..................hey is that a parallel. Don't throw your teddy out of the pram, take a rest, enjoy Oxonmoot, and then enter into some other discussion (preferably not on religious mythology).
Any discussion on that subject will never be won by either side, and the thread that was closed is now inconclusive, a stalemate.

P.S I was one of those who enjoyed your sarcasm, because I understood it was not malicious or hateful, it came from a different sense of humour that is lost on most.

[Holbytlass]

Fare thee well, and I mean it sincerely. I hope you might come back one day.

It is hard to live in a world (or perhaps society) that demands free-speech to everyone except those who might disagree. I don't wish for anyone to think they have to stay where they feel unappreciated.

I enjoy your thoughts and the topics you bring up. I usually have nothing to offer myself because they tend to be a bit beyond my reach but I like how they make me stretch my mind. I will miss you. I wish you luck to find "your" place. ~Holby

[Anguirel]

davem, rest for as long as you need, but don't let hiatus become self-exile unless you really want it to.

The cloying claw of the internet certainly demands intervals of escape. But I at least have enormously enjoyed your presence here and I hope perhaps I will again. Maybe sooner than we think.

[davem]

Thanks, but I've thought about it.

It wasn't a suicide note. I'm still breathing. I just won't be here.

Problem is, I like the religious discussions.

I also have the unavoidable urge to tell people if they're being illogical - even if they're religious.

I'm grateful to all my Christian opponents for turning the other cheek, & not demanding that I be excomunicated from the Downs. *

Restores your faith in Religion.

Now. That really is it. I will not back.

*That was irony, in case anyone missed it. I know there are people here who wouldn't recognise satire if you wrote it on a brick & smashed them over the head with it.

[The Saucepan Man]

Davem, the overwhelming majority of people here seem to have no difficulty doing the things that you claim to find so hard. They either contribute constructively and politely (and that does not exclude disagreement or humour) or they opt to refrain from posting on threads in which they see little value rather than disrespectfully mocking the views and opinions of those who do find value in them.

You are undoubtedly an impressive debater and have made many valuable constructive contributions to the Downs over the years. Sadly, given your recent behaviour, I have to say that I think your decision is the right one (and it might be said that it was a question of jumping before you were pushed). You will be welcome back when you are prepared to show a bit more tolerance and respect for the views of others (and that does not mean you have to agree with them).

I suspect that this thread will shortly be closed. Individual announcements of departure, as with announcements of arrival, are not the norm on the Downs (particularly overly melodramatic ones ).

[narfforc]

I only ever talk about religion to like minded people, I would not go into a church/mosque/synagogue/temple or public house and give my views on religion, and I do not allow them to come into my house. The Barrow-downs should not be a battle ground for religious or political viewpoints. I find it amazing that the thread lasted as long as it did, and should be a lesson to the Mods, in future discussions on religion should really be discouraged, for there was only ever going to be one outcome. Imagine for one minute if someone popped up with the idea that The Lord of the Rings was representative of a certain political party, would the opposition stand by and let them get away with that, no. I, and others did not like the views put forward by those of a certain religion persuasion, I did not ask for the thread to be closed, they have there right to their oppinion, apparently the opposition did not, our champion was silenced, good way to shut us up.

[Mister Underhill]

Yes, this does take me back! I haven't seen an "I'm leaving the Downs... forever!" thread in a good long while. You've been awarded a week's ban to speed you on your way, though as Sauce said, you are welcome back after you've worked out your issues on this one.

We don't ask a lot from people. One of those things is that they don't troll. An impressive reputation slices both ways -- it means you are even more responsible to set a decent example of how we roll on the Downs.

This thread is closed.

Cross-posted with nafforc: here's the thing -- this incident really has very little to do with religion, at least from the administration's point-of-view. We've always given more leeway to religious discussions here because of the role played by religion (of various stripes) in Tolkien's life and work. Let this be a lesson instead to all members: reasonable discussion can be conducted on any topic so long as people avoid childish behavior. Mocking ridicule is not the only way to express opposition, as the thread, and other discussion all over the Downs, clearly show.