# FTR: No matter how harsh I get here with the nasty wordsies, I am not "persecuting" you **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 7, 2014, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591 "2014-04-07T23:17:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/21 "2014-04-08T10:08:44Z")
…Which, as stated above, makes me wonder - at what points do the mods declare that “threadshitting” and step in? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/22 "2014-04-08T12:32:42Z")
It’s unfortunate that he killed what could have been an interesting debate. We could have talked about creches on public property and the harm that allowing them or not causes both sides. We could have talked about how disallowing prayers in public schools has or hasn’t harmed Christians. Instead, we get page after page of discussions of the definition of the word “persecution”. He successfully killed what could have been an interesting conversation and maybe that gives him a woodie when he does it, but it’s too bad that the debate had to die to satisfy his need to dominate the conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/23 "2014-04-08T12:40:42Z")
I find myself opening BG Pit threads just to see how lame and short they are. Title, post, short sentence. The Linda Richman of the Pit. He never disappoints. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/24 "2014-04-08T12:47:29Z")
He’s intellectually dishonest to the core. It’s a deep and fundamental character flaw. I wonder what Jesus will think of him when Bricker finally shuffles off this mortal coil. If I was him, I’d secretly be hoping the atheists are right. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/25 "2014-04-08T12:56:20Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > Is it against the rules to advocate persecuting **Bricker**? If so, is it against the rules by _his_ definition? There are very few times when the restriction on claiming that someone is lying has bothered me so much, because **Bricker** , for _6 fucking pages_, was being a dishonest, threadshitting douchebag. I don’t why the fuck the mods didn’t step in; I’ve seen accusations of threadshitting for _far_ less, and I reported it and nothing happened. Essentially, you get the same problem you had with Diogenes. When you build a precedent by having a long history of borderline shitty behavior, the mods have a hard time stepping in one day and saying “oh, you know, this stuff you’ve been doing for the last few years? All along it turns out you were an asshole and against the rules, stop it” Which ultimately poisons the board - essentially, the key to being shitty and getting away with it is having a long history of being shitty. But they ultimately, against my expectation, solved the previous case I mentioned as an example, so who knows. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/26 "2014-04-08T13:00:09Z")
Well, [FWIW](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=17268247#post17268247)… ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/27 "2014-04-08T13:09:39Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Really, there’s nothing to discuss. They are not. End of thread. Yeah. In my opinion, **Bricker** _saved_ that thread. Without torturous lawyerly word-wanking it would have lasted as long as as if it had asked if 2+2=5. > [@YogSosoth](#): > > The persecution complex is strong with that one I strongly suspect that many if not most people have some level of persecution complex. There seems to be a deep desire in many to claim persecution against all common sense and logic. It might be a desire to be pitied, or to excuse failures, or just to get attention, or what else I don’t know. But people seize on the idea like a terrier on a pork sausage. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/28 "2014-04-08T13:10:03Z")
Bricker is more consistently logical and interesting than 95% of his critics. But based on reading the first page of the linked thread, this pitting is understandable. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/29 "2014-04-08T13:20:43Z")
Logic can go either way. You can make a logical argument that’s a tangent to the actual discussion, or a logical argument without merit. Interesting? Not terribly. You can pretty much predict exactly what his schtick will be whenever he enters the thread. It rarely adds anything meaningful to the discussion, anything that may enlighten. It’s really just a matter of trying to create arbitrary hoops to make other people jump through, to distract them from whatever topic he’s being an apologist for. If you’re looking for an enlightening discussion, it’s not interesting at all. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/30 "2014-04-08T13:32:04Z")
“Why do Christians feel persecuted?” “Because some people treat them badly.” “That’s not persecution!” Lather, rinse, repeat. Regards, Shodan PS - I forgot to mention that atheists feel morally entitled to a monopoly on whining about how much they are disliked in America. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/31 "2014-04-08T13:45:10Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > “Why do Christians feel persecuted?” > > “Because some people treat them badly.” > > “That’s not persecution!” > > Lather, rinse, repeat. > > Regards, > Shodan > > PS - I forgot to mention that atheists feel morally entitled to a monopoly on whining about how much they are disliked in America. You know what I like about you, **Shodan**? Unlike **Bricker** , nobody is likely to look at you and think, “man, what a well-spoken, intelligent person, it’s a shame they’re such a douche”. …Well, okay, two out of three ain’t bad. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/32 "2014-04-08T13:50:39Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > This is still hilarious. What dictionary does Bricker cite? Google, or put in another way _somebody on the internet_. I went over to [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com) and picked up the following: …a program or campaign to exterminate, drive away, or subjugate a people because of their religion, race, or beliefs: the persecutions of Christians by the Romans. To say that Christians are persecuted on this message board robs the word of all meaning. > > _Hostility?_ Definitely. _Abuse_? Sure. _Ill treated?_ Maybe. _Human rights violations?_ Sorry, but no. > I’ll admit that persecute gives me, “to pursue with harassing or oppressive treatment, especially because of religion, race, or beliefs; harass persistently.” That’s a little closer. Except the pursuit part is missing, as is the implication of official abuse of human rights. You know, like the Ancient Romans. > > Oppression? On a message board? Really? _::snort::_ Wow. I didn’t know that words have only one meaning now. When did that happen? You cite [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com), but disregard definition #2 which seems pretty applicable to this MB: > [@](#): > > [persecute](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/persecute?s=t) > > per·se·cute [pur-si-kyoot] > verb (used with object), per·se·cut·ed, per·se·cut·ing. > 1.to pursue with harassing or oppressive treatment, especially because of religion, race, or beliefs; harass persistently. > 2.to annoy or trouble persistently. It wouldn’t be my descriptor of choice, but I certainly wouldn’t Pit someone for using it. Sheesh! ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/33 "2014-04-08T13:54:29Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Wow. I didn’t know that words have only one meaning now. When did that happen? You cite [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com), but disregard definition #2 which seems pretty applicable to this MB: > > It wouldn’t be my descriptor of choice, but I certainly wouldn’t Pit someone for using it. Sheesh! No, but using it for 6 pages in a thread where it is blatantly obvious that nobody else considers that definition reasonable and are instead ascribing to a different definition altogether? Fuck _that_ shit. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/34 "2014-04-08T13:57:03Z")
By all means, let’s derail the pitting of someone who derailed a debate to nipick over the definition of “persecute” with _another_ hijack over the definition of “persecute”. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/35 "2014-04-08T13:57:17Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > No, but using it for 6 pages in a thread where it is blatantly obvious that nobody else considers that definition reasonable and are instead ascribing to a different definition altogether? Fuck _that_ shit. Nobody else? You mean _no body else who agrees with you._ ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/36 "2014-04-08T14:00:08Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > Bricker did what he intended to do though. There was almost no discussion in the thread about the question of whether or not American Christians are persecuted. I’m not sure he intended to do what he actually did, which is to make it a bit more likely that any _actual_ cases of anti-Christian animus will be shrugged off as “Wolf!” cry #573 (collect the whole set!). ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/37 "2014-04-08T14:00:20Z")
Whatever one thinks of **Bricker** ’s arguments, it’s amusing that the guy who says “this is why I think there’s persecution” gets Pitted for doing so. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/38 "2014-04-08T14:04:59Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > **Bricker** shits things with more redeeming qualities than Brainglutton. I’ve scraped nicer and smarter and better things than you off my shoe, **Oak.** ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/39 "2014-04-08T14:10:59Z")
Hasn’t Michael Lind published a treatise on this subject? Or maybe we can divide the “persecuted Christians” into 9 socio-political groups to explain their sense of persecution better. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591/40 "2014-04-08T14:15:20Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > This is basically what he is, and all he contributes to the board. He’s like a lawyer that seeks out the most guilty defendants - ones who obviously are guilty, who have 20 witnesses, bloodstained hands, and video proof of their deeds - and then attempts to construct a Baghdad Bob style “nothing is wrong here!” defense. People often compliment his intelligence because he’s obviously articulate, and sometimes gives the impression of good argument, but isn’t it even more damning if that’s the case? He knows better, he knows he’s making ridiculous arguments to shill for wrong things, but he thinks that if he can somehow hit just the right logic, the right semantics, the right tangential argument, he’ll dazzle everyone to his side. I am reminded of the lawyer in one issue of _Astro City_ who got an obviously guilty client acquitted by raising all sorts of bizarre comic-book-universe possibilities (the deceased isn’t really dead, the killer was an evil twin from an alternate universe, etc). Since such things were known to be not completely impossible in their world, the jury was swayed to accept this argument as a basis for reasonable doubt. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftr-no-matter-how-harsh-i-get-here-with-the-nasty-wordsies-i-am-not-persecuting-you/685591.md?page=3)